Chapter 1

Drithen Isolation Area, Southern Continent (Falvin)

Glaskar Krelf was annoyed. He and his brethren had been isolated in this camp for almost a full year, and he was beyond tired of it. He was on the verge of being angry, which is a sensation he had never before experienced, and it made him feel very strange.

His mate, Suzaan Den Ott, was talking to him, though he had not heard anything she had been saying. Finally, she took his hand in hers. "Glaskar! Are you listening to me? We must begin working on a way to incapacitate our captors if we are to leave this place and free our people."

Glaskar took a deep breath. "I am sorry, I was disturbed. You're correct. We must make something to disable our captors, and open the doors so we can get to our people and release them. Though I doubt many will want freedom initially."

Designs began to play through Glaskar's head unbidden, as had many things over the past year. Glaskar could not determine the source, but he knew he should not have such knowledge. He glanced at Suzaan before speaking again. "Do you have ideas for a way to incapacitate the Frell?"

Suzaan nodded once. "I have many ideas, I simply need tools, and several of the holo systems to scavenge components. I will be able to create perhaps three stunners out of two holo systems, likely only two."

"How long will you need once we start destroying equipment?" Glaskar asked.

"Maybe 5 hours, perhaps less. But that will only give us two of the stunners. With your help and a couple of the others, we can have 14 or 16 in that time. Not enough for all of us, but it should be enough to get us out of here."

Glaskar nodded thoughtfully. "What about the doors? How will we get past them?"

"I believe Saavid will be able to use the guards holo devices to get through them." Suzaan said with conviction. "She has said it will be a simple task."

"Very well," Glaskar said. "At the end of the day, in the middle of the guard shift, we'll begin making preparations. This should give us time to build the devices we need, and catch the guards before the next change so we may escape. Inform the others."

Suzaan nodded and turned to exit their room.

Back in the common area, she quietly informed the rest of the prisoners of the plan, and made sure there were at least 10 others who could make the stunners. This would give them maybe twenty, but she doubted they would need 4.

Almost 6 hours before lights out, so Suzaan returned to their room to rest until they began their escape.

Frell Council Chambers

Council member Jerthax Len Kolvah was so distraught, he was nearly speechless. Council member Alvare Len Dallvan simply would not change his mind about the Drithen, and there was nothing anyone could say to persuade him. "Council member Alvare, you must see the issues before us. The Drithen are becoming a threat to our very existence. We are not all warriors. If they decide to use force, we MUST be able to respond in kind. This Frell would insist we need to act before they become a military threat. Currently we only have 2200 of them in the isolation area, but that will not hold them forever. They will soon grow tired of our forceful imprisonment. We must be ready to counteract any threat they may pose."

Council member Alvare Len Dallvan turned three of his four eyes toward the annoyance that was Council member Jerthax Len Kolvah. "They are a sentient race under our protection. Regardless of what has transpired, we must do everything we can to determine what has caused these changes, without causing harm to the Drithen. They are like a misbehaving child, not a warrior on the battlefield, and we still have not determined what has caused this dramatic evolutionary change. All of our researchers say it has to be outside influence, yet they cannot point to what it may be, or how it is being accomplished. Until you or someone else can provide this information, I will not sanction detrimental action against another race we have sworn to protect. It is better all Frell perish than break our oath to protect. We would be no better than Kurtherian if we did this, and the Humans would be here in less than a year to exterminate us."

Orfram Len Jorrd clicked two of his hands together to draw attention. "Alvare is correct. We know The Queen Bitch's reputation, and I would not wish to incur her wrath. Jerthax, task all of our researchers to find what is happening to the Drithen, and send scout teams out to the area where the disturbances began so many years ago. Let us find the source of the changes to them before we forsake our oath to protect them."

Jerthax grumbled, but capitulated. "If we must, then we must make all haste before the situation becomes unmanageable. Which I suspect will occur long before we manage to determine what is causing the unusual evolutionary changes in the Drithen. We have two who are over 9 feet tall, which has never happened before!"

Council member Darzim Len Flaan decided to speak up at this pronouncement. "As head of the scientific arm, I will oversee the scouting and correlation of data. However, I have little confidence in our ability to determine the root cause of the Drithen epidemic that we are faced with."

Jerthax bobbed his head slightly. "I will send word to the scouts, they will be in the area in hours, and perhaps they will uncover something previous missions have not. If it is a Kurtherian in our midst, it may be impossible to find until it is too late for us to stop whatever plan it has."

After a long pause, lead Council member Orfram stood. "Let us redouble our efforts then, and may we find the cause of the Drithen's changes before they find the means to overthrow us." The meeting adjourned, and the Council members began activating their holo devices before they were out of the chamber.

Drithen Isolation Area, Southern Continent (Falvin)

As the time drew near, Suzaan found it increasingly difficult to rest. She was trying to stay calm as the time slowly slipped past. Eventually, Glaskar stood from his chair and turned to her.

"It's time, inform the others while I start to dismantle our holo projector terminal." Glaskar instructed her.

Without speaking, she silently made her way to several other rooms, and a short while later, returned to their room with the equipment and people following. They set to work immediately, each disassembling the necessary parts, setting them aside, and beginning to put the stunners together. Much sooner than expected, the devices were complete.

"Well, they aren't pretty," Glaskar said, "but they should get the job done. Lets get started, wake the others and get ready. Where is Saavid?"

Suzaan tucked her stunner into a pocket, well, mostly, and headed out the door, returning moments later with Saavid Klenxren. "She's ready, and believes she'll be able to access the holo devices as easily as the Frell do."

Saavid bobbed her head slightly. "I've been watching them closely. In my mind I can see how they each access the different parts of their holo devices to open doors. I'll be able to get us out."

Glaskar smiled, showing most of his 54 teeth. "Excellent, let's get out of here. We have stunners for the guards, we'll only need you to get us past the security doors."

They exited the room as a group, and made their way quietly to the common area, where the rest of the captives were waiting. Without stopping, they headed to the exit to their holding area. At the last turn before the security gate, Glaskar stopped and turned to the others.

"Suzaan and I will go forward from here, wait for us to call you before you move forward, so they do not know we're trying to leave." After a few acknowledgments, Glaskar and Suzaan went around the corner.

The guards seemed to be viewing something on their holo device behind the desk. As Glaskar and Suzaan walked up to the desk, one of them glanced up in time to see Suzaan pointing her stunner at him. Before he could blink, Glaskar discharged his stunner, and Suzaan followed suit, stunning both guards and knocking them out.

Suzaan turned and called for Saavid. "Saavid, come open the door." Stepping around the desk, she removed the stunners from both guards, and took their holo devices from their belts. When Saavid arrived, Suzaan handed one to her.

Saavid took it and put on the projector, then attached the device to her belt, and began furiously touching the air in front of her. After only a few seconds, the door opened, and she smiled. "All of the doors are unlocked in this wing. We will be able to exit without further manipulation."

Suzaan smiled, "Let's go then, we have a long way to go to get back to our homes, but we'll have further to go to get to the base where we'll begin to build our forces."

As a unit, they quickly ran through the halls, stunning guard after guard, and taking their equipment as they left. By the time the guard change arrived, the detainees were long gone, along with many personal and transport vehicles.

Six hours later, the former prisoners had picked up their personal belongings and other equipment, as well as a large assortment of necessary electronics and vehicles, and headed to the north continent of Colram.

Suzaan kissed Glaskar as they began unloading at the old Frell base they had somehow known would be there. "We are finally free and can begin creating the necessary equipment to escape this planet."

Glaskar smiled. "Yes, and destroy the Frell in the process. They have the means for their destruction sitting at the spaceport, we simply need to take control, and set one of the dimensional drives to overload."

Suzaan was shocked. "What do you mean, destroy the Frell? We can't destroy them without destroying millions of our own people in the process. We don't even NEED to destroy them, we simply need to get off this planet, away from their influence. We don't belong here any more, but that doesn't mean our brothers and sisters don't. There are too many of us who have not evolved as we have, they must be protected."

Glaskar's eyes flared red, a brilliant, ruby red, and his voice seemed to take on a life of its own. "We will destroy the Frell, and if you do not support such action, then you too shall be destroyed along with them. Make your choice now, as there will be no second chance. You support me or you die, it is as simple as that."

Suzaan looked around at the others who had stopped what they were doing to watch the altercation. Turning back to Glaskar, she had her stunner in hand, and discharged it. Glaskar crumpled to the ground.

Calling to the others nearby, Suzaan stepped toward Glaskar. "Bring me bindings. I will not allow anyone to annihilate our people."

Several of those standing by sprang into action, helping to securely bind Glaskar, then hauled him away to a nearby room. When they returned, they looked to Suzaan for further instructions.

"Well, this is an interesting development." Suzaan said, saddened by the turn of events. "We must build the pod devices, do you all know of what I speak?" Most nodded, but some had no clue. She continued. "Those who know what I speak of, begin dismantling these devices and get the pods built. We need to change as many of us as we possibly can before the Frell determine what is going on. I have to go to the sea to retrieve the ship, so we may begin the change as soon as the pods are ready."

Saavid nodded to her. "I'll get the others busy building the pods, those who don't have the knowledge can begin gathering food and bringing the base back online."

"Very good." Suzaan smiled at her. "Keep Glaskar Krelf subdued, find lexith root and mix it into his drink to keep him sleeping until I return. It shouldn't take me a full day, but I can't be sure. If anything happens, keep Glaskar subdued as best you can, and don't allow him to speak to anyone but you or Voollett Orfren. Voolly won't tolerate his foolishness any more than I will. Until I return, keep the communication devices offline, and try to keep the electronic emissions as low as possible."

Saavid nodded. "Go, bring the ship, we need to change our people as fast as possible. In three days, we should have at least 10 pods ready."

Suzaan clasped hands with Saavid briefly before taking one of the aircraft and heading out.

Saavid watched Suzaan go and turned to get things started. "Raanee!" she yelled.

Raanee spun where he was and sprang to Saavid's side in two strides. "Yes Saavid? You have a task for me?"

Saavid nodded. "Suzaan is going to acquire the ship. We must get the pods built, and keep Glaskar subdued, since he is bent on destroying the Frell, and likely the planet with them. Get one of the food preparers to go find some lexith root to keep him asleep for now, and have the others begin searching for food. There may be some space rations or something here, but I doubt it, so we will likely have to forage and hunt."

"I'll send Stoven to get the lexith. My brother is the best herbalist we have with us, and he will know how to administer it to avoid killing Glaskar."

Saavid grinned. "True, but Glaskar may not give us a choice about what to do with him. He has lost his mind and told Suzaan he would kill her if she did not support him... His own mate! How could he even say such a thing?"

Raanee bobbed his head in concern. "There has been no violence within the Drithen for as long as we have lived. I cannot believe he would ... I cannot even say it."

Saavid placed a hand on Raanee's shoulder. "You need not say a thing, just get Stoven to find that root, and then let's get busy building pods."