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The Pouchling Warrior of Narn
(A Fan-Fiction Story based upon the T.V. series, "Babylon 5", created by J. Michael Straczynski)
Chapter One: Leaving the Shelter
The year is 2207...the name of the Occupied Planet is Narn, the home-world of a once-peaceful agrarian species of reptilian marsupials who are also known as the Narn. The Centauri Republic has enslaved the Narn people and has been ruling their world for over a century; and now, tensions between the two species are rising as the Narn Resistance grows stronger and more determined with each passing day to regain their freedom and drive the Centauri from the planet forever...
Ilan-Rai'ko pressed himself against his mother, Na'Laq, and she held him close. Little Rai'ko, as his family called him, wanted to crawl into Na'Laq's pouch, but he knew he was too old a pouchling to do such a cowardly thing. At six years of age, Rai'ko knew that he was expected to be brave. But the terrifying sound of the crashing bombs outside frightened even Rai'ko the Courageous. His eleven-year-old brother, Lor'Oko, attempted a humorous song for him, but the sound of the bombs was becoming so loud that even Lor'Oko had to give up. Na'Laq put her arm around the white-spotted Lor'Oko and pressed herself against her mate, G'Quarn. Was this finally to be the end of the Narn family and their community—perhaps even their world?
Little Rai'ko had grown up in one bomb shelter after another, ever since their enemies, the Centauris, had declared war on them. The Narn people had begun to rebel against the slavery that was imposed upon them by their Centauri Masters; and the Emperor of Centauri Prime had decided that the people of Narn needed to be taught a lesson. And so, he sent Centauri war cruisers to drop bombs on the civilian population.
The individual bombing sessions did not last long. Each attack would be perhaps ten to fifteen minutes in duration, and yet would seem to Rai'ko and his family to go on forever. This was how it went, day after day, week after week. They would sit about in the shelter singing, playing games, cooking and eating their rations for the day, and listening to stories by the elders.
Then one day, it ended. The family was free at last to come out of hiding, but Na'Laq was ill. She had contracted an illness of some kind which would come and go. While the bombs were falling, the mysterious disease had gone into remission. As soon as they were able to leave the underground shelter, however, the disease reared its ugly head once again.
"I fear that we will again have to deal with The Riala," she fretted, "Where else will we go? We must return to the Charisa Spoo Ranch and continue our work there. If we do not, Riala Arkonn will hunt us down and feed us to his pet Rock-Cats."
"Then we will be free in the bellies of Rock-Cats, Na'Nokai Na'Laq!" Rai'ko cried out, "I do not want to go back and be the slaves of the Centauri Masters! I prefer the underground shelters to that life, even if it is darker down there."
"Rai'ko!" Na'Laq scolded him, "You must never prefer the darkness to the light. Remember that, my son. We can never be free while we are holed up underground. The Narn must always come out into the light of day, no matter the consequences."
Rai'ko growled softly, and his mother swatted him on the rear for his impudence.
"R'Kai G'Quarn!" Rai'ko addressed his elderly father, "Don't you think we should all go and fight with the Freedom Soldiers?"
"I'm sorry, Rai'ko," G'Quarn said to his son, "but we have no other option but to go back to the Charisa family. We have your younger brother Ar'ro to think about, as well as your mother's health. We cannot join the Resistance, for we are too weak to do so. I am an old man, and your mother is ill...it is the way of things. The strong dominate the weak, and the weak must comply or die. I am not ready to let my family die yet, and so I make the only decision that I can."
"It is not fair," grumbled Rai'ko, "The Centauris should not dominate us on our own world."
"I know, Rai'ko, but we must treat our Masters with respect while they are here. One day, The Resistance Fighters will force them to leave, but until then we must work their farms to survive."
"I would like to join the Resistance," Rai'ko muttered under his breath, but not softly enough that his mother could miss it.
Na'Laq slapped him across the face furiously.
"Don't you dare speak of that again, Rai'ko," she told him fiercely, "The Masters kill those they suspect of being involved in The Resistance. Don't you go and put all of our lives in danger."
"I am sorry, Na'Nokai," Rai'ko replied meekly, but inside his mind he was thinking of ways to escape the Charisa Spoo Ranch and going to join the Freedom Fighters.
His older brother, Lor'Oko, attempted to interest Rai'ko in a game of "Chase the Birds", but he did not feel like chasing small birds around right now.
"If we catch one, we can eat it, Rai'ko," Lor'Oko whispered to him, "And you can pretend it is a Centauri as you grind its bones with your teeth."
"Don't make me lose my appetite, Lor'Oko," Rai'ko admonished him, "Centauris stink—so how do you think they would taste? I don't even want to let the thought enter my mind."
"I just thought killing a bird would put you in a better mood, is all," Lor'Oko explained, "So you don't have to join that Resistance and get us all killed instead."
"Boys, that's enough talk," G'Quarn scolded them gruffly as they hiked a worn path over the Quelizon Mountain back to the Charisa ranch.
