Chapter 13
Friends and Enemies

Tok was furious, he knew Sil was in the restricted area somewhere, but he couldn't find her. He had no intention of letting her leave and make the first contact with the aliens. She didn't deserve that right, he did. He would force them to tell him the real reason for their coming to Fra, which he knew had to be conquest. And he would be ready for them.

In front of him the large craft they had discovered buried in the Yan Glacier range ten years before was being raised out of the hanger. It was being held in place by anti-gravity gyros underneath its base, which was required since no contact with the ships surface by lifts or supports could be made. Some sort of protective barrier was surrounding the vessel, not unlike the new ship in the harbor.

But now he would once and for all find a way to gain access to this crafts technology and use it against the newcomers.

"Prepare to fire." he ordered, and the twelve soldiers behind him raised their energy rifles, which were stronger than the one handed blasters most of his men carried, but much heavier.

Over the solar cycles they had tried different techniques to open the craft, but they had all failed, the only things they hadn't tried was a direct assault, or explosives since they hadn't wanted to damage the ship and its wondrous technology. But Tok didn't care any more, he would get through the barrier around this craft, and when he did, he would then use whichever tactic that worked on the newly crashed ship as well.

"Fire!"

The sound of multiple rifles firing at once drowned out any other sound that could have been heard and the air took on a burnt smell. The crafts barrier flickered into view, and absorbed every shot.

"Cease firing, raise the plasma rockets into firing position." Tok yelled and moved to a safe distance. About ninety yards away was a land vehicle with a plasma rocket launcher on its cargo platform. These plasma rockets were the newest weapons to be added to Tok's arsenal and this would be their first real test.

"Fire!"

A rocket flashed into view and screamed through the air, and in less then a second impacted the craft. This time the craft tilted with the impact and the barrier seemed to stress from the blast. The anti-gravity gyros began to compensate and after a moment righted the ship once more.

Tok was on the ground. The shockwave was much stronger then he had realized it would be, and he was impressed at the rockets capabilities. He amended his earlier thoughts, scientists did have one good reason for being, to make him newer and better weapons.

Climbing to his feet, he pulled his energy pistol from his belt, and fired one shot at the craft. It hit the surface of the ship without intersecting with the barrier and made a small burn scar on the up until now flawless grey surface.

He had done it, now all he had to do was make a door.

Sil was on the floor, and beside her, so was the alien, Chris. She quickly climbed to her feet and rubbed her side. They had been in the corridor about to enter the bridge, when the whole ship shook violently to one side. The dim lighting had gone out, and then flickered back on.

" .ng shields... ha.e failed." the computer said almost unrecognizable.

"How did they fail?" Sil asked as she looked over at Chris who seemed to be thinking a distant thought.

"Shields were not operating at full capacity when impact was registered, degradation has greatly effected shield efficiency.

"Can you restore the shields?" Sil asked as she entered the bridge with Chris following slowly behind her.

"Unable to comply, circuits have been fused, backup power will fail in five hours forty seven minutes."

From all around them the sound of banging metal was heard. Someone was tying to get in.

"What's going on?" Chris asked, he still looked a bit out of place.

"It's probably the military trying to gain access to the ship." she said giving him a grave look. "I was hoping we would get out before they would be able to get in. They will probably lock me up for being here, and they wont look kindly upon you...they may think you're a hostile alien."

Sil noticed that Chris suddenly seemed to sober up to the situation, he looked around intently, and then said, "Well, then lets get out of here."

Sil nodded in agreement, and moved over to the console on the wall, and spoke towards it. "Computer, is there any way off of the ship?"

"Negative, Transporters are offline. All escape pod launchers are offline." the computer droned, then the lighting in the room changed from a dim yellow to a more prominent dim red. "Red alert, ship is being boarded, alien weaponry detected, unable to deactivate weaponry."

"Well guess that means it is the military." Sil said, disappointed that she had been right.

"Will they shoot on sight?" Chris asked as he moved to stand beside her.

"I'm not really sure."

"Maybe we can get by them somehow. Get out through the same hole they are entering, it may be the only way. What do you think?" Chris suggested.

"It's risky, but it may be our only chance." Sil said as she looked him in the eye. "Computer, show us the location of the boarding hostiles?"

On the screen in front of them, the shape of the Causality appeared, Chris looked to be in awe at the size of the ship. Sil looked at where the military was entering the ship, and at where Chris and she stood currently, they were very close to each other.

"They are too close, we would never get by them.

"Then there is nothing we can..." Chris began to say but was cut short by the sound of footsteps from the corridor outside the bridge. Sil pulled Chris behind her, and stood ready to face the judgment she knew was coming.

A few soldiers came into view and quickly entered the bridge holding their plasma rifles at the ready, then trained them onto Sil and her companion. A gasp was heard from one of the men, apparently shock from seeing an alien, and another motioned for him to be quiet and to hold his ground.

"What is your intention." Sil asked. Holding an arm to her side to keep herself between them and Chris.

"You protect the hostile then?" a familiar voice said from the corridor. As he slowly stepped into view, Sil noticed Tok seemed to be smiling. "I had a feeling you were under their influence. Step away from the alien, Now!"

"He is not a hostile, he means you no harm."

"Oh, really?" Tok said disdainfully to Sil while keeping his full attention on Chris.

"You have no understanding of who he is or why he's here, your just assuming the worst, like you always do, Tok!" Sil said angrily.

"I don't have time for this, Shoot her and take the alien alive." Tok said waving his hand in front of him.

"Wait!" Chris yelled before the men could follow the order. "I will cooperate if you spare her."

Tok stepped forward and frowned, "So you speak, and in our language, how much easier it will be to get all the information I need from you. Pity"

"I don't know much about where I am, or anything about what is going on, but if it will help in any way, I will tell you what I know. I have no reason to lie to you or keep anything from you. But I will only do this if she stays where I can see her to make sure you keep your word." Chris said as he moved in front of Sil and now mimicked her previous movements, but this time he kept her behind him.

Sil was surprised he would protect her like he was, he was a stranger to her, an alien from another planet, but he had moved to protect her even still.

"Chris, don't..." Sil whispered, but was cut short by Tok.

"Fine, take them both. Bring them to the shuttle." Tok said.

Sil was pulled from behind Chris and was held in front of two soldiers beside him, she could see that Chris was calm and stood still as the soldiers decided if he was dangerous. He smiled, stepped forward, and raised his hands in front of him.

"I will offer no resistance, you have no need to forcefully move me, I can walk just fine." He said just as calmly, then he turned and looked at her, "and so can she."

"Fine then, lead them to the shuttle." Tok said and growled.