The War – Chapter 9
Zo'or and the others reached the bridge
soon enough to witness Fa'loth activating his shaquarava. Da'an was being
catapulted like a doll through the room, hit the wall hard and slumped down.
"No! Da'an!"
Zo'or flashed in a blinding white,
grabbed Liam's weapon and fired the whole magazine at Fa'loth. He stared
wide-eyed at the dead Jaridian. Exhausted he let the weapon clatter to the
floor and slowly walked over to Da'an's slumped body. Lili awakened from her
paralysis and ran over to Da'an. With tears in her eyes she knelt down beside
him and cradled his lifeless body in her arms. Now Zo'or knelt down, too. He
took Da'an's hand and held it tight.
The others now reacted, too, and covered
the present soldiers with their weapons. Liam looked pleadingly at Ter'kozz.
"Can't you help him?"
"I... I'll try."
Ter'kozz knelt down next to Lili and
placed his hands on Da'an's body. Zo'or froze when the Jaridian touched his
parent but Lili calmed him down. A soft light was playing around Da'an's body
when the Jaridian activated his healing abilities.
Outside voices became audible.
Ter'kozz tiredly backed up.
"He will survive, but you'll have to
leave this ship as soon as possible. Now Fa'loth is dead chaos will burst out
here.
Lili looked thankfully at Ter'kozz.
"Thank you, my friend! I wish you good
luck!"
She helped Zo'or to his feet. Liam lifted
up Da'an and turned around.
"Come on, let's go. Augur?"
"I'm here, Liam. The other teams have
found Sandoval and the other Taelons and brought them to the shuttles. We can
control the ship now from Earth. I keep one corridor clear for you. Get out of
there!"
"There's nothing I like better!"
*~*~*
The rescued Taelons were put up and
attended to at the embassies. Da'an and Sandoval were taken to the Washington
embassy, where Dr Belman tended to their wounds.
"Kincaid?"
"Yes, Agent Sandoval? How are you?"
"Better. Have you taken me out of there?"
"Yes, sir."
"How did you now... Were you the contact
of the Jaridian spy here on Earth?"
"No, Sandoval, But I was with him, when
you called."
"I'm not sure, but was that Da'an they
are treating in the next room?"
"Yes. We were able to save him. That's an
awfully long story. I will tell you, when you're okay again."
Sandoval closed his eyes. Liam sat a long
time at his side.
Sandoval seemed to be asleep when Fear
entered the room.
"Thought you'd be here, Liam. How is your
father?"
"He's better. He must have gone through
hell."
Sandoval opened his eyes a bit.
"Father?"
"You're dreaming. Sleep on!" Liam
ordered, frightened. Fear closed her mouth with her hands and darted Liam a guilty
look.
"Oops!"
Sandoval turned to the other side and
slept on.
Liam sighed. „That was close!"
*~*~*
Three days later Ter'kozz called again.
"You've made it! The old government has
been overthrown. A new one has been elected just now. The new Jaridian Leader,
Fe'lazz, cooperates with the resistance and has promoted me the
commander-in-chief of the whole fleet."
"Congrats!" Lili beamed.
"The government has decided to start
negotiations for peace with the Taelons. My duty is to prepare an agreement of
truce with representatives of the Taelon synod which will be signed by the
leader of the synod and by Fe'lazz. He has already started to come here. The
humans shall take the part of mediator and judge."
"This is getting better with the minute!
I will tell the others immediately!"
"As the commander-in-chief and the
Jaridian ambassador on Earth I suggest that Da'an will act as the Taelon
ambassador in these negotiations. He has sympathy for our people but is also
stands behind his own people. He has lived among the Jaridians and will be able
to suppress any prejudices easier than any other Taelon. By the way, how is he?"
"He has recovered well. I'm sure he'll
agree to your suggestion."
"And Zo'or?"
"Zo'or is pretty much confused. But he
has help. Will the Jaridian species accept him? After all he has killed Fa'loth."
"There had been surprising reactions to
Zo'or's deed. Many admire him; he has shown a sense of family. That's something
my people hadn't expected of a Taelon. He has acted in self-defense to protect
his parent. Some consider him to be a hero!"
"I'm sure he will be glad about that."
"My people have contacted your
government. The delegations that will lead the negotiations will meet on Earth,
on comparatively neutral ground. I'm sure we'll meet there. See you then, Lili!"
"Until then, my friend."
Two weeks later the basic negotiations
for the truce had been finished and were signed by Zo'or, Fe'lazz and a
representative of the Earth governments in a splendid ceremony.
The first step to peace had been gone.
The end.
Well, nearly the end. Look out for
the "Fragments", stand-alone-stories from my Alternative Universe that follow
this story.