Part 35
The young boy sat in the shadow of the biggest tree in the palace gardens. It was a place he had spent many days in his lifetime. It was his sanctuary, a place he could come to when he was angry, sad, or confused. At the moment he was all three. He was angered that Tourk, the man he most admired, had been defeated and killed.
'If he truly possessed the power of a God, how could an inferior off- worlder kill him?' he wondered.
He was saddened about the loss of Reenia. He had learned much from her about the ways of healing. He simply could not understand how her own mother could steal her life away from her.
'Why did she do it? How could she choose the life of a stranger over her own flesh and blood? It simply doesn't make sense.' He felt a fresh wave of tears threaten to fall.
Lost in his grief and contemplation he did not notice the sound of the bells coming from the distant palace.
Dylan and Beka ran out of the palace and into the gardens.
"I am really getting tired of seeing this place." Beka said pausing to catch her breath beside the altar where the bonding ceremony had taken place. "Which way now?"
"Over the wall and back through the woods I suppose." Dylan said.
"You suppose?" she asked. "I thought you were Captain Terrific, always ready with a brilliant, albeit far-fetched and occasionally extremely bizarre, plan to make everything turn out perfect."
"Yeah, sorry to disappoint you but I left my superhero costume on the Andromeda."
"Too bad, I would have loved to see that." Beka said with an exaggerated lecherous look.
"Maybe you will." He said with a laugh.
"Not if we just stand here, I won't." she replied. "So get your tail in gear and let's get over that wall."
"Aye, Captain Valentine." He said with an exaggerated salute.
They turned and ran toward the back of the garden. Despite their light- hearted banter, Beka was terrified. She knew deep in her heart that Neffa had gotten what she wanted from them. She also knew that the woman would stop at nothing to destroy it.
They reached the trees that stood before the palace wall. Dylan looked around, trying to gauge where he and Tyr had scaled the wall the previous day. He moved them along the line of trees toward the largest one.
"I think this is about where we came over." He said. "If Tyr is still here with the pod we won't have to travel far."
Before they could go any further a voice interrupted them.
"You aren't going anywhere murderer."
It took only seconds for the guards to swarm the palace grounds. They immediately moved toward Tyr and the others. Their reaction at the sight of Trance was no less dramatic than that of the villagers at the crash site. They either ran away, screaming in terror, or tried to attack her, screaming 'Demon'. However the guards' swords and spears were no match for the weapons of the crew. The courtyard was soon littered with the bodies of the Palorians.
"Now why do you suppose it is that these people seemed to recognize you and called you a demon?" Tyr asked Trance.
"Maybe it's the tail?" she asked innocently.
"I am getting really tired of," Tyr began.
"Save it for later." Rommie interrupted. "We have to find Dylan and Beka."
Tyr looked as though he wanted to disregard Rommie and continue interrogating Trance, but after a few seconds he nodded in agreement.
"Well," said Harper, "in the words of our beloved Bossman, Let's bring it."
They spread out and began to make their way toward the palace. Harper's voice drifted quietly across the wind to reach each of them.
"By the way, exactly what DOES Dylan mean when he says that?"
The young boy sat in the shadow of the biggest tree in the palace gardens. It was a place he had spent many days in his lifetime. It was his sanctuary, a place he could come to when he was angry, sad, or confused. At the moment he was all three. He was angered that Tourk, the man he most admired, had been defeated and killed.
'If he truly possessed the power of a God, how could an inferior off- worlder kill him?' he wondered.
He was saddened about the loss of Reenia. He had learned much from her about the ways of healing. He simply could not understand how her own mother could steal her life away from her.
'Why did she do it? How could she choose the life of a stranger over her own flesh and blood? It simply doesn't make sense.' He felt a fresh wave of tears threaten to fall.
Lost in his grief and contemplation he did not notice the sound of the bells coming from the distant palace.
Dylan and Beka ran out of the palace and into the gardens.
"I am really getting tired of seeing this place." Beka said pausing to catch her breath beside the altar where the bonding ceremony had taken place. "Which way now?"
"Over the wall and back through the woods I suppose." Dylan said.
"You suppose?" she asked. "I thought you were Captain Terrific, always ready with a brilliant, albeit far-fetched and occasionally extremely bizarre, plan to make everything turn out perfect."
"Yeah, sorry to disappoint you but I left my superhero costume on the Andromeda."
"Too bad, I would have loved to see that." Beka said with an exaggerated lecherous look.
"Maybe you will." He said with a laugh.
"Not if we just stand here, I won't." she replied. "So get your tail in gear and let's get over that wall."
"Aye, Captain Valentine." He said with an exaggerated salute.
They turned and ran toward the back of the garden. Despite their light- hearted banter, Beka was terrified. She knew deep in her heart that Neffa had gotten what she wanted from them. She also knew that the woman would stop at nothing to destroy it.
They reached the trees that stood before the palace wall. Dylan looked around, trying to gauge where he and Tyr had scaled the wall the previous day. He moved them along the line of trees toward the largest one.
"I think this is about where we came over." He said. "If Tyr is still here with the pod we won't have to travel far."
Before they could go any further a voice interrupted them.
"You aren't going anywhere murderer."
It took only seconds for the guards to swarm the palace grounds. They immediately moved toward Tyr and the others. Their reaction at the sight of Trance was no less dramatic than that of the villagers at the crash site. They either ran away, screaming in terror, or tried to attack her, screaming 'Demon'. However the guards' swords and spears were no match for the weapons of the crew. The courtyard was soon littered with the bodies of the Palorians.
"Now why do you suppose it is that these people seemed to recognize you and called you a demon?" Tyr asked Trance.
"Maybe it's the tail?" she asked innocently.
"I am getting really tired of," Tyr began.
"Save it for later." Rommie interrupted. "We have to find Dylan and Beka."
Tyr looked as though he wanted to disregard Rommie and continue interrogating Trance, but after a few seconds he nodded in agreement.
"Well," said Harper, "in the words of our beloved Bossman, Let's bring it."
They spread out and began to make their way toward the palace. Harper's voice drifted quietly across the wind to reach each of them.
"By the way, exactly what DOES Dylan mean when he says that?"