41

Finally, the day came. Orion was terrified, and excited at the same time...and also a little sad. Hyder had
said he would get a few days off so that he could teach Orion how to use the blasted thing, but still. After all
this time, it would be the last time he'd see his friend, maybe for years.

But even so, his excitement was overshadowing everything else. The ship would be stocked with supplies that would keep in space,. because it would take about a week to get to Thundera in that particular ship. It had no hyperdrive.

Orion had taken out all of his food supplies, and the things that he could easily replace., as he did not
want anything burdening him that he did not need. The things he had kept, making his pack considerably
lighter, wee the remains of the clothing Hintracrii hand given her, and the book and picture she had send along.

As he got a title better with his reading, Orion had deciphered the message on the back. he read it now:

Dearest Orion. The greatest of luck to you on your journey, and please be very careful. I shall
be praying for you.
Hintracrii

The young man sighed, put the book in his pack, and packed the couple three other books he'd gotten
over the years. Some of his clothing he took, some he left. when he was finished, he had only the things that
meant something to him, and the barest minimum of what he needed.

Then he took off walking.

But, only ten minutes from his campsite, he heard something that made his blood freeze up in their
veins. "Hey! i found a campsite!"

"He must be around here somewhere..."

"Well let's find him!"

"Here...footprints...this way!"

Orion froze when he heard the final voice snarl, "You'd better not screw it up this time, either!" The
young cat would never forget that voice, not as long as he lived. he'd been found.

'No!' he thought desperately, hissing at Falcon to be quiet and picking him up as he began to run. 'No,
not now, not so close... not now...' but he had to keep his head if he was going to avoid capture, and tired to
push the panic from his mind.

"Hey, there's someone running!"

"Get him!"

Orion cursed vehemently as the footsteps behind him hastened, and he tossed Falcon down, trying to be
gentle. "Run," he hissed, shoving his hindquarters. "Run, damn it! I'll find you later!" The cub finally got the
idea and took off, frightened, into the bushes.

Orion took off once more, but the Mutants were gaining on him. he was going to have to fight. And
there was something inside of him that made him want to face Blackmoor on his feet, face to face, instead of his
retreating hindside.

Grabbing his dagger, he whirled around, ducking a bit behind a tree to wait for the first of his pursuers.
It sounded like it was a party of five, including Blackmoor. The clicks Orion had heard that one night when he'd been awakened, it had been Blackmoor's scouts getting their pictures. He'd spoiled their first attempts by waking up and startling them. But Blackmoor had immediately recognized the Thunderian.

Quietly, Orion looked up and climbed the tree, crouching on the lowest branch, his dagger ready. He
was gong to go for Blackmoor. If he killed Blackmoor, the others would likely kill him, but at least he would
have gotten rid of the one person he hated more than anything else in the entire galaxy. He'd forgotten to bring
his backpack up, but it was too late now.

Wait for it...wait...

Orion shuddered in fear when he actually saw him. Although Blackmoor did not
quite look as big as he did when Orion was younger, he looked no less mean, and just seeing him brought all the
old fears right down on his mind.

Growling mentally, Orion cast them away and concentrated on what he was doing. he was right; there
were four taskmasters, one of which he recognized as Monkrion and another he recognized in passing.
Blackmoor brought up the rear, and looked as angry as Orion had ever seen him.

Wait... Scarcely daring to breathe, Orion waited, crouched on the branch, and watched the hateful jackal
come closer...closer... Nearly close enough...

There! With a fierce cry that nearly sounded like an animal attacking, Orion leapt onto Blackmoor,
plunging his knife into his body. Blackmoor wore little clothing, usually only breeches and his boots. He was
bare-chested, which made it all that much easier.

Blackmoor howled in rage and pain...but mostly rage, and lashed out with his fists at his assailant. but
Orion was acting with ll the fury and hurt and humiliation that Blackmoor had caused him over the years. He
cursed aloud in Plundaarian when he saw that his knife had not struck anywhere that was immediately life-threatnning, and drew the dagger back for another strike.

He and Blackmoor had fought for a few minutes before the shocked taskmasters were able to react.

They had, after a few moments, realized who it was, but none except maybe Monkrion could have imagined that
the skinny little Thunderian would be this bold...and fight as well as he was. Monkrion had been with him most
of the time, the first couple of weeks. he had seen close up the spirit that resided in the child's heart. And now,
as a man who'd lived in the wilds for nearly half his life, showed that same spirit.

Orion had managed another glancing blow on Blackmoor before Blackmoor got in a good punch on his
face, and Orion paused for just a split second. but it was enough for monkrion to grab the arm he was using and
wrench it backwards.

And then the others were on him.

Orion fought like all the demons of hell were fueling him, and the taskmasters had a difficult time
restraining him. As Blackmoor staggered back, snarling in rage and clutching his side where Orion had gotten
in his first shot with the knife, everyone in the fray took a good amount of blows. however, slowly but surely,
Orion was being subdued. They slammed him against the nearest tree, knocking him half stunned long enough
to wrench his arms behind his back. Monkrion slammed his fist into Orion's sides several times until the
Thunderian gasped for breath and stopped fighting enough for them to jerk him away from the tree and turn
him around to face Blackmoor.

The taskmasters, all sporting fresh new bruises, forced him physically to his knees, while Monkrion
grabbed his braided mane and forced him to look up. Orion looked Blackmoor right in the eyes and spat.

Blackmoor growled, approaching the restrained Thunderian deliberately, trying to intimidate him. but
Orion was beyond that. At first he had felt terror, and as he'd run, a rage like nothing else he had ever felt had
swelled inside of him. Blackmoor was going to kill him anyway, and he was going to make it as difficult as
possible...and if he could take Blackmoor out in the process, all the better. Orion did not cringe away. He had
had enough of that.

"You miserably, filthy wretch," Blackmoor hissed, kicking Orion in the stomach. Orion gasped and
buckled over, but was brought upright again by the Mutants holding him. The cat snarled. "You seem to have
regained your arrogance, slave," he said to Orion. "Forgotten who your betters are!" Again he kicked him, and
brought his fist down hard across Orion's shoulders when he doubled over a second time.

Orion was not able to speak for a few moments, but the second he was able to breathe, he straightened up
suddenly, making the taskmasters holding him think he was making a break for it, and tighten their grip.
Monkrion was sinking his claws into the cat's flesh, trickles of blood seeping from the punctures. "You can rot
in hell, Blackmoor,' Orion snarled in Plundaarian. Blackmoor's eyes widened. "you took my entire life from
me, you filthy, cowardly excuse for a Mutant! you tortured an innocent child, took his freedom, beat him down
until he begged you not to hurt him! That's unforgivable!"

"You have overstepped your place, Orion," Blackmoor said, the cold fury pulsing with every word.

Orion did not back down. he forced himself to his feet, fighting the taskmasters the entire time. "I
won't cower to you anymore," he growled. "I will look you in the eye because you;re not my master anymore,
you;re nothing but a greedy slave owner, a worthless jatiirk who should be slaughtered, and your carcass thrown
in the garbage!"

"That is ENOUGH!" Blackmoor's fury had come to its boiling point as he unsheathed his blade and
swiped furiously at Orion's face. Orion jerked his head back violently, avoiding what likely would have been a
killing blow, but still took a serious gash across his face, which started to bleed profusely. Blackmoor touched
the blade to Orion's throat.

"Go ahead," Orion said, his voice low. "Kill me. I don't fear death anymore." That wasn't entirely true,
but Orion had shown weakness in front of Blackmoor. he had shown subservience and terror, and was desperate
to show none of those again.

For a moment, Orion thought that he was going to do it, but then the jackal lowered his blade, and instead slammed his fist into Orion's face.

Orion's head snapped backwards, and he kicked out at Blackmoor, but his captors slammed him back
against the great tree once more, forcing his arms back around it as Blackmoor struck him again and again with
his fists, until Orion as only half conscious. He cried out, but did not beg Blackmoor to stop. He would not do
that ever again.

When Blackmoor had spent his fury somewhat, he growled disgustedly for Monkrion and his men to
chain Orion to the lower branch of the tree, which was low enough for the purpose. They did so, with Orion
facing the tree, and stripping his shirt off and flinging them away. Orion hoped vaguely that they did not find
the picture of Hintracrii in his pack, as that would certainly ensure her imprisonment.

With Orion finally restained with a pair of shackles one of the taskmasters had, Blackmoor took out his
whip, the same one that Orion remembered. Looking back over his shoulder, he had to force himself not to cringe at the sight of it, and only barely managed. But Blackmoor had seen the fear in his eyes.

"So, you remember one thing, if nothing else, you piece of dung."

"Jatasch ook," Orion growled back. Fuck you.

Blackmoor narrowed his eyes. "I will just kill you here, Orion," he said. "And haul your body back and
tear it apart when we get there." he smiled nastily. "I suspect that phiron helped your first escape attempt, you
know that? maybe I will make him clean up the mess this time. Like Tamarin, eh? just clean up the trash."

Orion jerked back on his bonds, suddenly fully conscious. "You keep Tamarin out of it, Blackmoor!
how dare you speak of him?!"

Blackmoor smirked, knowing he'd gotten to Orion. "Yes. i think i shall do that." And he drew his whip
back and let it fall viscously on Orion's back.

Orion could not help from crying out, although he tried, as the whip fell again and again, over his back
and legs, and anywhere else that was exposed. Each time he screamed, he thought oh god, he really is going to
kill me. But then wasn't that what he wanted? To die, rather than be imprisoned again?

He was on the verge of passing out, when there was the whine of a flying vehicle overhead and suddenly
laser fire rained down on eh party on the ground. monkrion and his men scattered, diving for weapons left in
packs, while Blackmoor staggered backwards with a curse. The Mutants and Orion all looked up to see a Skycutter coming back around above the clearing, diving at them once more, guns blazing.

One of monkrion's men shrieked and landed asprawl, the skin on his chest sizzling as the laser bolts
seared through him. he was dead nearly instantly. Unnerved, the other two lowlings took off running as fast
as they could while Blackmoor shouted a curse after them.

once more, Orion could hear the Skycutter coming around. would it kill him too? Did the pilot even
know he was there?

"Get those fools back here, damn it!" Blackmoor snarled at Monkrion. And as the taskmaster ran
after his subordinates, Orion suddenly realized who it was. it was Hyder! Hyder was strafing Blackmoor and his
taskmasters, and once more was coming around for a pass.

But by now, Blackmoor had gotten his own energy weapon from his traveling pack and was shooting up
at the pilot. Hyder rose sharply into the air, narrowly avoiding being knocked from the 'cutter. As this went on,
Orion was suddenly struggling to free himself form the restraints, straining to slip out of at least one of them.
Finally, with a mighty heave, Orion heard (and felt) the bones in his hand snap as he pulled them through
the shackle. he let out a strangled sounding cry, but extracted himself, nearly collapsing to the ground with
pain and exhaustion.

Hyder had come around once more, firing his fighter's guns at the black jackal, knocking him into the
dirt with a grazing blow. As soon as he went down, Orion was on him.

His anger gave him strength, and rained blows down on hi tormentor as then adrenaline coursed
through his body like it was his own blood. With his good hand, and even his broken one as he was feeling no
pain at this point, Orion hit Blackmoor until the jackal lay limp, unconscious in the dirt, and even then did not
stop until he heard Hyder's warning cry. "They're coming back, get on, now!"

Hyder had landed, and was coming at him, reaching out a hand to help him up.

"No! Leave me lone! I'm gonna; kill him!" Orion cried, still trying to strike Blackmoor.

Hyder cursed and wrestled Orion to the ground. "Stop...stop, please!"

Hyder's hissed plea was enough to stop Orion's frenzied assault, and he twisted his head around to look
at Hyder as if he'd never seen him before.

When he was sure Orion wouldn't go ballistic again, Hyder slowly got up and helped the cat to his feet.

"Come on...we've got to go, now. monkrion's gathered his men together again."

Looking dazedly from the prone form of Blackmoor to Hyder's worried face, he let himself be led to
the Skycutter, limping severely on one leg.

Hyder grabbed Orion's backpack up from the ground, and said, "Falcon's with me, he's safe...I had to put
him in the storage compartment so he wouldn't fall off."

"Fall off..." Orion said, not resisting when Hyder urged him onto the Skycutter. He caught a glimpse of
the aggravated cub when Hyder threw his pack on the storage bin.

Once Orion was on, Hyder swung a leg over and lifted off, telling Orion to hold on tight. Orion did so,
clinging to Hyder with his good arm, and was suddenly battling unconsciousness. It was only living so long in
abusive conditions, and then in the harsh wilderness that had given him the stamina to stay awake thus far. but
he was losing the battle.

"Stay with me, Orion...I'm taking you somewhere I can get you some help. Just hang with me..."

Barely aware they ere in the air, Orion hung on, unable to concentrate on anything else.

Orion beating the hell out of Blackmoor after the jackal came very close to whipping him to death
Fight

Chapter 42

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