IV
Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
As the evening fell, Duncan sat on the roof of
his cabin again, playing on a small wooden flute. Some of the villagers gathered
and listened.
Skywalker didn't pay much attention to them and kept playing. The tune
was simple, but it had a sad undertone. The villagers that had gathered were
being mesmerized by it. It was as if they felt the same pain and emptiness he
felt.
Talinn came out of her cabin, partly curious about the music. She turned and
saw him sitting on the roof of his cabin, playing on a small flute.
That is so sad she thought as she listened. She leapt up, grabbed the
ledge and hauled herself up the roof.
« Hey. » she said as a way of greeting.
Duncan stopped playing. The gathered villagers muttered their protest and moved
off.
« Hey. » he replied as he looked over his shoulder at her, then turned
back to the stars coming out of the light of the setting sun.
« That song what was it ? »
« A small modification of Charlene's favorite. Watch Over
Me'. »
« Tell me more about her. » Talinn said as she sat down beside him.
« I don't think that's a good idea. »
« Why not ? »
« Well, after you and the Chief left Ringo came to me and attacked me for
no apparent reason. He said he had seen us talking and that I was trying to
seduce you. »
« You ? Seduce me ? Come on. »
Skywalker's gaze didn't change « He was deadly serious. I had
to slash his blade to avoid that I might kill him and that's the last thing
I want. »
« You actually wrecked his sword ? » she asked unbelievingly.
« Ringo has the strongest blade of the village. »
« Well, he learned a lesson. I think. » he added.
« What's that ? »
« Never mess with a guy who carries a Daïkatana. »
Talinn laughed at that.
« I wasn't joking. » Duncan said seriously. Talinn's face
smoothed out.
« You really have a Daïkatana ? »
« I have. »
« Can I see it ? »
Skywalker sighed and took his blade. Talinn took it by the handle and examined
it like a curious five-year-old.
« Careful, the blade is sharp. Real sharp. »
« I bet that sword kicks ass. » she said as she gave the sword back.
« It does. » Duncan admitted. « When used properly. »
« So tell me about Charlene. Like where you guys met and all that
kinda stuff. »
Duncan sighed. « Okay okay. We first met when she moved into my town of
birth, Oregonia. From the moment I saw her, sitting on her white horse, I was
so crazy about her. She had noticed it too and later that evening we met
and went on a date. It went on for several months and after six months we got
married. »
« Yeah I know about that part already. » Talinn interrupted.
« We liked doing everything the natural way. We grew our own vegetables,
potatoes, carrots and we built our own house single-handedly. Hell, we
weren't even tied into the power grid of the village, we had made use of
nature itself : electrical power generated by use of a wheel in a nearby
river and a small windmill, all tied to an alternator to produce the necessary
power. Excess power was stored for later use in batteries. »
« Waw, looks like you two had everything taken care of. »
« We had. Until that day »
« The day she died. »
« Yeah. »
« What's this doing it the natural way'-thing you mentioned ? »
« I have a bond' with nature. »
« What does that mean ? »
« I can influence natural processes. Like growth and stuff. »
« That I would like to see. »
« Heh. You and everyone else in the world. » he quipped. Then he jumped
down. « Well ? What are you waiting for ? »
She jumped down too.
« There's a field back there where we used to grow our potatoes. But
it's shriveled. » she said while pointing to a field separated by
a low hedge.
Duncan walked over with Talinn close behind and examined the field.
« Hm, looks like it dried out. »
Talinn noticed that Duncan had a distant look on his eyes. He kept staring at
a fixed point in the middle of the field. She did the same and her breath
caught in her throat. The soil of the entire field was wavering as if it was
liquefied. Then it smoothed out. After that, she saw small pinpricks of green
begin to grow. Within the next two minutes, the field had transformed from a
dead and lifeless patch of land to a prospering carpet of green.
« All done. » Duncan simply said.
Talinn couldn't believe it. One of the assembled villagers bent down and
plucked a potato out of the ground.
« I've never seen such big potatoes. » he said. The villagers
began to harvest.
Duncan walked away, letting the villagers do their work.
« So does this bond' have any other effects ? » Talinn
asked as she caught up.
« Yeah, destructive effects. Like hurricanes, earthquakes and Lifestream
eruptions. The other side of the medal, so to say. »
« Lifestream eruptions ? » Talinn asked, completely baffled.
« Yeah, it's like a volcano eruption, except that a Lifestream eruption
can occur at any given place. »
« I see. »
Skywalker stopped as he heard a dim shrieking noise inside his head. Absently,
he rubbed his head.
« Something wrong ? » Talinn asked.
« No, nothing. » he replied. But then the noise increased. He fell
to his knees while clutching his head. « Too much can't stand
it too loud »
Then, he passed out while Talinn wondered what was going on.
After he passed out, Duncan Skywalker found himself
surrounded by darkness.
He has returned a voice said. I will tell you the story of a legendary
creature that lived here. Listen well, Duncan Skywalker.
Skywalker said nothing he just listened like he had done whenever
he was in this condition.
The Celestial Dragon has protected this land for ages. It lived in harmony
with the villagers from nearby settlements both benefited from this symbiosis.
An image of a dragon appeared in front of him. Both intrigued and curious,
he took in every detail. The dragon was big with large leather wings and a long
tail. It shimmered in an invisible light source. On closer inspection, the dragon
seemed to be composed of pieces of white crystal, giving it the likes of a jewel
instead of a living being. He saw Dyenso Village and some other settlements
living together with the Dragon.
The Celestial Dragon has an incredible power at its disposal.
He also saw the Dragon blast a patch of land with two rays of light that
shot from its eyes. The targeted area transformed into a small forest.
« So that's why that field was dried out. » he observed.
Exactly. Find the Sun Dragon and the Earth Dragon and you will find the Celestial
Dragon. Ever since he Lakoyans took the Celestial Dragon's habitat, it
has fled to its hideout. Find it and return the Dragon to restore everything
to the way it's supposed to be.
A flash of light, the image of the dragon vanished and he found himself
face-to-face with men in gray and black uniforms. Then the image shifted to
Lakoya City. Another flash and he saw himself walking in the mountians, sword
drawn. And Talinn closeby followed by Ringo and the Chief and some villagers.
He heard Find the Celestial Dragon as he was flung back to the real world.
In Duncan's cabin, to where Talinn and Ringo
had taken him Ringo and Talinn were bickering.
« You're spending too much time with this outsider. » Ringo
snarled.
« Open your eyes, Ringo. Something happened to him and I took him here. »
« Yeah right. Here's the deal, Talinn. Either he goes or I go. Your
choice. »
« Look Ringo. I told you I have nothing to do with him. I swear. »
Ringo saw in Talinn's eyes that she was sincere.
« Okay, but I'll be keeping on eye on you. »
« Really, Ringo there's nothing to worry about. We were only talking
about his past life. »
« What did you find out ? » Ringo asked, all suspicion aside.
« Well, he led a pretty hard life. And, like the Chief pointed out two
days ago, he's married. But he lost her a while ago in a car accident.
It's a long story, but don't tell him I told you. »
Ringo nodded. « Okay. »
She looked down on Duncan who was lying on the bed. Suddenly his eyes snapped
open which made Talinn jump in surprise. He looked around.
« Where am I ? »
« In your cabin. » Talinn replied. « What happened ? »
« I heard some noise in the back of my mind and I must've passed out. »
« You have. » Ringo confirmed.
« I saw stuff. Flashes of things to come. About the Celestial Dragon. And
Lakoya City. »
Both Ringo and Talinn looked at each other when he mentioned that.
« We'd better see the Chief. »
Village Chief's house, Dyenso Village,
Neron Continent
The Chief eyed Skywalker. « You're sure about this ? »
Talinn and Ringo were also present.
« As sure as I'll ever be. » Duncan replied. « The visions
were clear. The Lakoyans are planning to make a move. And we have to locate
the Sun Dragon and the Earth Dragon to find the Celestial Dragon. »
« We'll begin an expedition right after we settled everything with
the Lakoyans. »
« That reminds me. I also saw a showdown between us and the Lakoyans. »
« What ? » the Chief asked aghast. « We don't stand
a chance if they use that ray cannon. »
« You mean that big cannon at the top of the city ? » Skywalker
asked.
« That's it. » the Chief confirmed.
« What powers that cannon ? » Duncan asked.
« They used their nr 5 reactor to provide the cannon with power, but we
blew it up. The reactor, I mean. They must be using another. »
« I think so too. »
Jeb stormed in. « Chief, the city lights are more brillant than before.
The cannon is being powered at this very moment. You can see it from here. »
Jeb moved to a window and slid the curtains aside. In the distance, the top
of Lakoya City was visible. The lights were indeed brighter, as Jeb had said.
And the lights on the Ki Ray cannon were pulsating once again.
« If they are doing what I think they're doing, it'll be far
worse than before. » Duncan said.
« What do you mean ? » Talinn asked.
« Haven't you noticed ? The area around the city is dying. »
« I noticed. » Talinn replied. « But what has that to do with
the city ? »
« They're tapping into the Lifestream. Somehow, they must've
modified their reactors to absorb the energy and process it, causing the surrounding
area to wither. »
« Where does that leave the cannon ? » Ringo asked.
« If they apply the Lifestream energy in the shells or whatever ammo the
cannon uses, this could produce a blast far worse than before. »
« By the Dragon. » the Chief said. « We're sunk. »
« Not if we can negotiate some sort of treaty with them. » Talinn
pointed out.
« My point exactly. » Duncan said. « If we can keep them from
attacking us, we can make some kind of arrangement. »
« For our sake if not for your own, I hope you're right. » the
Chief said. « We'll see in the morning. »
They all went out and to their cabins to get some rest.
V
Lakoya City, Neron Continent
The other day in the command center, the commander
rubbed his hands.
A scientist came in. « All systems go. The Ki Ray is nearly fully powered. »
« Good. » the commander replied. « What about the nr 2 reactor ? »
« It keeps functioning as it should, sir. The modifications are holding. »
« Excellent. For once, everything works out. » the commander mused.
« What about the Jennai Soldiers ? »
« Most of the soldiers are still in cryostasis. But we're getting
a few out for a test run. »
« Let's go see. »
Together with the scientist, the commander walked out of the command center.
After taking a few turns, they arrived at an elevator which took them to the
lower levels in the city underground.
The lift doors opened and the two proceeded through the vast network of corridors.
Then, they found themselves in a large room filled with transparent pods. In
each of them stood a Jennai Soldier in full battledress. The commander walked
past the row of pods.
« Perfect. Each of these soldiers are genetically enhanced to withstand
almost any enemy and to obey only one commander. Me. »
« They're wonderful, aren't they ? » the scientist
asked.
« Yes, you've done a very good job. It'll be noted in your file. »
the commander replied approvingly. « Get one out. »
« As you wish. » the scientist replied and went to a large console
to execute the order.
The computer's voice echoed through the chamber : « Pod JS33
warming up. »
A moment later, the pod opened with a hiss and the soldier stepped out. The
commander eyed him, taking in every detail.
Soldier JS33 looked at the commander. « What are my orders ? »
« Rats ! Looks like I owe you a bottle of brandy. » the scientist
said. They had made a bet between themselves what the soldier would say when
he was taken out of cryostasis. The scientist had thought ready for programming'
and the commander had said what orders ?'.
« Yeah, looks like it. Get two more. » he ordered. Then he turned
to the soldier. « A little patience. When your two colleagues arrive, I'll
give you your orders. »
« Very well. » JS33 replied and stood at ease.
Meanwhile, the scientist had turned back to the console and warmed up two more
pods.
The computer reported : « Pods JS34 and JS35 warming up. »
Two moments later, the two pods opened and the two soldiers stepped out. The
commander beckoned them closer.
« Follow me. » he said and with the three soldiers and the scientist
in tow, he went back to the command center.
The personnel was a bit surprised when they saw the five come into the command
center.
The commander pointed to a stretch of forest in the distance. « Somewhere
in there, a resistance faction is hiding. They've opposed us for many years
and I'm getting sick n tired of fighting them. So I plan to use you
guys to wipe them out. »
The three soldiers' faces remained expressionless.
« How would you proceed ? » the commander finished.
The middle one replied : « Initiate operation RESISTANCE
SUPPRESSION'. »
The commander grinned. « I have the most perfect weapon in my hands. I,
Jennai, and no one else. »
Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
Talinn woke up as the first rays of light shone through the slits between
the wooden beams that formed her cabin. She yawned, hopped out of bed and freshed
up. Then she slung her crossbow over her shoulder and stepped out in the cool
morning air.
She went to check on Skywalker but found out he wasn't in his cabin when
she arrived.
Where could he be ? she wondered. She checked the surrounding area
but there was still no sign of him. But then she heard swooping sounds, as if
someone was wielding something long.
Behind Skywalker's cabin was a small stretch of land covered with trees.
Talinn found him there, practicing with his sword. He had taken off his long
coat, which lay not far away, to have more maneuverability. When she had the
blade in her hands it had weighed almost nothing and now, when she saw him in
action with it she knew it could have a deadly outcome in the hands of a skilled
swordsman.
It was unlike anything she had seen before. The technique was foreign to her.
But it looked like he had everything under control, judging from the concentration
his face showed.
Talinn waited until he was finished before stepping up to him.
« Those were some moves. »
« The arts of shadow fighting, designed to enhance one's agility.
I learned it from the Shaolins when I was travelling through the Eastern Regions. »
« I see. » she replied.
« How are things going ? » he asked while putting on his coat.
« I was just on my way to see my father. »
« Your father ? »
She gave him a small smile. « My father is the Village Chief. »
« There's a surprise. »
« You didn't know ? » she asked.
« Actually no. » he admitted. « But now I know. »
« Yeah now you know. »
They went to the Chief's cabin and found that he was already preparing
everything.
« All set ? » he asked.
« I am. » Duncan confirmed.
« Me too. » Talinn chimed in.
« Oh no, Talinn. You're not going anywhere. » The Chief interrupted.
« But father, I haven't been outside the village in ages. » she
protested.
The Chief held up his hand in a gesture for no complaints. Talinn's shoulders
dropped. « Fine, I'll stay here. »
« Good girl. »
The Chief turned and together with Duncan, Ringo and some ten villagers he went
out.
But Talinn hadn't planned on staying here. Instead, she followed them from
a distance.
Lakoya City, Neron Continent
Commander Jennai was reviewing some files in the city mainframe in his
office when he saw something in the fields. He turned away from the screen and
looked down. There were people heading towards them, coming from the woods.
Well, well. Look who we have there. The rebels he said to himself. He
pressed a control.
« Scan Area 3, we've got visitors. »
« Scanning. » someone inside the command center replied. « It's
the rebels, sir. Shall I bring the Ki Ray on line ? »
« Are they armed ? »
« Some carry weapons, yes. But they don't seem to be staging some
kind of attack. »
That's weird he thought. « Put the Ki Ray to stand-by. Deploy
a batallion of 30 Jennai Soldiers. I'll accompany them. »
« Aye sir. »
The link was severed. Jennai got up and moved to the door to take the elevator
in the command center to the ground level where the batallion waited. The three
soldiers who were taken out of cryo were in the batallion.
Once arrived there, Jennai inspected the row of waiting soldiers. All stood
at ease. They wore black uniforms and ditto helmet with a green blast shield,
keeping their faces hidden.
« All right men. » he said in a loud voice. The soldiers snapped into
attention. « We're moving out. Follow me. »
The batallion turned 90 degrees to the right and followed him like a faithful
puppy to the Eastern Gate. There, he pulled his comm device from his belt.
« This is Jennai. Open the Eastern Gate. »
« Opening Eastern Gate. » crackled a voice from the small speaker.
The big double doors opened and they stepped out into the fields to confront
the enemy.
In the fields outside the city, both forces met.
The Chief stepped forward. « Commander, we are about to search fo the Sun
and Earth Dragon. So we'd appreciate it if you didn't attack us. »
« Give me one good reason. »
« The area around the city is dying. Surely you have noticed it. »
Skywalker said.
Jennai turned to face him. « And this must be the one that beat up three
of my men while they were doing their duty. »
« Doing their duty ? They were trying to kidnap a defenseless boy. »
Ringo snapped.
« What's your point ? » Jennai asked.
« Deactivate the reactor that's sucking up Lifestream energy. »
Duncan requested.
« Why should I ? This reactor provides us with more power than
our five reactors produced in two whole years. »
« Shut it down or else something terrible might happen. » Duncan said.
« Like what ? » Jennai asked, not quite convinced.
« The downfall of the city. »
Jennai remained unimpressed. Then he gave his soldiers their first orders. « Seize
them. »
The soldiers surrounded them.
« What do we do now ? » the Chief asked in a low voice.
« Nothing. » Duncan replied. « They outnumber us almost two to
one. »
They were disarmed and herded into the city like sheep. But what they didn't
know was that Talinn had seen everything from her hiding place in the bushes.
VI
Lakoya City, Neron Continent
They were taken to a towering building that served
as the city's prison. It was located 500 meters from the Northern Gate.
All the way to the prison, they kept their eyes open, looking for anything that
might help in a possible escape.
« Just look at that. Nothing but metal. No plants, no trees, no nothing.
Just steel. » the Chief said in a low voice so the guards wouldn't
hear them.
« There I have to agree with you. » Duncan admitted. « I don't
like the prospect of living in a city with no parks either. »
« This city has been a curse all along. » Ringo hissed. « We
thought they were villagers who were going to build a village of their own
but no, it turned out to be this city. »
« And right on the place of the Celestial Dragon. » the Chief added.
They passed an open place that seemed to serve as a marketplace. No one was
there at the time. Duncan looked around and his eyes came to rest on a small
strand of green sticking out from between two metal plates.
« Maybe all is not lost. »
« What ? » Ringo asked.
Skywalker pointed to the piece of green, but careful so it wouldn't be
noticed by their captors.
« What's your point ? » the Chief asked.
Duncan scanned the surrounding area again. Another few strands of green were
visible.
« I'll tell you later. We're almost there. »
The small procession reached the tower. Jennai took the lead and went in. When
they passed through the spacious lounge, they stepped on a large elevator pad
which took them to their cell level. The lift stopped and as they were being
pressed forward, Duncan cast an eye on the elevator level : floor 35.
The next thing he kept a lookout for was the section number. After a few minutes,
they passed a wall mark that read : Section 453.
A minute later, they were shoved into their cells. Each cell could hold three
prisoners. Duncan, Ringo and the Chief were put in one and the others were shoved
in pairs of two or three in other cells next to theirs.
« Pleasant stay. » Jennai said mockingly before he left. As he walked
through the corridor, they could hear him laugh : « Sun Dragon, Earth
Dragon, Celestial Dragon Hah what a joke. There's no such thing. »
Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
Talinn ran into the village and bumped into Jeb.
« Talinn, what's wrong ? You're all tensed up. » he
said while getting up.
« They got them. » she said out of breath.
« Who's got who ? »
« The Lakoyans. They have my father and Ringo and the others. »
« Skywalker too ? »
« Yeah, him too. »
« This is bad. » Jeb said.
« Tell me about it. » Talinn replied.
« So what's next ? » Jeb asked.
« Now that my father's not here, I'm taking over. Have the others
meet me in the war room. »
Jeb nodded and ran off.
A half hour later, Talinn updated everyone on the current situation.
« The Lakoyans have imprisoned my father, Ringo, the escort of ten villagers
and Skywalker. »
The news was both striking and hope-shattering. Without the Chief or Ringo,
who was going to lead them ?
« I don't have any news yet, but I hope that'll change soon. »
« How soon ? » someone asked.
« I can't tell you when, but don't lose hope. »
The crowd murmured. Talinn banged hard on the table.
« We can't let the Lakoyans win. They took the Celestial Dragon's
spot so they have to go, not us ! »
The crowd began to show signs of retaliation towards the Lakoyans.
« But now we have to wait for any news from the prisoners. »
I hope it gets here fast she thought while looking out the window at
the city.
Prison tower, Lakoya City, Neron Continent
In their cell in section 453, floor 35, Ringo turned to Duncan who was
looking out the small barred window set in the door. « Now that we're
all by ourselves, maybe you could explain those strands of green we saw outside
and your statement that all is not lost. »
« Yeah, Duncan, you kept us waiting long enough. » the Chief chimed
in.
Skywalker turned away from the window now that he knew the guards couldn't
hear them.
« I take it Talinn didn't tell you two about my ability'
with nature ? »
« She didn't. » the Chief said, not knowing what he was talking
about.
« Well then, I can influence natural processes such as plant growth, rain
storms, wind, thunderstorms, hurricanes and so on. »
« Get outta here. » Ringo said, not believing what he was hearing.
« It's true. Talinn saw it. About two days ago, I restored the potato
field to its former state. »
« So that's where all those potatoes came from. » the Chief reasoned.
« You're not believing him, are you ? » Ringo asked.
« I'm thinking it over. » the Chief replied.
Duncan walked to the other window set in the wall opposite the door and looked
out at the blue sky with a few clouds here and there.
« So what's with the strands of green ? » the Chief asked.
While looking out the window, Duncan replied : « Nature is beginning
to strike back. But it can't put up a decent retaliation because of the
Lifestream processing reactor. »
He turned to face his cellmates. « It has to go off line. »
« The question is : how do we do it ? We're stuck here. »
Ringo pointed out.
« First, we sit tight and see what happens. I want to know as much about
this city as possible. Then, after we know enough, we can find out how to get
a message back to the village and plan a sabotage attempt of the reactor. After
that, we get the hell out of here to find the three Dragons. » Skywalker
suggested.
« Sounds good to me. » the Chief said.
« Whatever you say. » Ringo added. His strategic expertise wasn't
that sophisticated.
Duncan sat down on the bench. The Chief positioned himself beside him. « Say,
about that nature influence stuff, how exactly did you get it ? »
« When I was a kid. I saw something bright blue-green on the ground in
an out-of-the-way corner on the playground. I went over to see what it was.
Of all the kids on that playground I was the one who actually could see it.
The rest seemed oblivious. So I went over and reached out, and then »
« Then what ? » the Chief prodded.
« ZAP ! It shot up and sucked me in. I don't remember
much about the experience. I must've passed out. I woke up 3 hours later
in the principal's office. They had called in a doctor to check up on me.
The results were fine. In fact, they were more than fine. It seemed I was in
tip-top shape. I felt great, no worries. But I didn't know that my life
had changed when I got hit by that energy. »
Ringo had also listened. Though he didn't believe much about it, he found
it an interesting story. « How did it change you ? And what kind of
energy was it ? »
« Lifestream energy. » Duncan replied and rolled up the sleeve of
his coat to expose his bare left arm.
« I don't see anything unusual. » the Chief said.
« No, not yet. » Duncan said with a mysterious glee in his ice-cold
eyes. He then moved his right hand over the inside of his left arm in an upward
sweeping motion. A thin line of bright blue-green made its way from his wrist
to his elbow.
« Well I'll be » the Chief muttered.
« This is what remains of the experience. You wanted proof about what I
was telling you, don't you ? » he asked Ringo.
« I never said I wanted any proof » Ringo began.
« I can see it in your eyes. »
« Well, now that there's proof of that ability' of yours,
I believe it. » Ringo replied.
Skywalker moved his hand in a downward sweeping motion and the line disappeared.
After that, he rolled down his coat sleeve.
« What's next ? » Ringo asked.
« We have to get a message out. » the Chief said. Duncan agreed. And
while they were discussing on the best method, they didn't see the falcon
whose wing Duncan had treated land between two bars in the window. The little
predator looked down upon the three discussing men, wondering what they were
talking about.
« Personally, I don't think we can catapult a metal cilinder all the
way to the village. » the Chief said, critisizing Ringo's suggestion.
« But still » Ringo began.
The cell door opened and in stepped Jennai followed by armed Jennai Soldiers.
« I've been doing some checking. » he began and looked straight
at Duncan. « You have a remarkable reputation, Mr Skywalker. »
Duncan narrowed his eyes.
« Yes, I know who you are. You travelled hundreds of miles, seen many cultures,
studied martial arts at the Shaolin community, lost your wife. But there's
one thing I don't understand. »
« What's that ? » Skywalker asked, on the alert. He had
clenched his hands into fists when he heard that Jennai knew about his beloved
wife Charlene.
« Wherever you went, there have been reports of unexplained natural activity. »
« So what ? »
Jennai took his gun. « Therefore, I have to ask you to come with us if
you would be so kind. »
Duncan's ice cold eyes sized Jennai up. He was serious. He turned to his
fellow prisoners. « This won't take long. » Then, he hissed :
« Forget about the message for now. »
« Of course it won't. If you cooperate, that is. »
Skywalker nodded to his comrades, then followed Jennai into the corridor.
Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
Talinn strolled through the village, doing nothing. Only waiting. That's
what she had said : they were waiting for any news that might come their
way.
Meanwhile, evening had fallen and stars began to emerge from the twilight.
She looked up, wondering how her father, Ringo and the others were doing. And
she also wondered about Skywalker.
What was happening right now in that city ? Were they being tortured ?
Beaten up ? All these questions raced through her mind as she continued
on her stroll through the village.
She looked up as she arrived at Roland's place. He was sitting outside
with his telescope, observing the stars.
She approached him. « Hey Ro. »
« Hey Talinn. » Roland replied while looking over hs shoulder at her.
« Looking at the stars ? »
« Yeah, they're very clear now. There is no moon. » Roland said,
referring to the moon that orbited the planet. He looked through the telescope
again. « There's Alpha Proxima. And here we have the constellation
Orion. And here hey, what's that ? »
« What ? » Talinn asked.
« It looks like a space station. I think. »
« Lemme see. » Talinn looked through the telescope at the night sky.
There she saw indeed a station. It had an elongated section, pointing to the
planet and a lot of smaller panels and compartments sticking out. That was all
that was visible from this distance. « It is a space station. »
« The Lakoyans ? » Ro asked.
« Possibly. » Talinn replied grimly.
She got up. « Keep an eye on that thing. »
« You got it. » Ro replied and turned back to his telescope.
Why didn't we know about this ? she wondered. Why did the
Lakoyans build a space station ? And what is its purpose ?
She kept wondering about this while she ran back to update the others.
VII
Prison tower, Lakoya City,
Neron Continent
Surrounded by armed Jennai Soldiers, Duncan followed
Jennai to the elevator pad. They stepped on, Jennai punched in the destinaton
code and the pad went down.
Skywalker carefully cast an eye left and right of him. Every soldier had a helmet
with the blast shield down so he couldn't see their faces.
« Any attempt to manipulate my soldiers will have no effect at all. They
obey only me. » Jennai said, as if sensing what he was up to.
« Thought as much. A beer-bellied liar with delusions of godhood is more
appropriate. » Duncan replied with a sideways glance at Jennai who stared
straight ahead at the levels rushing up as they descended.
« Careful, Mr Skywalker. Don't say things that can bring you in a
nasty situation. »
« Already there. » he replied.
Jennai laughed. It was a hard laugh which made his skin crawl.
« What are you up to ? » Duncan asked.
The elevator pad stopped and Jennai motioned for him to step off. Duncan did
as he was told and walked through the corridor. He guessed he would soon find
out what Jennai had in store for him.
The small procession stopped at twin metal doors. Commander Jennai entered his
personal keycode and the doors opened.
Inside, he saw a laboratory, complete with scanners, analyzing equipment, cryo
equipment, and many other systems.
Suddenly, three soldiers grabbed him. He tried to break free but the soldiers
seemed to have an iron grip. A physician approached him with a syringe and injected
something in his left arm. Duncan instantly felt it take effect. His eyelids
began to droop, his vision began to blur and his legs felt like rubber.
He was then taken to a large scanner of some sort of which the cilindrical component
was partially open. He was placed inside and the transparent canopy closed.
From somewhere distant, he could hear Jennai's voice. « What I plan
to do, Mr Skywalker, is finding out what that abilty' of yours is
and how we can use it for our own good. »
Madness ! he cried out in his core. But he felt too relaxed to do
anything. His mind was fully active, but the rest was drugged.
Jennai laughed. « Start scanning. »
The metal ring moved over him and began its scan.
In their cell, the Chief was walking circles. « I
hope he's all right. »
« Chief, he's an outsider. He doesn't belong here. » Ringo
snapped.
« He may be an outsider to you, Ringo. To me he's our only shot at
finding the three dragons and getting rid of the Lakoyans. »
« If we get out of here. » Ringo said.
« Yes, if. But we're not getting anywhere if you continue to sit here
griping like a schoolkid. »
Ringo crossed his arms and grunted. The Chief went to the barred window set
in the door and looked out into the corridor. Deserted. He checked with the
small mirror he always took with him. Nobody.
« Ringo, there's no one there. »
« What ? » Ringo asked and got up. « Let me see. »
The Chief moved aside as Ringo looked into the corridor in both directions.
No one in sight. « What's going on ? »
« I have no idea, but now's the chance to try and get out of this
rabbit cage. I think they consider us harmless now that we're in here. »
« Finally, something to do. » Ringo said with a grin. He stepped back,
ran to the door and banged against it with his shoulder. The door creeked but
didn't budge.
« Let me try. » the Chief said and moved to the door. He looked at
the door with the mirror and saw the small computer console set in the wall
on the door's right side. He pulled his hand back, put the mirror away
and tried to pry a panel off the wall. Ringo helped. The panel loosened up and
with Ringo's help, the Chief placed it on the ground against the wall.
Then the Chief ripped out every wire in the cavity. The panel shorted out and
the door clicked open.
« Tadaah. »
« Splendid. » Ringo said approvingly. « Come on. »
The two escapees stepped into the corridor and set out to find Skywalker and
sabotage the Lifestream energy processing reactor. The little falcon flew off.
In the lab, the physician slammed his hand on the
desk. Still nothing they could use. The scanners were set to their finest and
highest resolution. But still nothing showed up. According to the scans, Skywalker
was a normal human being.
He got up and went to the small mess hall in a corner of the lab to get some
coffee, then walked back with his mug.
Jennai stood near the scanner, eyeing his subject through the transparent cilindrical
canopy. « Give up resisting . We'll find out eventually. »
Duncan's face remained emotionless. It was as if he was in a coma.
Jennai sighed and turned away.
Deep in his mind, Duncan went over what his mentor had taught him if he got
into a situation such as this one.
Concentrate on the here and now. Focus. Think about what you care about the
most, his mentor had said.
Mother Nature Duncan had replied.
Then focus your mental energy on that subject.
Just as he had done in his training sessions, he concentrated on the Lifestream
energy. He sensed it deep in the planet's core, felt it flow. But then
it was brutally diverted to the reactor where it was processed. He heard the
cries of the planet. He traced the flow through the city in his mind's
eye until he saw some kind of power couplings.
Well well ! he thought deep in his mind and began to fiddle with
the energy.
While Jennai was anxiously awaiting the results
of the scans, the lights began to flicker and alarms went off.
« What's going on ? » he asked while looking around.
« I have no idea, sir. » the physican replied.
« Tap into the city sensors. » Jennai ordered.
The physician tapped into the designated sensor array and his jaw dropped. « Sir,
the nr 2 reactor is being drained of energy. »
« WHAT ? » Jennai asked furiously. « How is that
possible ? »
« I don't know sir. It's as if the planet is taking back what's
rightfully hers. The energy we processed. »
Jennai whirled and stared at the unmoving form of Duncan Skywalker, still lying
under the scanner. He walked to it and said : « Skywalker, I know
you're behind this. Stop it now or this city is doomed. »
Duncan's emotionless face didn't reveal anything. The physician checked
his readings.
« He's in some kind of trance. »
« Wake him up. » Jennai ordered the physican. « I'm gong
to the command center. »
While Jennai barged out of the lab, the physician approached Duncan with another
syringe containing the substance that countered the effects of the drug. The
scanner canopy opened and he injected the fluid.
But then something happened the physician didn't expect. Skywalker's
eyes snapped open and grabbed him by the throat with his right arm. The physician's
body tensed up, unable to make a move, except his head, because Duncan had some
of his fingers on several key nerve bundles.
« Where is my blade ? »
The physcian gasped, then said with a gurgling voice : « In the
back of the lab. »
Duncan released him and got out of the scanner. Then, he went to the rear of
the lab. There he found his Daikatana, the Chief's two daggers and Ringo's
sword. He put the weapons away, turned and went back.
« How how dd you manage to resist the drug ? » the physician
asked while rubbing his throat.
« Profound concentration. That's all you need to know. »
« I see. »
Duncan walked behind the physician and pinched the nerves at the base of his
neck. The man slumped to the ground, unconcious. He dragged him out of sight
and laid him near the desk where he had sat while scanning something.
« Sorry, doc. People like you always get in the way. Or try to understand
something of which you don't even know what it is. »
Then he ran out the door to find the Chief and Ringo.
Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
« The Lakoyans have a space station. » Talinn said when all
of the villagers had gathered the next day.
« What does it do ? » someone asked.
« I don't know. Our telescope isn't strong enough to discern
any details. But I'm sure it's got something nasty in store for us. »
« We should evacuate ! » somebody else suggested.
« A good idea. But whereto ? » Talinn asked. « But it seems
that the station isn't fully active yet. So we don't need to worry
about it. »
« For now. » Jeb said.
« For now. » Talinn acknowledged. « As soon as it starts to make
a fuss, we're outta here. »
« Good enough for me. » Talinn heard someone say. A few others murmured
their approval.
« What about the Chief ? » a woman asked.
« I was getting to that. » Talinn replied. « I need some strong
men. We're going to find them and rescue them.
Some eight men raised their hands, Jeb among them.
« Good. Let's go. »
Together with the volunteers, Talinn went out of the village and headed towards
Lakoya City.
While walking through the forest, Jeb turned to
Talinn. « How are we gonna rescue em ? »
« We'll think of something. » Talinn said. « Our main concern
is getting inside without getting seen. »
They continued their approach. The trees parted and the found themselves in
the fields which were still slowly decaying. A bit further stood Lakoya City
in the first light of dawn.
« Looks like they're giving the Lakoyans a hard time. » Jeb said
while looking at the city lights which were still flickering.
« So it appears. » Talinn acknowledged. « Come on. »
They ran to the city as fast as they could.
Command center, Lakoya City, Neron Continent
The doors parted and in barged Jennai. A technician turned towards him
to give him an update. « Sir, the nr 2 reactor is losing power productivity. »
« I know. » Jennai snapped. « What's causing it ? »
« This is really weird, sir, but the power couplings are locked in reverse
mode. We can't do anything. »
« Damn you, Skywalker. » Jennai muttered while banging on the table.
« Sir ? »
« Never mind. Bring the Ki Ray on line. »
« Sir, the cannon is tied into the power grid of the nr 2 reactor. It's
off line. »
« I don't care ! Get it on line ! » Jennai flared.
« Yessir. » the technician said an got to work.
The power flow running from the nr 2 reactor to the cannon was cut. Then, the
Ki Ray cannon was tied into another power distribution net originating from
another reactor.
After several minutes, the technician turned to Jennai. « Power has been
restored to the cannon. »
« Excellent. Target the prison tower. »
Everyone stared at him.
« Sir, the resulting explosion will rip almost eight house blocks apart
if we proceed. »
« I don't care if it produces a crater ! Target the prison tower. »
The crew turned to their consoles and got to work.
Outside, on the city's highest point, the Ki Ray cannon turned and aligned its sights with the prison tower in which the Chief, Ringo, Skywalker and the escort of ten villagers were being held.
VIII
Prison tower, Lakoya City,
Neron Continent
Skywalker ran through the corridors of the prison
tower, Daïkatana at the ready. He rounded the corner and encountered his first
stray : two Jennai Soldiers, armed with ray guns. He dove for cover around
the corner as the soldiers opened fire, transforming the corridor in a cheap
recreation of a thunderstorm as directed energy beams seared the space all around
his hiding place.
« Great, that's all I needed. Distractions. » Duncan muttered.
He poked his head around the corner and was rewarded with a barrage of energy
beams.
Bunch of wusses he said to himself. How am I gonna get past them ?
Then he remembered the Chief's two daggers.
Eat this, fellas ! he thought. It then seemed as if time slowed
down. He put his sword away, took the daggers by the blade and came into view
from behind the corner. The soldiers stood there and opened fire, barely missing
him as Skywalker threw the two daggers, one after the other. One dagger buried
itself into the left soldier's helmet and the other dagger hit the other
soldier square in the chest. Time seemed to resume its normal course as the
two soldiers dropped to the ground like deadweights.
« That's that. » he said and yanked the daggers out of the now
dead soldiers and cleaned them up on their tunics before putting the weapons
away. He then resumed his journey through the corridors.
The Chief and Ringo also ran through the corridors,
searching for Skywalker.
« Where do you think they've taken him ? » Ringo asked.
« I have no idea. » the Chief replied. « But I'm sure he'll
manage. »
Ringo wanted to reply but was cut off when a squad of some five Jennai Soldiers
rounded the corner, saw the two escapees and opened fire. Ringo and the Chief
took cover.
« How do they know we've escaped ? » Ringo asked.
« I don't know. » the Chief replied as energy beams scarred the
walls all around them. « They must've had some detector installed
in that panel. »
Ringo looked around. « We need weapons. »
« Our weapons were taken away, remember ? »
« Yeah, I know. But there must be something we can use. »
More beams scarred the walls. The two instinctively kept their heads down. But
then they heard a ruckus coming from where the soldiers were firing at them.
All firing ceased.
« What happened ? » Ringo asked.
« I have no idea. » the Chief replied. He then beckoned for Ringo
to look around the corner.
Ringo did as he was told and looked around the corner. He saw Skywalker walking
towards them as confident as if on a vacation on the beach. Behind him lay the
five soldiers. All dead.
« It's Skywalker. » Ringo said.
« What ? » the Chief asked and also poked his head around the
corner. « Hey, you're right. »
They both got up as Duncan stopped beside them.
« I believe these are yours ? » he asked as he gave the Chief
and Ringo their weapons.
« Where did you find them ? » Ringo asked.
« No time. Escape now, talk later. » Skywalker replied.
They continued to run through the corridors, got the other villagers out of
their cells and proceeded to the elevator pad which took them to the ground
level.
Fields outside Lakoya City, Neron Continent
The small rescue squad, lead by Talinn, ran to the city and while they
did that, they tried not to be seen. Jeb pointed forward at the double doors
of Eastern Gate which were partially open.
« How thoughtful. » Talinn said silently.
Jeb grabbed her arm. « It can be a trap. »
« That is also possible. » she replied. « But I think they're
too busy with restoring their power systems. »
« You got a point there. » Jeb admitted.
While a few villagers eyed the surrounding area, the others sneaked inside.
Those who had kept an eye out came last.
« Where do you think they have taken them ? » Jeb asked.
Talinn looked around. « I have no idea. »
« Up there ! » someone said and pointed to the city's highest
point. Everyone in the rescue squad looked up to see the Ki Ray cannon align
itself with a tower.
« Looks like they're being held there. » Talinn deducted. « Come
on. »
They ran to the tower as fast as they could.
Prison tower, Lakoya City, Neron Continent
The elevator pad carrying the Chief, Ringo, the escort of ten villagers
and Skywalker soared downward to ground level. Sometimes, the elevator malfunctioned
due to the energy fluctuations.
« So where did they take you ? » the Chief asked.
« To some sort of lab. They wanted to know what my ability'
was and how they could use it for their benefit. »
« I wonder what's causing these energy fluctuations. » someone
asked.
« I did that. While I was fighting the drug through profound concentration,
I sensed the Lifestream energy that was being processed. I traced it towards
the city power couplings. Just one surge of energy and the couplings were locked
in reverse mode. Now only a few packages of energy get through. »
« I see. » the Chief replied. « We're almost there. »
They all took their weapons as the pad continued downward.
Once they arrived at ground level, they carefully inched their way through the
spacious lounge. The few soldiers that were present were quickly dealt with.
Then, they found themselves outside.
They ran to out into the open towards a barracks building which had served as
the labourer's sleeping place when the tower was under construction. But
half-way, they met up with Talinn and her companions.
« Father ! Ringo ! » she exclaimed and embraced her fiancé
which returned the hug.
« Chief. » Jeb said. « You've made it. »
« Jeb. » the Chief replied. « Yeah, thanks to Duncan here. If
it weren't for him we'd still be stuck in the corridors. »
The other villagers greeted their comrades.
« I was so worried I couldn't sit around and wait. I had to do something. »
Talinn said.
« No matter. You did what you thought was best. That's the spirit
of a good leader. »
Talinn smiled at that.
Then, energy beams seared the air all around them.
« Heads up. » Duncan yelled which had kept an eye out.
The now reinforced team of Dyenso Rebels took cover behind the barracks building
and some debris. Some of the villagers which had come with Talinn carried some
rifles. When the shooting had started, they begun to return fire.
« We don't stand a chance. » Jeb said.
« You're right. » Talinn replied and fired an arrow. « Not
with those energy rifles they have. What do you think, Duncan ? »
She looked beside her and saw him mixing some stuff. « What are you doing ? »
« Shh, not now. » he hissed. He mixed some fluids together, along with some
crumbled leaves. Then, he stirred it gently. « Does anyone have a small canister
or something ? »
Jeb found a small can. « Will this do ? »
« Yeah. » Duncan replied and took the can from Jeb while the barrage
continued. He poured the now transparent liquid in the can and sealed it. Then,
he leaned out of concealment and rolled the can down a ten-degree angle slope.
« Take cover. »
They all pulled in their heads as a thunderous explosion rocked the ground as
one of the soldiers shot the can. Then, they looked again after the smoke had
cleared. A smoking crater was all that remained of the shooting Jennai Soldiers.
« What was that ? » Ringo asked.
« Have you ever heard of nitroglycerine ? »
« Yeah. » Jeb said. « I have. It's very unstable and can
explode at any sudden moves. »
« This was a similar product. Only three times as strong. »
« And three times as sensitive, it seems. » Jeb remarked.
The Chief whistled in amazement.
« That's some strong shit. » someone remarked.
« Now that the soldiers are taken care of, we can continue what we came
here to do. » the Chief said.
« What's that ? » someone in Talinn's squad asked.
« Sabotage the Lifestream energy processing reactor. » Skywalker said.
« Does anyone know where it is ? » Jeb asked.
« I do. Follow me. » Duncan said and ran ahead.
Nr 2 reactor, Lakoya City, Neron Continent
The team arrived at the reactor without further incident. During the
trip to the reactor, Talinn had updated them on what she had seen through the
telescope. They looked up at the towering reactor which was humming as it processed
more and more energy. Skywalker leaned against a nearby wall.
« You okay ? » Talinn asked.
« Fine. Just a bit dizzy. Let's put this thing out of commission. »
« Gladly. But how do we do it ? »
Duncan said nothing. He just took his katana and slashed a few pipes. The ground
began to rumble. He continued to cut more pipes and as a finishing touch, he
plunged his sword half-way into the console that operated the reactor. The rumbling
increased.
« It's gonna blow ! » Jeb yelled over the rumling. « Run
for your lives ! »
« There's no time. » Skywalker replied flatly. « Take cover. »
« What about you ? » Talinn asked.
« If we're to survive this, I have to tame the raw energy that'll
be released when this thing blows. »
A part of the reactor wall exploded.
« Go. Take cover. I'll handle this. » Duncan said to Talinn.
The latter saw that he already had that distant look in his eyes. Talinn ran
with the others down the corridors and took shelter behind conduits and steel
crates. Talinn, the Chief, Ringo and Jeb watched as Duncan faced the reactor.
It seemed as if there was a blue-green aura around him. Talinn rubbed her eyes
and wanted to look again but the reactor ruptured. A wave front of raw Lifestream
energy emerged from the reactor, while a high spike of energy shot up into the
air.
Skywalker stretched his left arm, palm of his hand outward the wave front
washed over him, a flash of blue-green light and the energy disappeared.
Talinn lifted her hands and looked through the
slits between her fingers. All was clear, the explosion had occured without
reaching them.
« Everyone all right ? » she asked.
« Still in one piece. » Jeb replied.
« Same here. » a few villagers said from way behind her.
« I'll live. » Ringo said.
« Some blast. » the Chief remarked.
« You did it, Skywalker ! » Jeb cried out.
The came out of concealment and assessed the results of the explosion. The reactor
was totally ripped open like a used packing crate debris was scattered
everywhere. Where the reactor had been, a big crater had taken its place.
« Duncan ? » Talinn asked in a loud voice. She tried again and
again. Nothing. When there still was no response, she began to search through
the rubble. The others helped and began to search somewhere else.
There was no trace of him, anywhere.
Talinn and the Chief eyed the crater. Jeb stopped beside them.
« You think he got sucked in ? »
« That's a possibility. » the Chief replied.
« Maybe he was vaporized. » Jeb said half-laughing.
Talinn gave him a destroying look. Jeb stopped laughing.
« You know. I heard some stories about this Lifestream energy. » the
Chief said.
« What kind of stories ? » Jeb asked, curious like a five-year-old.
« Anyone who had fallen into the Lifestream and had survived it, was rumored
to have gone completely crazy. »
« Charming thought. » Ringo replied. He had overheard this.
« Let's get back to the village before they begin to shoot again. »
Jeb suggested.
« Good idea. » the Chief acknowledged.
Talinn looked over her shoulder at the crater with a sad look in her eyes.
Then she followed the others.
