IX

Command center, Lakoya City, Neron Continent
« Get those couplings out of reverse ! » Jennai barked. Alarms blared as the gauges of the nr 2 reactor went crazy. Most of them skyrocketed due to the raw energy that was about to be released.
« They're locked, sir. If try to break them free, they might short out. » the technician replied.
Jennai rammed his fist on the console in frustration. The rebels were winning again. But he, Jennai, couldn't let that happen.
« Just what the hell is happening ? » he asked himself.
« I have no idea, sir. » someone remarked silently. Jennai pretended not to have heard that.
« Deploy a squad of Jennai Soldiers. » he ordered.
« Yessir. » someone else replied and complied. « Soldiers deployed. »
« Sir ! » another technician yelled. « We've just lost control of the nr 2 reactor. »
« What ?? »
They all looked out the window as the ground rumbled. A few minutes later, a spike of bright blue-green shot up into the air. Jennai sat heavily in his chair.
« The end of another reactor. »
At that very moment, like he was sitting in his chair rubbing the bridge of his nose, he seemed old and tired.
« Get me Sigma Station on the comm ! » he ordered as he got out of the chair as if reborn.
« Hailing Sigma Station. » the comm operator said. « Comm link open. »
The screen on the wall came to life and displayed the face of the acting commander who kept things running smooth when Jennai wasn't there.
« Is everything all right down there ? We just registered a huge energy surge on our sensors a moment ago. »
« We'll worry about that. What's the status of the station ? » Jennai asked.
« We're nearly done with assembly of the lower sections, sir. Beam emitters are being installed as we speak. And may I speak freely, sir ? »
« You may. » Jennai permitted.
« You look like hell. »
« I know. The rebels are giving us a hard time. A real hard time. » Jennai said sighing.
« I see. Well, as I said before : we're nearly done. Getting the station and Project Sigma' to full power should take another four to five days. »
« Four to five days hmm. Keep me posted. Lakoya City out. »
The screen went blank and was replaced with an image that showed the destroyed reactor

The Dyenso Rebels walked to the Eastern Gate. Talinn still had that sad and glazed look in her eyes. She felt as if Duncan Skywalker had been one of them from the moment he had entered the village. While proceeding to the Eastern Gate, she turned to her father.
« Do you think he's really gone ? »
« I don't know, sweetie. He's pretty mysterious and besides, he's got the planet at his side. I'm sure he'll show up sometime. »
« I hope so. »
« We didn't find a body. » Jeb said reassuringly. « So he has to be alive. Somehow. »
« He told me that he had been sucked in when he was a kid. » the Chief said. « He'll show, believe me. »
Talinn wanted to reply but then she saw Jennai Soldiers coming at them from every direction, outnumbering two to one.
« Great. We're trapped. Again. » Ringo complained. The rebels took their weapons, ready for a fight. A fight to the last man if it had to be so.
Above them, dark clouds gathered. Thunder rumbled.
« What now ? » Talinn asked silently.
« I'm thinking. » the Chief replied.
Lightning flashed and thunder rolled as a part of the ground rose up and threw a handful of Jennai Soldiers off their feet.
But then, they heard a voice that seemed to come from everywhere. Talinn thought to have seen Ducan's transparent image right in front of her.
Run ! Get out of here !
The rebels didn't have to think twice. They ran as fast as they could through the gap in the line of soldiers towards the Eastern Gate. While they ran, Talinn looked over her shoulder at the soldiers who tried to pursue them. They didn't get far. A crackling lightning bolt streaked down and hit the ground, sending tens of thousands of volts through the soldiers' bodies.
Jeb turned back.
« Jeb, get back here. » Ringo said in a measured voice.
« This'll only take a minute. I wanna know what those guys look like. »
Talinn and the Chief followed him. Jeb crouched beside the nearest soldier and took off his helmet. What he saw was a scorched face, but the man's features were still discernible. He was not quite handsome and not quite ugly, something in between.
Talinn had meanwhile walked over to another soldier and had taken off his helmet.
« Guys. » she said without taking her eyes off the soldier's face. Her two companions stopped beside her.
« What the hell ? » Jeb stammered. « They're identical. »
« So that's why they have helmets on. » the Chief reasoned. « From not being recognized. »
« What are you getting at, father ? » Talinn asked.
« I think that the first soldier was constructed, gene by gene. And the others are copies of the original. »
« Makes sense to me. » Ringo said.
« So Jennai has his own private little army. » Jeb remarked.
« That, he does. » Talinn said while getting up. « Let's get out of here, before more of them show up. »
The three went back to their comrades and went out into the open fields. The decay had stopped now that the reactor was destroyed.
But then all of them saw something that defied everything. The area that had decayed was reversing back to the city.
« You're right, father. He's alive. » Talinn said with a smile.
« I told you so. »
The rebels walked back to the village.

Inside the Lifestream
Amidst the folds of blue-green energy, Skywalker saw everything that happened on the surface. After he had told them to get out of there, he tended to the decay around the city. It wasn't that bad, but the reactor had processed a large amount of energy in the time it had available before he had shut it down. Permanently.
While he hovered around inside the Lifestream energy flow, reversing the effects of the now destroyed reactor, he came across a long-lost echo of someone he had held dear with all his heart.
Charlene.
« Charlie ? » he asked astounded, not expecting to run into her here, inside the energy flow. He felt tears come to his eyes. It had been a long time since he had seen her. She would say it was very noble of him to tell them to find cover or the energy wave would've wiped Talinn and the others away.
The image of Charlene floated before him as a 3D-image, locked in time.
« I miss you a lot. » he murmured while he gazed onto her beautiful features.
« I know. I miss you too. » she would say.
He reached for the ring attached to the piece of string, reliving lost memories.
Then, she suddenly disappeared. But his gut feeling about her watching over him had been correct. He permitted himself a small smile and decided it was time to return to the surface.

Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
Talinn ran ahead into the village, searching for Skywalker. She looked around the central plaza for him, but didn't see him. The Chief placed his hands on her shoulders.
« He'll show. Just wait and see. »
« I hope anytime soon. » she replied.
Evening began to fall. Talinn went to her cabin.
But when she was half-way, the evening air was illuminated by a blue-green energy eruption nearby.
That's got to be him she thought and ran out of the village before any of the villagers could stop her.
In the forest outside the village, she took her crossbow. There could be Lakoyans patrolling. She walked among the trees, searching for him. After a while, she found him. He was sitting on a branch high in a tree, leaning against the trunk.
There he is.
« Duncan !? » she called. No response. « It's me. Talinn. »
When getting no response at all, she put her weapon away and climbed into the tree towards his location. « Duncan ? » she asked again as she reached his spot. His eyes had a distant look while he stared over the green of the forest around him some whisps of blue-green energy were still visible. He turned his head and looked at her. He didn't seem to recognize her at first.
« It's me. » she said again. « Talinn. You know : Talinn from Dyenso Village. »
« Talinn ? » he asked in a low voice. Then his eyes cleared. « Talinn. Yeah, now I remember. The reactor the soldiers Lakoya City the Chief Ringo Jeb Jennai»
« The reactor is destroyed. » Talinn said, refreshing his memory.
Images of past events flashed before his eyes as everything came back, bit by bit.
« I saw her. » he suddenly said and gazed at the stars.
« Who ? »
« Charlene. »
« You saw her down there ? How is that possible ? » Talinn wanted to know.
« It's really quite simple. When someone dies, he/she returns to the planet. »
« Spirit too ? »
« Spirit too. » he confirmed.
« So you ran into your wife's spirit down there. »
« So near and yet so far away. It wasn't really her sprit but an echo of it. »
« An echo ? » she asked.
He lowered his head. « Yeah, unable to communicate. Just an image. But she's watching over me. »
« That's nice. »
« Yeah. » he sighed.
« I'm going back to the village. Coming ? »
« In a while. I want to stay here some more. »
« Okay, see ya. » Talinn said before climbing down and going back to the village.
There, she ran into her father.
« Did you find him ? »
« I found him all right. » she replied. « He's outside in a tree. »
« Isn't he coming in ? »
« Later. » she said and went to her cabin.
High in the tree he was sitting in, Duncan sat gazing at the stars. He kept searching until his eyes fell on two bright stars near the Gemini constellation. Their stars. His and Charlene's.
They still shine. His thoughts drifted off towards sometime in the past. Towards their house in Oregonia, near the cliffs. He and Charlene were sitting on the couch, watching TV. She had snuggled up to him and laid her head on his shoulder.
So near and yet so far away.
He remembered the accident, the two doctors of which he had punched the nearest in the face, the funeral ceremony, his bond' with nature increasing, his eyes changing, his life shattered, the beginnings of his journey around the world
Gone. All gone. A life destroyed all because of a drunk who got scared and ran like a weasel. If only I could get her back somehow, then my life would be complete again. But that is, of course, impossible.
He sighed and climbed down with the agility of a panther. Then, he went to the village.


X

Lakoya City, Neron Continent
In the city, some of the inhabitants were gathering at an open place not far from the destroyed reactor.
« I have had it with this city. » one of them said.
« Yeah, me too. » someone else chimed in.
« Same here. » came from somewhere behind.
« This guerilla war has been going on for far too long. The rebels are winning and this city is being destroyed bit by bit. We have to get out while we still can. » a man by the name of John said. He had crawled onto a piece of concrete and steel to address the gathered people. « So who's with me ? »
Cheers and cries for freedom echoed through the plaza as the people showed their enthusiasm in leaving the city.
« But how do we get out with all this fighting ? » someone asked. « Won't the commander try to stop us ? »
« Let him try. We just pack our stuff and be on our way. »
« It just might work. If he sees that we're deadly serious, he might let us go. » a woman said.
« Come on. » John ordered.

High in the command center, a beeping sound reverberated through the center.
« Sir, the people are leaving the city. It's like a massive exodus. » the sensor operator reported.
« Let them. » Jennai said flatly. « This city is doomed to be destroyed anyway. »
« Sir ? »
« I said : forget it. Prepare everything for our departure to Sigma Station. »
« Yessir. » the SO replied and went to do his task.
Jennai turned to his second-in-command and gave him a padd. « If there are a few of them going to that rebel village, give them this. Tell them to give it to a man wearing a long black coat. »
He nodded and went out.
« Status ? » Jennai asked while turning his chair to face the SO.
« The shuttle is being prepared as we speak, sir. It's already fueled up and they're bringing the last of the supplies on board. »
« Good. It's time for us to leave this scrap heap. » Jennai said and got out of his chair.

Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
Skywalker walked slowly back to the village. When he arrived at the entrance to the village, he heard something coming from the city. He looked up and saw a small gleaming ship shoot up through the night sky. Probably Jennai he thought.
Then he heard something else, coming from the forest just up ahead. Voices.
« Chief ! » he called. Boras, the Chief came running out of his cabin.
« What's wrong ? » he asked.
« There are people heading this way. »
The Chief called a few men and told them to arm themselves. After that, they positioned themselves near the entrance, ready for anything. Skywalker kept his hand on the hilt of his Daïkatana.
Then the source of the voices came out of the forest. Some fifteen people, seven women and eight men, stopped before the entrance.
The first one, John, walked forward and gave Duncan the padd he had been given by Jennai's second-in-command. « One of the city's officers asked me to give this to you. »
Duncan took it while eyeing the man to see if this wasn't a trick of the Lakoyans. It wasn't. He could see it in his eyes that he had nothing to do with it. Duncan examined the padd. It was a simple display device, used to record a visual message.
He pressed the play-control.
The screen came to life and showed the face of Commander Jennai.
« Mr Skywalker, I regret it that we can't meet face-to-face. By the time you get this message, we'll be about half-way to Sigma Station. »
Sigma Station ? he thought. So Talinn was right after all. The Lakoyans do have a station up there.
« I know you must be pretty amazed. » Jennai continued. « But here's what I say to you and your rebel friends : you shall and will be destroyed unless you surrender. »
Jennai leaned forward so that his face filled the entire screen. « You've got five days to change your mind. Surrender or be destroyed ! »
The screen flicked off.
« That's clear. » the Chief said. He had seen the message as well.
« Very clear. Jennai has lost his mind. This guerilla war has made him build a space station. Who knows hat it does. »

Sigma Station
The station had a large elongated section which pointed to the planet. In the ring above it were the regulation systems and power generation systems for Project Sigma'. The assymetric compartments above the regulation systems ring incorporated the command center, crew quarters, docking spaces, communication antennas, solar panels and defensive systems.
Jennai's gleaming shuttle approached Docking Bay Three.
« Greetings Commander. You're cleared for docking at Docking Bay Three. » the acting commander said over the open comm circuit.
« Copy that, Sigma Station. » Jennai replied and steered the shuttle towards the opening bay. In the shuttle were Jennai, his Jennai Soldiers, the crew of the city's command center and supplies.
The shuttle entered the huge bay and settled down on the deck not far from the hatch leading to the rest of the station. Behind them, the bay doors clanged shut. Meanwhile, a docking ring had attached itself on the shuttle's side. Jennai and the others stepped out into the airlock and into the station. The Jennai Soldiers ventured into the station in search of their designated place.
Jennai looked around. There was still a lot of work to be done before they could bring the entire station and Project Sigma' to full power.
The acting commander came out of the lift and headed towards them. « Welcome aboard, Commander. »
« How are we doing ? » Jennai asked.
« We're still working on the power couplings and the gravimetric alignment of the Project. The power core is on stand-by. Work for another five days, sir. »
« Get to it. I'll be in my quarters. »
« Yessir. » the acting commander replied and went into the lift with the command center crew of Lakoya City close behind him.
Jennai took another lift and went to his quarters.
You've got five days to surrender, Skywalker, before I grind you and the rebels into dust !

Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
« A space station ? » John asked. « We had no idea he built a station. »
They had entered the village and gone straight to the Chief's house.
« I had seen it through our telescope too. » Talinn said. « But I couldn't see much. »
« Hmm. » the Chief murmured. « Then the answer lies in the city. »
« What ? » Jeb asked. « Back to that heap of steel ? No way, man. That Jennai fellow gives me the creeps. »
« Jennai left. » Skywalker said evenly. He was leaning a bit further against the wall, arms crossed over his chest and staring at the ground.
« How do you know ? » John asked.
« I saw his shuttle lift off towards the station. »
« But what about the soldiers ? » Jeb asked.
« I don't think Jennai is that stupid of leaving his precious soldiers behind. » Duncan replied while looking up. « He probably took them with him in the shuttle. »
« That's a big possibility. » Talinn said.
« Who's going to the city ? » the Chief asked.
« I am. » Duncan said. « I want to know what that station'll be used for. »
« I'm going too. » Ringo added.
« So am I. » John said.
« Anyone else ? » the Chief asked. No one replied. It was just Duncan, Ringo and John.
The Chief opened a closet and took out four tiny headsets used for long-range communications and gave them to the three who were going to the city. He kept one for himself. They put them on and went outside.
« Do you guys hear me ? » the Chief's voice asked over the comm circuit.
« Loud and clear. » Ringo replied.
« Take it easy out there. »
« We will. »
The three walked out the entrance and headed to the city.

Lakoya City, Neron Continent
Wary of their surroundings, Duncan, John and Ringo walked into the city. John took his weapon : an oversized baseball bat. Ringo did the same and drew his blade. Duncan took the lead, his sword still in its sheath. There was no one in the city, anywhere.
« This is spooky. » Ringo admitted.
« It's just your own fear taking over. Stay focused. » Skywalker said while eyeing the surroundings.
« Easy for you to say, outsider. »
Duncan gave him a stern look when he heard that word being mentioned again.
« Watch it. » he warned. Ringo shut up.
« Where would all the key information be located ? » Ringo wondered.
« Probably in the command center. » John said. « This way. »
He led the way to a large tower. Duncan noticed that the tower with the Ki Ray cannon stood right beside it. they went inside and took the elevator pad to the highest level.
« Power is still functional. » John remarked.
« For now. » Ringo added.
When they reached the top floor, Duncan took the lead again. While proceeding through the corridors, John turned to Ringo. « Strange man, isn't he ? »
« He sure is. Shrouded in mystery. »
« It seems he isn't human. »
« Oh he is, trust me. Some guys messed his life up some time ago and now he's wandering around. But stay away when he uses his ability'.
« What's that ? »
« Believe it or not but he actually restored our potato field that had withered four years ago and he took care of the decay around the city. »
John's eyes widened. « You're kidding. »
« Nope. »
« This must be the command center. » Duncan said when they arrived at two large metal doors.
« Yeah that's it. » John replied. « But it's locked. How do we get in ? »
He pushed against the doors which didn't budge.
« Simple. » Skywalker said and unsheathed his Daïkatana.
« What a weapon. » John gasped while eyeing the long blade.
Skywalker payed no attention to the ramblings and turned to the doors. He then slashed the hinges of the left door and then the those of the right door. he sheathed the sword and kicked the doors right on the spot where they met. The doors fell into the center with a lot of noise.
« What the hell was that ? » the Chief asked over the comm.
« Nothing to worry about. » Duncan replied. « We just forced our way in. »
« Okay. »
They went inside and started to search the consoles. The Sensor station was only used for monitoring the trajectory of the station and the area surrounding the city. The others were Engineering stations which were used for monitoring the preformance of the reactors.
« Over here. » Duncan said from Jennai's seat. On the console window stood the schematics of Sigma Station.
« Sigma station. » Duncan read. « Official reports state that it'll be used for monitoring spatial phenomena, but here it says what it's really used for. »
Duncan turned the screen towards his to companions.
« Project Sigma'. » John continued. « A station equipped with a power generation system necessary to power the » he stopped and looked at his two companions. « Sigma Cannon. »
« By the Dragon. » Ringo swore. « They're targeting us from orbit. »
five days to change your mind. Surrender or be destroyed flashed through Duncan's mind. He checked the assembly records. « It's not ready yet. »
« When will it be ready ? » John asked.
« In five days. »
« So we've got five days to find the Celestial Dragon and make em pay. » Ringo reasoned.
« Yeah. » Skywalker replied. « Chief ? »
« Go ahead. »
« We know what the station is. »
« Good. What did you find out ? »
« It's a cannon, Chief. They designated it the Sigma Cannon. »
There was a silence on the other side which lasted for several seconds.
« Chief ? »
« Sorry about that. I was a bit surprised. »
« It's not ready yet. Finishing the station will take another five days. »
« Then we have to find the Dragons soon or we'll be destroyed by that cannon. »
« Exactly. »
« Get back to the village. We leave at dawn. »
« On our way. » Duncan said and together with the others, he went out. They took the elevator pad to ground level and exited the tower. Soon thereafter, the three left the city.


XI

Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
Upon their arrival, Skywalker went straight to his cabin. The people from the city could stay with those who were willing to share their home.
In his cabin, Duncan closed his eyes and did some exercises to relax his mind.
Talinn knocked on the door and came in.
« So what's new ? » she asked.
« The Lakoyans have built a station with a bigger cannon than the one we saw in the city. »
Talinn's eyes widened. « Bigger than the city cannon »
« Yeah. But it's still being constructed. So we have to find the dragons in the remaining five days or we'll be wiped away. »
« Who knows where the Celestial Dragon is hiding. »
« Only the dragon knows. » Skywalker replied. « I'm going to bed. »
« G'night. » Talinn said.
« Night. »
He turned in as Talinn left the cabin.
He had barely closed his eyes or he was flung back into that dream state he had been in when he had passed out a few days earlier.
Now what ? he asked himself as he looked around in the darkness surrounding him.
Sigma Station is dangerous a voice said.
« I know. I've seen the schematics. It's a cannon with the power of a few thousand Gigawatts. A whole lot of destructive power. »
Then you are warned, Son of Nature. Watch your step. Danger lurks at every turn and behind every rock.
« So where are the dragons ? »
When you think you're lost, turn around and then look back at the path you're walking on. There are clues everywhere if you look closely.
« I see. »
An image resolved before him. The planet and the moon. In close orbit he saw a tiny black speck. Sigma Station. The image zoomed in on the huge station, displaying every detail. The upper assembly held the communication antennas, crew quarters, defensive systems, the command center, solar panels and docking spaces. Below the assymetric assembly was a ring which held the power generation systems and cannon regulation systems. Below the ring, he saw an elongated section pointing to the planet.
That must be the cannon he reasoned.
This is Sigma Station as it is orbiting the planet. A project of the Lakoyans.
« We're going out to find the dragons at dawn tomorrow. That leaves us only four to five days until the station is completed. »
I wish you well in your search.
« Wait a minute. Can't you give me a clue where we should look first. »
It remained quiet for several seconds before the voice replied : go east into the Neron Moutain Range. There you'll find some clues.
He was flung back to the real world with the voice's last words : if you look closely enough.

In his cabin, his eyes flew open. He looked around and saw it was already morning. The interchange between him and the bodiless voice had apparently taken all night.
He got out of bed, put on his long, black coat, sheathed his sword and went outside.
The others were already up. Talinn was supplying those who were coming with them with weapons.
He joined them. « Ready to go ? »
« All set. » she replied. « Father stays here while you, me, Ringo, John and Jeb are going out on the search mission. »
« Good enough. Let's go. » Skywalker said and led them out into the forest. After leaving the village and heading east, they walked up a slope into the mountains. Before he went any further, Duncan stopped and looked at the city.
« Something wrong ? » Talinn asked.
« Just going to take care of something first. » Skywalker replied, crossed his arms in front of his chest and closed his eyes. John eyed him with suspicion.
The noise of shrieking and tearing metal reached them a few seconds later. They all turned to the city, except a concentrating Duncan Skywalker, and stared at it as if it was something they hadn't seen before. The city was being overgrown by plant life. The towers shook as the remorseless plant growth encompassed the entire structures and made them collapse. A few minutes thereafter, the city was gone. Totally overgrown.
John whistled in amazement as Skywalker opened his eyes and continued on.

Control center of Sigma Station
« Generators are online and charging. » a technician reported.
« Good. » Jennai replied. « What about the targeting systems ? »
« They won't be installed till the day after tomorrow. But the sensors are fully operational. »
« Hmm, take a look at the city. »
The technician turned and redirected the lateral sensor array towards the planet. It was silent for several seconds until
« Sir, the city just lost all power. »
« What ?? » Jennai asked, not believing what he was hearing and stepped up to the sensor console. He looked over the technician's shoulder at the readings displayed on the console screen. The city had indeed lost all power.
How is that possible ? Jennai wondered and switched to visual. What he saw defied all logic. The city was being overtaken by green.
« Skywalker. » he snarled.
He saw the gleaming towers, once so magnificent in the sunlight, collapse
under the remorseless plant growth. Jennai clenched his fists.
He continued to watch until the last portion of the city vanished under the green vegetation.
« Speed up the assembly. »

Neron Mountain Range, Neron Continent
« That city is history. » Jeb remarked. A few portions of the city were still visible.
« I'll say. » John said. « So what exactly are we looking for ? »
« The Earth Dragon. » Skywalker replied without looking over his shoulder.
« And what does this dragon do ? »
Talinn continued : « The Earth Dragon will guide us to the Celestial Dragon. But first we have to find the Earth Dragon as well as the Sun Dragon. »
« Something tells me this ain't gonna be easy. » John said.
They continued on and came at a small trail running alongside a deep canyon. Jeb looked down. « Shit, that's deep. »
« Watch out, the ground is highly unstable. Tread carefully. » Duncan warned.
They moved ahead, step by step over the small trial.
But then, the ground gave way under Talinn's feet and she fell. As if sensing what was happening, Duncan whirled around and grabbed her arm. But because of her downward momentum, Talinn dragged him down with her.
« Talinn, no ! » Ringo cried as the two vanished in the fog below.
« Crap. » Jeb cursed. « What are we gonna tell the Chief when we get back ? »
« I don't know. » Ringo said silently.
« We got to keep moving. » John said and took the lead.

While they ware falling, Talinn muttered : « We're gonna die. »
« We're not gonna die. Not as long as I'm around. » Skywalker snapped back. « Give me your hand. »
Talinn reached out and managed to grab his fingers. Duncan reeled her in and she wrapped her arms and legs around him like Boa Constrictor.
« Hold on. » he warned and took his Daïkatana. Then, he rammed the blade half-way into the rock. While still going down, Skywalker held on tightly to his blade as it made a long scar across the rockface. To her relief, they slowed down and came to a complete stop about half-way down the canyon.
« Okay. Here we hang. » Talinn complained.
« Still alive. » Duncan added.
« Right. So, what do we do now ? »
He scanned the surroundings. They were surrounded by fog. He kept looking until his eyes fell on what seemed to be another trail just above their position.
« There seems to be a trial just above us. C'mon. Climb. »
She climbed over him and up towards the small path.
« Won't the sword break ? »
« Don't worry. It's a strong alloy. »
Duncan followed when Talinn reached the ledge. He pulled his sword free, put it away and climbed up. Talinn sat against the rockface, breathing heavily.
« You know. For a moment there, I thought we were goners. »
« But we're not. » Skywalker said as he climbed onto the ledge. He positioned himself beside her, also getting a frew minutes rest.
« I wonder what the others are doing. » she said wondering.
« Being worried sick, I guess. »
« I guess so too. »
« Come on. The trail goes up, so we have to meet up with them sometime. »
he said pointing to the trail that moved upward in the direction they were travelling before the two of them had fallen down.
« Okay. Let's go then. » she replied and got to her feet.
After walking for at least three hours, a thunderstorm came overhead. Driving rain sprayed down.
« Great. That's great timing. » Talinn complained, then turned to her companion. « Can you stop it ? »
« Yeah I can stop it. But I like to let nature have its way. I only interfere when there's no other way. » Skywalker replied.
She looked around and spotted shelter. « There's a cave. »
The two ran inside and made a fire. The, the two of them sat close to it. Talinn shivered. Skywalker took off his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. She gratefully took it but with only one question : « What about you ? »
« Don't worry about me. I'm used to almost anything. »
« Anything ? »
« Anything. » he confirmed. « When I was in the North Regions, a blizzard had covered everything. And besides, that's near the North Pole Circle. It gets quite cold up there. »
« So what places have you been to ? » she asked.
« I've been to the Northern, Western and Southern Regions. »
« What did ya do there ? »
« Helping, travelling, doing what every being does : growing, evolving, learning. And I learned a great deal. »
« Like what ? » Talinn curiously asked.
« Like getting used to the cold up there and vice versa in the South : getting used to the heat in the West scientific stuff, helping out the local Air Force. Learned to fly a jet fighter. My callsign was Scorcher', by the way. Wanna know why ? »
« Yeah. »
« Well, we were inspecting the engines of my jet while a general approached the jet from behind to surprise-inspect us. But we didn't know he was there, so we carried on and let the engines rip. The general's cap was gone, scorched away and his face was pitch-black. »
Talinn rolled across the ground while laughing out loud. « That's a good one. »
The fire was comfortably warm. Talinn went deeper into the cave and came back a few minutes later with two rabbits. While they were eating, a falcon landed nearby. The bird hopped nearer and stopped right beside Skywalker.
« Well well. What brings you here ? » he asked the little bird-of-prey. The bird looked up and squeaked once. He gave him a raw piece of meat. The bird gratefully snatched it from his fingers.
« Where did he come from ? » Talinn asked.
« I treated his wounded wing before I got to your village. »
« I see. Looks like he's staying. »
« So it seems. » Duncan replied. « What should we call him ? »
« Why don't we let the bird decide ? »
He turned to the falcon which shrieked once.
« Shirrah ? Hm, sounds nice. » he said.
« I like it. » Talinn said.
« Yeah, me too. He can scout ahead for Jeb and the others. »
« Good idea. An early warning method. »
« Yeah, like the AWACS-system in the West. »
« Awacs ? »
« Airborne Warning And Control System. It's a radar system mounted on the back of a big plane. Its mission is to warn their fellows in their jets of any enemies that are approaching, which are out of the fighters radar range. »
« Right. » Talinn replied. « Well, I'm getting some sleep. »
« You do that. I'll keep watch. »
As Talinn went to sleep and used his coat as a blanket, Skywalker looked up at the moon rising up from over the mountain ridge.


XII

Neron Mountain Range, Neron Continent
Ringo also looked at the moon while keeping watch. He was so worried. They had searched everywhere where Talinn and Skywalker had fallen down into the canyon. There was no trace of them, only a long scar across the rockface. The best he could do was wait and see what happened. Jeb had told him : « Don't worry. Talinn and Skywalker'll turn up. »
I hope she's allright he thought and looked over his shoulder at the sleeping forms of his comrades. The fire they had made was still burning, bringing warmth to the cave they were using as shelter. The thunderstorm had taken them by surprise as well. Now, the night sky cleared out to reveal the stars and two of the three natural satellites the planet had in its orbit.
He turned back to the opening of the cave, wondering about his fiancé. No marriage without a bride. Maybe I've been a bit too strict with her. Maybe if I hadn't been such a jerk, she might still be around.
Stop saying that
said a voice in the back of his head. You're overreacting. If she's alive, she'll turn up.
Ringo sighed.
Talinn, where are you ?

He was flung back to the dream state. Duncan expected to hear the bodiless voice again but he ran into the image of his wife. She wore a white dress that shimmered.
« What's going on ? Why have I been brought here again ? »
Relax, Duncan. I called you here for a reason.
« You ? Why ? » he asked the voice while eyeing the image of Charlene.
To warn you. Finding the Sun and Earth Dragon won't be easy. Many dangers lie ahead.
« I know. You warned me about it frequently in the past few days. »
Good.
« But now something else : why can I see my wife's image now ? After all these years ? »
That, I do not know. Even I don't know everything there is to know in life.
« But I want her back into my life. It's not complete without Charlie. »
I know. But it's complicated. The image of Charlene wavered for a moment. You can't bring back the dead.
« But if it were possible, I'd use the opportunity, believe me. By the way, do you know anything about the dragons ? »
Only this : unite sun and earth to find what you seek.
« That's not much indeed. »
With a last gaze at his wife's image, he returned to the real world.

« Duncan, wake up. » Talinn said.
« Huh ? Who ? What ? » he stammered while looking around. « Oh, its you. »
« Who did you expect ? The Emperor of Caluga Continent ? »
He wanted to say Yeah but he didn't. He got to his feet and put on his coat Talinn had used as a blanket.
« All set ? »
« Ready to go. » Talinn confirmed. Shirrah made his enthusiasm clear by hopping onto Skywalker's arm.
« Okay then. » he said and walked out of the cave into the bright light of dawn, searching for their friends.
« Did you sleep well ? » Skywalker asked with a sideways glance as they continued on their journey.
« Like a log. » she grinned. But then it faded as she saw something up ahead. Talinn ran ahead to inspect.
« Take a look at this. » she said as Duncan stopped beside her. « Looks like there was a fight here. »
Duncan meanwhile searched the surrounding area. « The question is : between who ? »
« That I don't know. »
« Maybe I do know. » Skywalker said as he pulled a leather object out of the bushes. A sling. Shirrah had found it. He showed it to Talinn.
« That's Jeb's. »
« You sure ? »
« Positive. Jeb uses that sling a lot. Especially when he's out on a hunt for food. »
« Then they have to be closeby. Shirrah, see if you can locate them. »
Talinn gave a description of their companions. After that, the bird flew off.
« Now we wait. » Duncan said. Talinn was worried. Worried about Ringo.
Duncan searched the area some more. The first six footprints were those of their companions. But there were other prints as well. Prints of mocassins.
Indians ? Here ? he wondered. Then he remembered a story he had heard from an old indian Shaman of the Cheyenne Tribe about a small part of the Tribe who went on a journey to new lands. My head goes off if that aren't those Cheyennes who set out on that journey. If Kalunak only knew. Kalunak was the one who had shared the story with him as a gratitude for bringing back the buffalo's who had fled when Western way of life gave them a hard time.
« Indians. » he said flatly.
« Indians ?? » Talinn asked and knelt beside him. « Are you sure ? »
« See these prints ? » he asked while pointing to those of their companions.
« Yeah. I see em. What about them ? »
« That are the footprints of our friends. There's Jeb's and Ringo's and there are those of the three others. »
« Hey yeah, I know Ringo's footprints and that are his footprints. But what about the other prints ? »
« These prints here are made by men wearing mocassins. There were about eight to ten men here, it's difficult to ascertain how many there really are. It's definite proof that there are Indians around. »
« Could they be watching us ? »
« There's a big possibility, but I think it's not very likely. The traces are recent. So I conclude that they'll have their hands full with our comrades. »
« I guess so. What's next ? »
Duncan wanted to reply but was cut off by the shriek of an approaching little falcon.
He stretched his arm and the bird landed. Shirrah gave off a few shrieks.
« What did he say ? » Talinn asked.
« He found them. » Duncan said while still staring in the falcon's eyes.
« Where are they ? »
« Closeby. »
« Come on. » she said and took the lead. The falcon flew up to guide them.

Cheyenne Tribe Camp, Neron Moutain Range, Neron Continent
Ringo swore as hard as he could. He and all the others were tied to wooden poles placed at regular intervals from each other. These poles faced the tribe's totem which rose up in the center of the camp.
« When are they gonna untie us. I'm getting mighty sick of this ! » Ringo yelled and yanked hard on the ropes that kept his wrists tied together behind the pole.
« I don't think they're gonna do that. » Jeb said. « I think we're the next ritual sacrifice, judging from all these preparations. »
All around them, the Cheyenne people went about their task to have a big feast tonight.
« Big deal. » Ringo snapped back. « When I get my hands free, I'll give them a feast they won't forget so easy. »
« Ringo, relax. All is not lost. Not yet, that is. » Jeb said.
« Whaddaya mean ? »
« Talinn and Skywalker. They're the ones who are still free. »
« In case you don't remember : they fell down a cliff. »
« I know. But it takes more than just a fall to put Talinn out of commission. » Jeb replied.
« For your sake, I hope you're right. »

A bit further, three pair of eyes observed the Cheyenne camp from behind the bushes.
« That's them all right. » Talinn observed.
« The Cheyennes seem to be preparing everything for a ritual sacrifice tonight. » Duncan said.
« Our friends ? »
« They're the sacrifice. »
« We have to stop them. »
« I know. I have a little plan brewing, give me another few minutes and then I'll have something. »
Talinn parted a few branches and observed the camp again. « I see Jeb. »
« Try to get his attention. »
Talinn waved at Jeb as inconspicuous as possible but he didn't see her.
« Rats, he doesn't see us. »
« We'll wait till the evening. Then we go in. »
« To do what ? »
Duncan eyed her with his cold light blue eyes. « To crash a party. »

Sigma Station
High above the planet surface, reflecting the sunlight, Sigma Station continued to revolve around the planet. In the command center, Jennai turned to his subordinates.
« Any updates ? »
« We've finished configuring the Delta Wave generators for optimum performance when the entire station is brought online. » Sarge, the head technician who also had been in charge of the city reactors, said.
« Three days to completion. » Jennai murmured.
« That is correct, sir. » Sarge replied.
« Keep assembling as fast as you can. I want to get this baby online as soon as possible. »
« Yessir. » Sarge said, saluted and headed out the door.
Jennai turned to his team of scientists. « What about the cannon ? »
« The designs for the Sigma Ray are complete. » one of them replied. « When the station is brought online, we'll be able to integrate the Sigma Ray designs into the existing cannon assembly. »
Jennai accessed the designs from his console screen embedded in the desk in front of him and grinned. The Sigma Project' was the biggest project they had ever produced and it was going to be one hell of a light show.

Cheyenne Tribe Camp, Neron Mountain Range, Neron Continent
The evening fell. All was set in the Cheyenne camp.
The Tribe Chief came out of his wigwam and walked to the prisoners. He stopped a good meter in front of the row and pointed straight at Ringo. The Shaman came at him with a ritual knife.
« This is it guys. See you on the other side. » one of the villagers said.
But then a voice cut through the evening air. « Hold it right there ! »
Everyone turned towards the source of the voice. A few meters further, Skywalker and Talinn stood near the entrance of the camp, defying the Cheyennes.
« Talinn ! You're alive ! » Ringo said with great relief.
« I told you. » Jeb remarked.
« Yeah yeah. So you did. »
« I'm fine, Ringo ! » Talinn yelled back.
The Shaman wasn't going to let two intruders interfere with the ceremony and threw the ritual knife towards them. Duncan stepped forward and grabbed the dagger by the blade just inches away from his chest. The indians eyed him with big round eyes. The Shaman's knife always hit its target. Or so they believed.
The Tribe Chief turned to his warriors and issued an order in the Cheyenne language : « Stop them. »
Talinn recoiled as the Cheyenne warroirs came at them.
This was bad. Real bad.
The odds would turn against them if something didn't happen real soon.