Author's Note: Hey, if anyone wants to read more of this story, tell me! Otherwise, I have very little incentive to keep posting... (Lazy Eraasay!) Hey! I'm not lazy! I have other things to do, more important than sitting in front of the computer screen for hours on end! (Eraa, you know that's only because your sister doesn't and you can rarely get a long turn.) Ha! See, Bob, I told you so! (Huh?) I am not lazy! It's all sissy's fault I never update anything besides my E-mail! (P! You just distort everything I say to fit your argument! So conniving...) Mwahahaha! (sigh ... On with the story...)

Chapter Four

Keertana felt like there was an entire Kwalleeye Dreadnought on top of her. She fought for consciousness. As she blinked, the pressure and dark emptiness fled from her body, soon replaced by a throbbing pain.

She groaned and blinked, 'What happened?...Flying along...Ka-boom...oh, yeah...planet...crashed...ow.'

Her next thought came through clearer, the memory of a Commander telling her, back in Battle School, ' "Crash-landings: Most warships explode on impact. Those that don't, usually explode soon after impact." '

Keertana lurched into action, tugging a6t the crash webbing and flight harness to free herself and half-slurred, "...no...esplode...mus'...stabilize..."

She checked each system, ran diagnostics, pressurized, set off fire-suppressant foam, and powered-down everything. That should keep it, until she could start repairs with the limited spare parts aboard the Star Cruiser.

Sighing, she leaned back to rest for a moment before climbing outside; the landing ramp was jammed. Though her armor had protected the young warrior from any serious injury, Keertana had not escaped unscathed. Her sides ached with a few ribs probably bruised or broken and her right leg hurt from several lacerations or burns, she couldn't tell. She started to unbraid one of the many small braids she kept her long silver hair in and thought tiredly to herself, 'I can't believe I was so naive as to stop at port there...will bring a first-aid kit...see the damage from outside...' before drifting off to sleep.

Later, as the sun fell towards the western horizon, Keertana stood out in the swaying prairie grasses. She half-yawned inside her helmet. She hadn't meant to sleep so long, but had to admit that she felt much better for it.

She crossed her arms and looked at the downed Star Cruiser. It was in the shape of a viscous deep-sea monster from her homeworld. It was a truly fearsome sight to behold, even partially buried, crushed, or bent. Dirt and grass that had been ripped up on the impact covered most of it, obscuring the Star Cruiser's traditional war paint. She sighed. Repairs would take a long time, by herself. But she would at least be able to make it space-worthy enough to limp back to a safe port.

The molten bronze sun dawned on the stranded Kwalleeye warrior. Keertana raised her gold spy glass to her eye and panned slowly across the landscape. As far as she could see, tall prairie grasses covered low rolling hills. The grasses were gold to green to brown all growing wild together. To the north there was a patch that looked greener. She thought she saw a flash of light that might have been the sun reflecting off water.

Hopefully it would be fresh water. With her ship in such bad shape, it would not be long before she ran out of drinking, cooking, and bathing water, not to mention the coolant systems.

Keertana sang an old patriot's song to herself as she did her morning stretches then secured her sword and canteen to her belt. A large bag for some of the water she hoped to find was slung over her shoulder. The going was harder than it should have been. Keertana limped, favoring her injured right leg, but still tried to make good time. That odd rock monument/circle/formation was coming up on her left; she was about half-way to the green patch. Suddenly, from behind her, there was a low growling sound. Keertana whirled around and, at a heavy crashing sound coming towards her through the grass, unsheathed her sword in almost and instant.

A huge wild animal sprung though the grasses at her. It was a powerfully muscled feline with sharp, glinting teeth and claws and its coat was striped orange and black; perfect camouflage on the plains. Keertana took all this in as she brought her sword up in a defensive block. The animal's face collided with the blade but the force of its attack knocked her down. She struggle, fighting its weight.

The pinned warrior managed to draw a large fighting dagger from its holster at her thigh, and stabbed it into the animal's belly. It whimpered and she heaved it to the side. Standing up, she kicked its head, further stilling it, and was about to take her sword to its neck when roaring was heard in the distance to the south, unfortunately in the same direction as her ship. She couldn't tell how many it was, but it sure sounded like a lot of them. Keertana decided to leave the one downed orange and black mammal and make a run for it.

P.S. Next chapter has our favorite Stargate characters again!