Another update here for you, and I'm still on vacation! Ahhhh the beach is so lovely for inspiration for this particular subject says I! I have a few more days here, so I hope to glean some more muse from it in the meantime.
I shall now beg your indulgence on the matter, for this has now begun to venture into the "AU" territory, and will have a few things that go against the 'official' storyline and go along with some of my own original ideas. Thank your for your compliance.
Thanks to my reviewer :)
Chapter 5 - Awaken Fate
By the time the settlement was free of the barbaric adversaries, it was clear that there would be significant sustaining damage. Homes were obliterated, families broken and the overall atmosphere was depressingly dismal. Repairs would take a lifetime with the lack of wealth on Kalee. Perhaps all would be made even the slightest bit better when the generals were able to aid their people. Until then, however, things were not going to be well for the people of the large village at all, that much was for certain.
As many times as he endeavored to look for the bright side of the situation, such was unattainable for Qymaen, who prepared himself for a journey offworld that would mark the first of his short life. What seemed insane to some, a prosperous young man who had everything to lose and nothing to gain leaving the safety - or current lack thereof - of his home to go rescue afriend of his father's extensive family, made all the sense in the world to him. With his success - he was keeping his optimism high - would come the much needed assistance of the military commanders, and thus the war plans that they undoubtedly had could go on as planned.
He had been briefed on the rumored whereabouts of the captives. Spies, rare though they were, had informed the high powers that General T'lit'co's family was being held in an unpretentious prison, out of the way and hidden deep within the jungles of the rain forest world of Abbaji, that which the system got its name from. Many routes had been discussed on how Qymaen was to arrive at the supposed destination, and equally as many had been dropped due to their mere implausibility. It was to be a difficult mission, this he had been reminded of time and time again, and when the decision had finally been made on the best way to go about it, he found himself deeply uneasy.
A large ship capable of holding all the captured beings and five highly trained soldiers, guards of Arad Karivasi, had all been provided, as well as the weapons that came with the men. One more man, separate from the other five, an expert pilot, would be in charge of getting all of them there safely. Qymaen was assured that he was one of the best lower-ranking ones out there. This made him feel a bit better.
The four generals stood out near the landing platform to bid him farewell when the time came. It was a misty day, no sun, and no wind whatsoever. The world around seemed...haunting. They all gave him their best, and just before he was about to board the ship, Rahkah approached and firmly grasped his hand.
"You're gonna do great, kid. You're gonna free them, and when you come back with T'lit'co's family, I'm personally gonna make you great. Count on it."
On any other day, Qymaen would have naturally declined the offer, but in that moment, he could say nothing in return, simply producing a stiff nod of the head.
Then he was off for places unknown.
...
The flight there would have been fascinating to one who had never seen the stars or his own homeworld from so far out in the sea of blackness that was space, but the young man's mind was not on frivolities, nor would he let it stray there. He kept his thoughts on the task ahead, ambitious to the very end. The men around him were tranquil, clearly used to visiting enemy worlds on a daily basis, and occupied themselves with trivial things such as watching the stars and studying their weapons intently. Qymaen was relieved when they touched down onto the surface of the planet without difficulty, the technology of the native Yam'rii null and void when it came to identification - he had heard of such practices out in other foreign systems.
The ship itself, thanks the gods, had scanners, detecting life forms below before the landing was commenced, and they have proved negative, for the time being at least. One could never be sure with the opposing race, whether they would arrive in swarms or stay within their protected territories. Preparation was key.
Six of the ships occupants made their way out cautiously, testing the ground before them tentatively with each step, listening intently with finely tuned ears. The pilot stayed behind with the ship, in charge of taking off if the enemy found out about them. It was all taken care of, and those on the planet would be rescued shortly if that was to occur. At last, one of the soldiers moved toward Qymaen, reverent it seemed.
"Sir," he said, and Qymaen found that he rather liked being addressed formally, "there seems to be no hostiles in this area, shall we continue on as planned?"
"Yes." The reply was immediate. "Lead me to the prison, if you will."
He considered the fact that he was being too unsure about his temporary position, but if he was telling the soldiers what to do, he supposed he was doing satisfactorily enough for the time being. He promised himself from then on out he would try his hardest to be a good leader, making an admirable effort to hide his fear. If he wanted to make a difference, he would have to put in the work to do so.
The jungle they walked through, slowly to avoid any traps, was much like Kalee, but the otherworldly feel it had was unmistakable, the foliage around them quite different and the light less visible. It was the perfect place for the insects to live, but not nearly bright enough for the Kaleesh people.
"We should be nearing the specified location now, sir. Might I remind you that we have one of the enemies on the inside, through which we were able to gain insight about the General's family from. I encourage you to not be alarmed when we come upon it."
"Yes, I was told that, carry on then."
The alleged "prison" was no more than a small, crude looking structure in the middle of the jungle, not in the least what such a place should have looked like. It was only after a few moments of wondering about this that it was brought to his attention that the actual place where the occupants were held was underground, hidden from the eyes of those who walked above.
The spy, a scrawny Yam'rii who was skittish at the sight of the approaching rescue party, quickly told them in broken Kaleesh that it would take them down under the building to find who they searched for, but time was of the essence. The usual guards had been 'delayed' in arriving at their posts, the work of another couple of traitors, who were few and far between, but could still be found.
Inside the small building it was dark, and humid, the scent of the rotting wood at the upper level like an unwelcome guest. But that was nothing compared to what awaited once the underground chamber was unlocked. There was an undeniable feeling about the place that proved to be one of the most unpleasant things that Qymaen had ever experienced. Death surrounded the cell-filled hallways, lit only by an occasional torch that created ominous shadows in every direction. He wanted nothing more than to leave, but nonetheless followed the enemy turncoat, determined to return victorious.
Then, as if by magic, there they all were. Every single one of them, stretched out across an expanse of cells, the utmost farthest away from the old stairwell leading to the surface. There were children that were separated from their mother, once sobbing in corners and trying in vain to sleep, some now up and alert, hopeful, others apparently dead. It affected Qymaen even more than seeing the starving children at the village he had saved, for these people were abused, bleeding and neglected; his heart went out to them.
The soldiers with him looked at him to speak to the captives, or give orders.
"I am Qymaen jai Sheelal, son of the deceased Zalajjh jai Sheelal, and I am here on behalf of your husband and father, as well as the rest of the commanders, to liberate you." He did not delay, and said to the men, "Set them free."
As the doors were forcefully unlocked, and the mothers ushered their children to them, he went on to say loudly above the noise, "I want each soldier to take a group of them and leave for the ship! You all must hurry we do not have much time!" He grabbed the closest soldier to him and stated, "You are staying with me for now. We will make sure that no one is left behind."
When the last of the freed were gone with their assigned guide, Qymaen and the remaining guard of T'lit'co walked slowly down the hall, looking carefully in every holding cell. Every body was gone, even the dead young ones. As he arrived silently at the end, he saw that one cell had been overlooked, having only one occupant, a Kaleesh, who by the looks of it, was dangerous.
It was a female, a fact which was accentuated by the significantly little amount of clothing that her captors had left to her. She had chains on both wrists, keeping her arms ever elevated due to their attachment to the walls on either side. There were also chains on her ankles, leading down into the floor. Even if she was as violent as her confinement made it appear, she was going nowhere. Qymaen took an instant to let his eyes flick shamelessly over her person, taking in the wild mass of hair on her head that could easily compete with Rahkah, the scars all over her body, and the clearly superior shape such was in.
"Open this door." He commanded the man with him, all the time wondering: How could they have missed her?
The lock was broken with one well-timed hit of the sword the soldier carried, and Qymaen walked inside.
The woman did not move, seeming to not even possess the strength to lift her head. He kept his distance, but still made himself close enough to allow his voice to be heard just above a whisper. "Are you one of T'lit'co's?" asked Qymaen, temperate.
No answer.
He gave it another go. "Wife? Family? Concubine?"
That was when she lashed out at him, eyes burning with a fire so wild that it was as if all hell resided behind them. Try as she might, she could not get to him, held back by the shackles, but hissed out animalistically, "I have no family. I belong to no one...especially the likes of your kind!"
"Kind? But you are of our race...you are like us."
The man outside the cell spoke hastily, "We have no time for this, sir. We must go now!"
She laughed a harsh, grating laugh, ignoring the previous comment. "I am far from it, you who had never stepped foot off the mainland..."
Qymaen understood then. She was of the people from the islands out over the great sea, a people who tore themselves away from societies laws and customs, their own form of religion vastly differing from the said "mainland" folk.
Nodding at her still scowling face, he told the man behind him without turning. "Free her too. If she is one of them she will find her own way home."
T'lit'co's trained guard cut the chains and she took one purposeful step forward, rolling her neck. Her predatory gaze swept over them, landing secondly on Qymaen. Their eyes locked for the briefest of seconds, a deadly smirk playing across her mouth.
"This means I must repay you someday - you saved me from a slow and painful death." She eyed the soldier, not taking her stare off his face as she reached out and leisurely took his flask of water. "You have my thanks...both of you."
And then she was gone like a ghost, vanishing around the nearest corner in the blink of an eye.
They did not see her again on their way out, as was expected.
Geeeeez...that was longer than I anticipated. Oh well! Review please! I have many ideas for this (evil laugh) and will try and get more out to you soon!
Apologies to my one reviewer for the lack of violence in this chapter haha. It will be around soon enough though, don't you worry none!