Sunlord (15 page)

Shaun shut his eyes once more.

"Fine. Just let me rest, and when I awake I will show
you how to look after yourself. After all, it looks like you'll
need all the help you can get."

"One final thing," put in Ashian. "What is your
name?"

The human grinned. "Shaun Lowry, pleased to make your
acquaintance. And you are...?"

* * *

The glowing embers of the sunset illuminated the
forest, casting eerie shadows upon a red-coloured landscape. Ashian
sat upon a half rotten log, staring dreamily up into the cloud
filled sky.

Occasionally amid the natural splendour meteor-like
traces of Sunlord scoutships appeared as they entered the
atmosphere. They were distant and seemingly insignificant, and
Ashian found himself regarding the erratic streaks as isolated from
his own private world in the forest.

His deep blue eyes glimmered in thought as the
philosopher pondered his new surroundings. He thought of his
colleges in the city, and of the libraries he used to visit
reverently. Ashian thought of Abas, the Creator of the world of the
Currach and the Eloprin, and why He had chosen him to undergo such
trials.

A silent prayer was muttered as he sat in the
glorious sunset, the gnarled twisted log beneath him like a fallen,
many armed giant grasping for support. The only other sound was the
distant trickle of

water and the hum of crickets.

"Great Abas," he began, "guide my footsteps. I have
witnessed more death in one day than generations of Currach have
ever seen. I pray that my journey will rid Your world of death and
no harm shall befall the innocent. Lea-"

His reverie was shattered as bitter shouting emerged
from the trees immediately behind him, where their makeshift camp
was situated.

"Myshia, come quickly! It's gone!"

Ashian knew what had happened even before Capac had
finished.

The creature from the stars had escaped them!

His mind was a tumult of thoughts, of questions,
rising urgently and demanding an answer. But he pushed them back as
he leapt from the log, his legs momentarily weak with the sudden
change from mediation into activity. He paused for a split second,
casting one last longing look at the sunset and its tranquilly. His
shook his head as if to clear it, and made off at a sprint towards
the camp.

Brambles tore at him like flailing arms, and he
narrowly avoided a fall by madly pinwheeling his arms. He burst
through and into the clearing where the grass bed had been made for
the star creature.

He met with Capac's red face.

"Your thing has escaped!" he accused. "You wanted to
keep it, and it will be our downfall."

"What? How? I..." Ashian took a moment to recover.
"Tell me what happened."

Huso had joined Capac now, and Myshia could be seen
examining the now

empty bed.

"It was sleeping." Capac's voice was harsh and
unforgiving. "When I came back it was gone! And you said it needed
our help!"

"But it was weak. Surely it hasn't gone far?"

Huso spoke. "I have looked for a trail. The thing has
left none."

"It was our ally." Ashian's statement was a futile
attempt at confidence, but his shaking voice betrayed his
nervousness.

"Your damned Currach curiosity will be the end of us
all!" Capac was shouting now. All frustrations came to the fore;
the desperation of finding his village massacred and the futility
he had felt, the bitter irony of hunting the Sunlord that had
outwitted him and killed behind his back. And now Ashian, the quiet
Currach, became the scapegoat. Capac suddenly found a release
valve, and everything came flooding out.

"I knew that we shouldn't have trusted one of...of,
you. You come in your bright rags and fancy speech, and you've got
the gall to lead us into this."

"I thought we could trust the creature," said Ashian,
brave despite the abuse, his stare direct in return.

Capac opened his mouth to draw great breath but froze
on the verge of speech.

"I found something."

The quiet muttering from Myshia silenced all. Capac
closed his mouth and relaxed visibly. He cast a sidelong gaze at
Ashian before darting off to where Myshia sat analysing the
earth.

"See the scuff marks," she said as Capac peered over
her shoulder. "He made off in this direction."

"He must move like a cat," grumbled Capac. "Follow my
lead. We will track down and kill the creature."

Ashian was unable to halt the proceedings and he
found himself caught up in the flow. Before he knew what had
happened he was struggling to keep up with the two Eloprin as they
made off into the

forest.

Myshia aided Capac in picking up the trail. "I did
not realise something its size could make so little

prints," she observed.

Capac had bounded ahead, then stopped within a few
feet to check their progress. "It has passed through here. I am
sure of it."

They cleared the cover of a cluster of towering
trees, and then suddenly their elusive pray fell into sight. They
were not twenty metres from the campsite, and here the creature was
kneeling intently

and working upon something he held in the palm of his
hand.

He heard them approach and looked up, command in his
eyes. "Ah, there you are. Quickly now, we must move."

Capac was dumbfound, unsure of where he stood. "What
are you doing? Curse you if you are you betraying our position to
the enemy."

Shaun shrugged away the question. "There is little
time for that now. I have picked up a frequency, and they are
closing fast!"

Myshia was taken aback. "How did you walk?"

Shaun stopped, as if just realising an explanation
was warranted. "When I awoke I found some supplementary injections
in the suit I wore. The Sunlord's first aid worked for me, and
although making me a little woozy they have sped up the healing
process. I was just fixing this beacon so that I can find out where
I am." Shaun held out a tiny glinting piece of metal, not unlike a
watch face. In the depths of the forest the red sunlight was
feeble, but the metal shone like nothing Ashian had ever seen
before. "This device links up to the Sunlord mothership and can
give me a location. And don't worry," continued Shaun as he saw
Ashian about to object, "it won't give away our position."

Capac lowered his rifle slightly. "You left
surprisingly little marks behind you. We thought you had
escaped."

"My training," explained Shaun absently, "was intense
and covered many areas, including stealth. But enough chatter."
Shaun stood stiffly and motioned back to the campsite, his walk
slow and tender. "I picked up readings and snatches of
communication on the beacon. I am certain an A-squad team is on our
tail; I'd say they've been following you quite a time."

Capac stopped suddenly, cursing. "Of course! I
presumed that we had shaken off all those Sunlords at the village -
by now they could be right on top of us!"

"You got it."

"How many?" asked Myshia.

Shaun shrugged. "No idea."

Ashian's narrow brows furrowed over his large emerald
eyes. He faced the strange alien squarely.

"Can we trust you?"

Shaun's tone was gruff. "No time for family histories
now. I'm out of here with or without you. As a member of the
Federation it is my duty to assist natives of war caught worlds,
but not before my own safety. I will gladly help you in as many
ways as I can, so my offer stands. Follow me if you will."

Capac and Ashian conferred silently. Capac nodded.
"Then lead."

Ashian followed behind as Shaun set the pace through
the jungle. Capac followed close by, pointing out to the strange
alien the best routes to take.

"What lies ahead?" asked Shaun, indicating to the
towering mountain range before them. The sun had long since
disappeared below the forest horizon, leaving the forest shrouded
in evening shadow and a chill wind blowing thunderclouds
overhead.

Capac paused to consider. "Those peaks are
treacherous terrain - the slopes are rocky and I wouldn't like to
loose my footing and slide back into the hands of the
Sunlords."

Shaun cast his gaze about. "Jungle lies all around.
There is no choice but to go up these peaks, and hopefully set some
traps in our wake."

"I can manage that. My forest craft is unrivalled in
my tribe."

Shaun shrugged. "Do what you like, little man, just
don't get caught up beneath my feet. I think I should be able to
throw off our pursuers over the rocky ground. Come on, enough
rest."

The three natives watched as Shaun plunged back into
the jungle, heading directly for the mountains that lay in the
distance before them.

"Do you trust his guidance?" whispered Myshia.

Capac scowled. "He treats me like a child still
ignorant of hunting ways."

"Perhaps we are," put in Ashian. He explained. "To
fight the Sunlords we must take a new approach. We are still
newcomers to the world of the Sunlords, yet it seems Shaun is an
old hand."

"He is clever," conceded Capac.

"Clever? He is brilliant." Ashian watched the
humanoid figure moving between the trees a short way off. "With his
help we stand a fighting chance of winning this war."

"Yes, but for how long will he continue helping us?"
Myshia was still doubtful. "How do we trust someone who will run
off at the first opportunity? He said himself that this was a
doomed planet, and I cannot envisage him staying around for
long."

The wry Eloprin hunter shrugged. "Do we have a
choice?" He glanced at the forest before them.

"We'd better hurry if we're going to keep up with our
alien companion. He is moving as if the fires of hell are at his
feet."

* * *

Shaun shivered and drew the helicasuit tighter about
his form. The temperature on this planet was approaching zero, and
already a light mist of drizzle hung in the air. Unlike the Eloprin
and Currach, Shaun was not acclimatised to the frost-bitten
surrounds, and it chilled him to the bone. He recalled reading a
brief report on the planet stating that during winter storms the
temperature had been known to drop to forty degrees below. The
natives were shielded from the harsh environment by their thick,
leathery skin and natural immunity to cold.

Shaun wore his prison helicasuit beneath the large
vacuum suit he had stolen just before entering the pod. The
latter's bright red material was scorched and ripped in many
places, and its cut not fitting his form, but at least it kept a
little precious heat. A small insignia of a crouched leopard-like
beast was embodied to the chest of the vacuum helicasuit, the
emblem of humanity's greatest enemy- the Hartrias. The black
markings on the inner grey helicasuit proclaimed him to be a
prisoner of the Royal Hartrias Fleet in bold, harsh lettering. The
Hartrias, or Sunlords as the natives had dubbed them, were a
powerful enemy. They were a warlike race, as old as the stars
themselves, and their space superiority was challenged only by the
High Command Federation of Mankind. For many long years the battle
for control over space had been waged, with major loses being
suffered on both sides.

As Shaun trudged up the side of the steep incline his
thoughts wandered over his past.

He had been a member of the Red Eagles, a fighter
pilot of a small three man craft. After training on the Earth
established space base of Callorium he had graduated quickly
through the ranks.

It was his first real encounter with the Hartrias
when he was hit and captured. The details were blurred with the
passing of time, but Shaun could never completely forget the pain
and utter fear he felt when the Hartrias scavenger party raided his
crippled craft. He had been taken back to the Urisa, an old
battered but none-the-less deadly starcruiser. He had been kept
aboard as a prisoner for analysis and study, for the Hartrias
scientists were eager to learn all possible weakness of their foe.
He had been scheduled for execution after his genes were copied,
and labs would mix and match them in their attempt to make the
perfect being. They hoped in pooling the resources of all known
races the ultimate warrior could be created.

Shaun shook his head to clear it of the memories. He
wished to forget all about his terrible two year imprisonment and
get back to the Federation as soon as possible.

He stopped as he reached a rocky outcropping, and
hunkered down into a crouch. His nimble hands worked at the clasp
to his belt and the beacon was in his hands, a faint green light
emanating from the screen.

The bands of the radio were silent and Shaun not see
where the A-squad troops lay. He was sure that they still followed
for their type was not easily lost.

The three natives clambered up the slope to meet him,
their slim browned forms moving easily over the rocky terrain.
Shaun could see no sex distinction between them, for all three were
of the same alien build. Their faces were peculiar in their
striking resemblance to his own, although the nose was somewhat
smaller and the eyes of the natives were large like glowing gems
embedded into deep sockets. They called encouragement to each other
in their high fluting voices as they climbed, and the former Red
Eagle couldn't help but grin. They looked so determined, two with
laser rifles slung over their shoulders and camouflage sap painted
over their pale milky skin.

Shaun had never heard or read of their kind, for this
planet was an insignificant pinprick on the inter-galactic map. He
knew nothing of their psyche but, after looking at them for a few
minutes, came to the firm conclusion they would do him no harm. In
fact, he reflected, they had saved his life. He had been stumbling
through the bitterly cold jungles for what seemed like days without
food or water. He had dug feebly for some roots but met with no
success. Even the Hartrias medical kit was useless to him as,
although stocking medicines, provided no nutrition or life giving
water.