Tha-lah (4 page)

After she’d explained what had happened during the prison attack, Briq promised to get in touch with Groo’lat’s family.

“Did he tell you how he ended up in that pod?” he asked casually.

She sensed his tension. The attack on the prison had all the flags of an inside job. The system had been hacked by someone who knew or had access to security codes.

“No, but he mentioned something about a mission to rescue his commanding officer.” She’d left out the part where he’d ordered her to surrender her ship. He was hiding something, and she was determined to find out what it was.

“You don’t know why he didn’t try to contact us?”

“You’ll have to ask him that.” She shook her head. “I’ve barely spoken to him. He was in really bad shape when I found him. I used all my gly-urq to patch him up.”

“Thank you, Tha-lah. I’ll order someone to restock your supplies, including your gly-urq. Please come see me if you need anything else.”

He walked her to the door. Once again she was surprised by how generous he truly was.

After leaving Briq’s room two hours later, Tha-lah headed for the medical bay. Groo’lat was there after the boarding party had found him unconscious at command. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She was inside a Glaxian bio-ship. It was the most striking sight she’d seen in her life.

A medic named Ju’nii told her Groo’lat was on his way to a complete recovery. If not for her timely rescue, he would’ve succumbed to his wound. Ju’nii was very friendly and seemed to love to chat.

“Ju’nii, have you ever bathed in the restorative springs of Glaxia Prime?” she asked, hoping to glean more information regarding the mystical place.

“Yes, many times.”

It told her the ancient legend of the springs. The goddess had been at war with a powerful enemy who had wounded her. With nowhere to run, she’d hidden in a primordial planet, which was nothing but a molten rock. Her blood had mingled with the hot core, and from it Glaxia Prime was born.

“Is it true you can feel the precise moment when your soul is cleansed?” Trac’xian ancient codex claimed that when a righteous soul bathed in the blessed waters of Glaxia Prime’s spring it would be cleansed and made whole forever. Her divine spirit would be one with them from that day forth.

“It’s said that the goddess herself becomes the water, pouring her essence over you. What you seek might not be what you need, for only she knows what you’re missing.”

“I wish to purify my body in the spring before I dedicate my life to her.” Tha-lah nervously clutched her robe’s pocket. The stone was inside the box. She was afraid to spoil it with her touch.

“You’ve always been her vessel, child, like me. Just because you’re not inside a temple doesn’t mean your work is of less value,” a female voice rasped from the far corner of the bay.

Tha-lah turned around, astonished by the sight before her. There was no mistake. She was smaller and more colorful, but she was a Kreeh-nosh, nevertheless. For centuries, rumors of the elusive creatures had made their way around the twin galaxies. To this day, no one had ever seen a breeder up close.

“Child, much is asked of us, much we’ve given in her name.”

The poor female sounded so weary. Was she dying? “You’re Kreeh-nosh yet you serve the goddess. I feel her energy flowing through you. How is that possible?”

“I could say the same about you, but we know we’re more than our circumstances. No one can change what we were meant to be.”

“My apologies, lady, I truly regret my callous comment. My name is Tha-lah.”

She bent at her waist, her hands placed on top each other with her fingers curled as if holding something. It was customary to welcome another while cradling the stone with both hands. Hers were empty, but Tha-lah hoped the meaning of her gesture was well received.

“I’m called Ha’rrra. No apologies necessary. We aren’t that different you and I. The goddess has a purpose for us. She brought us together.”

The air rushed out of Tha-lah’s lungs. She hadn’t even noticed she’d been holding her breath.

“I don’t understand. Why?”

Ha’rrra looked frail and gaunt even to someone like Tha-lah, who’d never seen her kind before.

“Hold your stone with your left hand,” the Kreeh-nosh urged.

“I can’t, not until my soul is cleansed.”

She shook her head, stepping away. Dire consequences befell those who handled it without purification. A proper level of enlightenment was required before such a thing could be attempted. Some never reached it and couldn’t serve the goddess in full capacity.

Tha-lah recalled the story of the uninitiated who’d failed to reach the necessary spiritual level. He’d become bitter and obsessed. One day, he stole into the sacred hall were the dormant tri’luses were kept and took one.

Both stone and priest bonded in a dark unholy union, which brought death and pestilence to the land. Instead of curative his touch became virulent, bringing sickness and death to many. He lived his life as an outcast, hidden in a cave with only his madness for company. Tha-lah wanted to be a source of good and healing. She’d rather remain a surrogate for the rest of her life than cause all that pain.

“You don’t need to go that far to cleanse your body,” Ju’nii said.

It revealed that every ship a Glaxian traveled in had a room with water, air and soil from their planet. The practice went back to the days of the Great Uprooting when they became free from the ground. Glaxians kept part of their planet with them so they could thrive and proliferate.

Tha-lah felt truly reborn after drinking the spring water. A simple glass of the liquid was all she needed to wash off the impurities. A warm tingling sensation spread through her.
Take me into your body and soul, forever joined as one. Our paths shall be the same, our resolve strong. Blessed is the one who surrenders their will completely for they shall be free.

“Ju’nii, I’m in your debt. May the goddess bless you always.” She was at a loss for words by its big heart, even if it was its nature. A Glaxian never turned its back on those in need.

“Now are you ready to claim the stone?” the breeder asked, stepping forward.

“Yes.”

Tha-lah’s voice shook as she became overcome with emotion. She’d never thought this day would come. Ha’rrra extended her clawed hand. Tha-lah hesitated before placing her smaller one within. She didn’t want to offend the other female, but what could holding hands accomplish?

“There’s something I wish to share with you. It will help you form a bond, even if this stone isn’t destined for you.” Vibrations. Her entire body pulsated with energy when their hands touched. Somehow, the Kreeh-nosh showed her how to tune her energy to Fih’rra’s tri’lu. “When the moment arrives, are you ready to submit yourself completely?”

“Submit?” she asked, scared by the implications. She’d been doing that for years, providing for others. Tha-lah thought she was finally free to follow her dreams.

“There can’t be doubts in your heart. Once you take this path, there’s no turning back. Your life force will be linked forever to it.”

“Yes, I am.”

A moment of sharp clarity descended on Tha-lah. As a surrogate, she’d had no other option but do what others dictated. Now it was her choice to surrender her will. The path to awareness was the conscious sacrifice of oneself for others.

“Remember, child, the stubborn tries to alter the path. Wise is the one who finds their way through it. May the goddess shadow your journey.”

“In her wisdom we all thrive.”

A soft glow illuminated the breeder’s hand, spreading onto hers. Tha-lah recognized it as the energy that bound all living things to the mother creator.

“Share the path of the warrior so he may find his way back to the goddess.”

Ju’nii reassured her Groo’lat was out of danger but still weak. She sat beside him for a while before returning to the
Divine Light
.

Back in her shuttle, Tha-lah went room by room, reciting an ancient prayer, infusing every corner with her spiritual energy. Still, in the back of her mind was a warrior with a troubled soul.
To realize your destiny you must save him.
The softly spoken words came from all around her, like a whispered chant.
Save him, save him…
Over and over again they echoed until she fell into a deep trance. After she came to, her purpose was clear. She called Briq and Ha’rrra, secretly describing her vision. The commander didn’t hesitate to offer his help.

“I’ll assist you, but first I must speak with him. There’s much he needs to explain.”

Until recently, Briq had been considered a smuggler and the Protectorate’s enemy. Nobody in the galaxies was more qualified to help her warrior than him.

Chapter Seven

Day of Reckoning

“Wake him.”

An unfamiliar deep voice filtered through Groo’lat’s foggy mind. Had the Jog’nafan captured him?

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. If we do, his recovery might take longer.”

Groo’lat was no longer asleep. His body was immersed in thick restorative gel, but he was now wide awake. The bio-pod alarm screeched, ending their argument.

“Well, it looks as if we won’t have to debate the issue much longer. Get him out,” the stranger’s voice rasped while the pod drained its contents.

After his vision cleared, he immediately recognized the
Toq-ma’lal’s
med bay. He’d been there a few times due to extreme combat sessions. How had he ended up on the flagship? Groo’lat jumped out of the tank, his elite warrior senses on full alert.
Where was the Trac’xian female? Had she betrayed him?
He glanced around, searching for her.

“Stand down, warrior. You’re safe now.”

Training took over as he assumed a formal military stance. The voice was unfamiliar, but he was still a Pendo’rahn warrior.

“Tha-lah? Where is she?” Fear for the priestess made him reckless by demanding to see her. After all, she’d saved him from certain death. Groo’lat couldn’t blame her for contacting the Protectorate behind his back. She didn’t know anything about him or what he’d done.

“We offered quarters on board, but she declined and returned to her shuttle,” a Glaxian medic answered.

His mind raced, trying to think of a way out of the ship without raising suspicions. Tha-lah was his only option, he thought as he remembered her face.

“Can I see her?” he asked casually as if he didn’t care one way or the other.

“As soon as I get some answers,” the male replied calmly. “Tell me, Groo’lat, what were you doing at the prison when the Jog’nafan attacked?”

All he could think of was a mind-altering drug. This wasn’t real. Somehow the Kreeh-nosh had captured him.

He couldn’t believe his eyes after the stranger came to stand right in front of him. Pendo’rahns were considered the tallest race in the twin galaxies. Yet this male towered over him by almost six inches.

“I was visiting a friend stationed there,” he replied vaguely, avoiding giving out too many details. Kreeh-noshians had many sympathizers, and this male could very well be one.

“Is that so? I looked at your schedule. You were supposed to be at T’ae during purification.”

He had to take a couple steps back to stare at the stranger. After he did, he found the male wasn’t what he’d expected.

The officer’s skin was covered with a smooth scaly texture. His eyes were yellow with slanted pupils, but his face and hair were unmistakably Pendo’rahn. He wore a slightly altered version of a Protectorate bio-suit because, of all things, he had a long tail. There was no doubt he was a crew member. The suit had a
Toq-ma’lal
officer’s insignia.

“I’ll ask you again. This time I expect the truth. Are we clear?” He nodded. “Why were you at the station?”

His casual stance didn’t fool him for a second. Groo’lat had a gut feeling he wasn’t the kind to be trifled with, even when making polite conversation.

He squared his shoulder and met the officer’s gaze. “I was at the prison against orders, defying my own family and traditions.” It was hard to believe just a couple days had passed. In that short amount of time, he’d almost died when the very female he’d given everything up for had tried to kill him.

He didn’t offer any excuses. There was no justification for his crime. An elite warrior was honor bound to follow a strict code. He’d broken every rule when he’d agreed to help Gaal’ya. Today was his day of reckoning, and he was prepared for it. His behavior had been dishonorable.

“Activate your bio-suit and follow me.” The commander turned, expecting him to follow. Groo’lat caught up with him inside the lift.

“Commander, I must insist he stay here for at least another day.” The Glaxian followed them, still running scans over Groo’lat. They always did that, perform scan after scan of their patients.

“Don’t worry, Ju’nii. I’ll bring him back in one piece.”

A chill ran up and down Groo’lat’s spine. Not because of the comment, but because of the glint in the male’s eyes.

The lift stopped on the fourteenth deck. The lower decks housed cargo, ammo and extra emergency supplies. What were they doing there?

“I guess you’re wondering why we’re in this place?” the commander asked, waving his arms around the room. “I come here to think and do some real combat practice without the risk of killing another.”

Someone else making that claim would have come across as pure posturing, but not him. Most unsettling was the fact it was the truth. A large portion of the cargo area was set up like any combat practice room.

“If I’m to die, then it’ll be with honor, and for that I thank you. Tha-lah is innocent of any wrongdoing. She just found my pod.”

“You think I brought you here to kill you?” the officer asked, shaking his head. “If I wanted you dead, you’d already be.” He extended his arms and two sharp spikes burst out like swords.

“If not to die, then why are we here?” he asked, looking around the improvised room.

“Geez, chico, you need to relax.”

The commander’s strange words filtered through Groo’lat’s translator, but he was still puzzled by them. Nobody in the entire armada, except those on the
Toq’ma’lal
talked like that.