Zein: The Homecoming (23 page)

Dominion straightened up and then realised he was facing Kabel, the person who Tyson had said to trust. Tate astutely recognised the commander of the Pod forces and informed Kabel.

Tyson fell forward in the cave, his energy spent. Amelia poured some water from her flask and soaked a cloth taken from her bag to wipe his face.

In the Aeria Cavern, Dominion, his breast heaving and his fur matted with blood, held up his arm with red stained talons gleaming in the artificial light and with one last look
at Tate and Kabel, motioned for his soldiers to retreat. The brethren retreated slowly at first and then when they realised no attack was going to come, they quickened their retreat. Soon an eerie calm descended on the battlefront.

Back in the cave, the injured Zebulon raised his body from the floor and stood up and then painfully approached the exhausted Tyson, who had climbed to his feet with the help of Amelia. Jaida and Taio were speechless at the turn of events.

‘You are very brave, human,’ said the deep bass voice of Zebulon. ‘My people owe their lives to you, as do all others of Zein. For that I swear today, that I and all my people will serve you.’ Then Zebulon surprised everyone by dropping to one knee and bowing his head to Tyson. The other Changelings in the group did the same, followed by the remaining Zeinonians. And after a brief nod from Festilion, the Pod did as well. The Prophecy was fulfilled.

‘Please stand, this is all very embarrassing,’ said Tyson. They all stood except the injured Changeling and one look into Zebulon’s eyes and he knew that there was no joke behind the act. Tyson now had his own army. University and his relaxed lifestyle seemed a world away. He laughed at the absurdity of what was happening…the others, if surprised by the laughter didn’t show it. Festilion beckoned her soldiers to support Zebulon and assist him to the waters of Mygolwich. The others followed.

On the shore of the great cavern the Pod bearers carrying Zebulon on their shoulders, walked into the lake. A low hum emitted from Festilion and the other Pod brethren, young and old, came from the variety of entrances, carrying small torches, all emitting a similar hum as the High Priestess. Zebulon was immersed in the lake and the noise grew to a crescendo with Festilion raising her hands to the cavern ceiling. Zebulon was lifted
from the lake and Tyson saw a ruddy brown unwholesome fluid seep from his wound into the lake. The noise became quieter and the group from the Aeria Cavern could not help but feel a little fearful as now the once empty shore was packed with the Pod. But they didn’t attack and simply continued their humming. Zebulon was laid down onto the shore and suddenly he convulsed once, twice and then lay still. The noise stopped and the Pod began to move away.

Festilion walked past Tyson. She stopped when she was beside him. ‘He will be fine now, the poison has been flushed out of him and he just needs rest. My carers will look after him.’ He thanked her and as the cavern emptied his thoughts turned to his mother and his despair returned.

Leila’s eyes flicked open. She lay in the bed as the morning light streamed through the sides of the blinds that covered the impressive all-window wall that enabled you to look out across the high-tech city.

Voices could be heard drifting through the entrance to the bedroom. Zylar was no longer in the bed they shared and Leila couldn’t suppress the cold shiver that crept up her spine and her neck, as she pondered what she was putting herself through; he left her cold. This was their third week in Quentine and every waking minute she wanted to run away, escape this planet, the Xonians and never set eyes on Zylar again. Leila knew patience was the key. Watch, listen and then act she told herself, over and over again.

She climbed out of the bed and pulled a robe on, tightening the belt to secure the garment around her. Making sure that any noise was kept to the minimum, she crept to the partially opened door and peeked out.

Zylar was fully dressed. Facing him was Prince Jernli, the more moderate ruler from Xonia, if you compared him with the forbidding figure of Yisli, Marshall of the Capulus Novus System. Her eyes were drawn to the repulsive Yisli, who stood quietly behind his master’s
back. He took in every word Zylar uttered and Leila could see the contempt he had for his prince. She listened hard to what they were talking about; struggling with the harsh guttural sounds the Xonians made as they talked though their voice synthesizers.

‘My scouts have confirmed that the joint human and Zein Expeditionary Force have landed on Zein,’ said Zylar, patiently. He needed the support of Prince Jernli; he couldn’t win this war with the meagre troops he had. Leila’s heart almost burst with happiness, she just knew that her son was with them.

‘Why is this news to me? They are simply an annoying buzzing fly that is a mere irritation to the Xonian Empire,’ Prince Jernli retorted, dismissively.

‘They have great firepower and defeated your ships on their journey, do you not remember, your Excellency?’

‘That was just a small scout group. Do I need to remind you I have thousands of those fighters?’ said Prince Jernli, seemingly bored with the conversation. Zylar knew better.

He is trying to negotiate with me
.

‘If we defeat this army then we will have destroyed their most powerful weapons, leaving six billion people defenceless against our forces.’ Prince Jernli could not hide the gleam of greed from his face at Zylar’s words and even Leila, some distance away, could see the naked desire in his facial expression.

Got
him
…Zylar thought.

‘So what do you suggest we do?’ asked the Xonian royal, hooked by the mouth-watering prospect of such a bountiful prize. His father would at last recognise he was the one to inherit the throne.  

Zylar sat back in his chair, carefully masking his triumph. ‘We must ensure that they only attack with the two destroyers and hold back with the main ship,
Elanda
.’
Prince Jernli edged towards the front of the chair eager to listen to the plan.

Fool
, Zylar thought as he wrapped his victim in his half-truths to fulfil his own selfish needs.

‘Why not destroy all the ships?’

‘Because, Your Highness their combined firepower is too much for our defences, especially if they land their forces on the Skegus Plain.’ Zylar was referring to the vast plain which led up to the city. It stretched as far as the eye could see and before it stood an inadequate outer wall which had no discernible protection.

‘We must engage the
Elanda
whilst still in orbit,’ said Zylar. He wished he was dealing with the scowling Yisli, who was still standing behind his master, but they both knew where they stood.

‘I understand. So you want my ships to engage the
Elanda
and you will battle the two destroyers in front of the city?’ said a now very-pleased-for-himself, Prince Jernli.

‘Yes, then we have a chance,’ said Zylar.

‘Your Highness, you should be made aware that we have only one battleship in orbit, the rest of the fleet is not due for another week,’ said Yisli.

‘What, where are my star cruisers?’ said an exasperated Prince Jernli. It took a few minutes for Yisli to explain that due to a rebellion in the outer reaches of this galaxy, the star cruiser and three other destroyers had left over a week ago to quash any insurrection.

‘How can we defeat these invaders then?’ pressed Prince Jernli.

‘The
Elanda
is slow and they will not be expecting an attack if we have just one battleship. If we can cripple the
Elanda
and use our superior forces on the ground we will blunt the initial attack and leave them vulnerable,’ said
Zylar, confidently. ‘Blunt the ships and my Ilsid and your Xonian troops will tear their infantry apart.’

Yisli looked up and across to the door causing Leila to jerk her head back and in doing so bumped into the table near the door. One of her bracelets shot across the top of the table and fell onto the plush carpeted floor. The noise on the table seemed to be incredibly loud to Leila, who took off her robe and jumped back into bed as she heard the chair creak and footsteps walking towards the bedroom.

Zylar poked his head into the room and looked at the seemingly still asleep figure on the bed. Leila peered out of her half closed eyes and saw him shake his head with puzzlement, and then he remembered that his guests were still in the room and returned to the lounge, closing the door behind him, unaware that Leila was frantically trying to hold her breath to stop her panting out aloud from the exertion. She heard the guests leave and waited for Zylar to go on his usual daily tours. Leila knew then that she had to get a message to her son and to Zein.

The day went slowly and Leila ensured she visited the girls and the three, fast growing toddlers. When Leila entered the room the children were crawling across the floor with Clancy chasing after them. His face, happy but bright red with the exercise.

‘Wow, the kids are really coming along,’ said an impressed Leila. It was true the children were progressing very fast with their hand and eye co-ordination incredible for such a young age.

Megan beamed a proud smile, ‘That’s my girl,’ when Hanna picked up a square block and slotted it through the right hole, rapidly followed by a triangle through another hole. Leila was impressed.
Their advancement is a marvel and a little disturbing
.

‘Clancy, can I have a word with you?’ asked Leila. The big lumbering Malacca man slowly climbed to his feet and stumbled after the retreating back of the lady he had come to admire. When they were a safe distance away from the rest of the imprisoned girls, Leila leaned closer to Clancy on purpose, who immediately felt a little flustered at the closeness. He struggled to hide his feelings; used to the females in the Eastern Quadrant on Earth shunning him.

‘You like us don’t you, Clancy?’

Clancy looked back at the women and the three little children and a lopsided smile formed on his face. That was a sufficient answer for Leila.

‘Would you help us escape?’ Leila held her breath. She was taking a massive risk and knew it as the Malacca man was scared of Zylar; like many others that fear had made him do unspeakable things to other prisoners in the Eastern Quadrant. Her concerns seemed to be real when Clancy’s face immediately displayed the concern of going against his master. Leila reached up with her hand and stroked his cheek. The hulking figure of a man almost sighed with pleasure at the unusual sensation and his fear seemed to ebb away.

‘You know I am fond of you and the girls are as well,’ said Leila, coaxing away his barriers as she continued to touch him with light and almost sensual touches. Clancy could not resist, confirming he would help them.

Good, now for the next part of the plan
.

‘Can you take me to where they are keeping King Yi?’ Leila knew that the King and his son were brought back, into the Royal Palace at the end of each working day.

‘Yes.’ Clancy didn’t hesitate motioning for Leila to follow him and, after carefully locking the door behind them; they made their way down a number of floors until they came to a door guarded by two Ilsid. Clancy told
Leila to remain where she was and then walked up to the guards. After a quick few words from Clancy, the two Ilsid left their posts and he waved Leila forward.

‘What did you say?’ Clancy just shrugged his shoulders.

‘They need to eat, programmed to keep their strength but I just gave them some encouragement that Zylar had ordered them to…they know I am his personal guard so they didn’t hesitate,’ said a smug Clancy. Leila gave him a “well-done” smile and walked through the now opened door.

She found a luxurious apartment and a surprised King Yi and his son, Yian, who had both stood up for the unexpected visitors. Leila needed to act quickly, knowing that the Ilsid wouldn’t be long.

Taking a number of steps to bring her closer to King Yi, she bowed, which he returned, his regal face displaying puzzlement at seeing this strange lady again.

‘Your Majesty, I overheard this morning that my people and the Zeinonians have returned after travelling far from my home planet and are now currently on Zein,’ said Leila, pleased to see the intrigued expression on Yi’s face. He gestured to a seat and then sat down himself just as an elegant lady walked in from the bedroom. Now it is said that the male Oneerion is gentle, skilled and creative beyond any other race and it was also true that the female Oneerion was just as beautiful and graceful in equal measure. Leila, of course, had seen female Oneerions as they shopped in the market stalls outside; however, she was now looking at the most beautiful person she had ever seen.

‘This is my concubine, Gi,’ said Yi, gracefully. When he said concubine it was not with disdain or for control, he was simply following the Oneerions own culture to call their partner by the age old term. The way he said it was full of
love and pride, which told Leila everything she needed to understand about the strength of their relationship.

They exchanged pleasantries and all settled down with Yi casting concerned eyes at the hulking figure of Clancy. Leila didn’t miss the inference of the look.

‘Clancy is here to help us, you can trust him,’ said Leila, allaying his fears, giving the awestruck Malacca man a dazzling smile of encouragement.

Yi was hungry to learn all about Leila’s world. She told him of the land and the sea, the great cities, the many people. When she was describing the different cultures she started off with her own country and the very thought made her tearful and she had to stop briefly. Yi was patient, seeing the pain and love in the alien’s demeanour. Leila then went on to the many other varied cultures of Earth. Both Yi and Gi were captivated by both the description and the emotion they saw.

Leila then told Yi what she had heard this morning and her plan to free the human hostages and bring the human and Zeinonian army to Skegus to free the Oneerions. Yi listened closely, neither confirming nor challenging Leila’s thoughts. When she finished with her escape plan, he languidly stood up and made his way to the large spectacular window that overlooked the bustling city. He saw the Xonian patrols augmented by the Ilsid moving between the sparse crowds. The gun placements at each intersection swivelled their barrels every few minutes, conveying the threat to the Oneerions and other races that lived in this luxurious city. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at Gi, who inclined her head as if she knew what he was thinking.

She probably does
.

He turned to face Leila and Clancy. ‘My people are a gentle race, we do not go to war, which makes us vulnerable
to those more aggressive than us,’ said Yi, collecting his thoughts. ‘How do I know that your race is any different from the Xonians? I want to help but I do not want to replace one conquering race with another.’

Leila could see his point; why trust her? ‘We have our faults but I can only say we have the best intentions,’ said Leila, slightly unconvincingly. It was Gi who stepped in to support.

‘Love of my life,’ Gi started with, Yi half-smiled, already acutely aware he was going to lose this discussion. ‘The Xonians have no mercy in their blood, and see what they have done to our people. I say we take our chance with the humans.’ Gi bowed as she finished her pitch.

‘My wife is not only beautiful, succinct but correct,’ said Yi, addressing Leila. ‘You have our support. When do you want to execute the plan?’

‘Tonight, Zylar has requested that I do not stay with him tonight,’ said Leila, inwardly shuddering for the poor girl who would take her place in his bed. ‘Clancy will free me from the dormitory we are kept in and if you can smuggle me into the communication post then I can contact Zein.’

‘It has been many years since we have contacted the Aeria Cavern settlement, they may not be monitoring incoming messages,’ said Yi.

‘I will take the chance, if not for me, for my fellow prisoners.’ The tall Oneerion stared hard at the determined woman in front of him.

Maybe we have chosen the right people to align with
, was his final thought before his guests gave their thanks and left the room.

He felt a warm arm on his shoulder. Gi had wrapped one of her beautifully tattooed arms around his massive golden skinned shoulders. ‘She is an impressive female, my love,’ she said, with a slight edge to her voice. He reached up and
stroked her arm. ‘Yes, very impressive,’ said Yi, grinning, until he felt the arm tighten around him as GI’s jealousy overcame her. He smoothly stood up to face his concubine. ‘My love, she pales next to your beauty and body art,’ he said, running his hand up the golden decorative arm.

‘Oh gross, do you have to do that?’ said Yian, in disgust as he stomped off to his bedroom, leaving his parents laughing and hugging. Their smiles quickly evaporated as they discussed the previous conversation.

‘Do you trust them?’ asked Yi.

‘I trust her.’ Was the pointed and simple response, whether I trust the rest of her race, I am not so sure. ‘I have heard the reports from the Sagone Sector and we need to do something,’ Gi said. The rumours had indicated that the Xonians had exterminated a race called the Pipers, for daring to fight back. Every male, female and child they could find had been rounded up and placed in one of the cities, until there was no space left. The Xonians had then teleported to their ship and bombed the city, intending to leave no one alive. Once the story rippled out from the few survivors who had managed to hide in underground makeshift warrens, other rebellions faded due to the fear of retribution.