Chereads / STARSHIP / Chapter 17 - Fire in the sky

Chapter 17 - Fire in the sky

"I 'm must leave you now brother", the alien gently communicated in his mind. I should go back before the others miss me and come looking for us. I need to divert their attention while you get away."

"Why don't you come with me, my people will protect you", said admiral Gwangwa speaking with his thoughts. My people can protect you".

"My work is too important to the future of my world. I can not walk away", the alien replied him the voice softly exploding into the admiral's head.

"I understand", said admiral Gwangwa. 

"Do not be afraid. Keep to the jagged terrain. Friends are a waiting for you. We shall meet again", said the alien before it broke off the mental link. It turned away and hurried back in the direction from which they had come.

Admiral Gwangwa taking the alien's advice proceeded along the jagged terrain, occasionally throwing furtive glances behind him. Making sure that he wasn't being followed. Even at a distance their facial features said that they could not be hostile or pose any threat.

After a walking some distance keeping to the jagged terrain, admiral Gwangwa thought he saw a couple of human figures some distance ahead. There was no telling whether these where the friends the alien had been referring to or not. Every instinct of both nature and training ,in him told him to be cautious.

He would have taken cover, but there was not a blade of grass around to hide himself. Anyway the two humans had already seen him and were walking towards him. There was therefore no point in attempting to conceal himself from them.

As they got closer he could see that one was a young maybe in his late twenties. While the other was a young lady of of roughly about the same age. The reassuring warm smiles on their faces said conveyed the impression that they were glad to see him.

Even their very demeanor said they they posed no threat. 

Walking quickly they reached him and for the first time since his capture he was glad to hear human voices. It was the best sound he had heard and he immediately felt reassured that he was notsuffering from hallucinations brought on from the realm's scorching  midday sun.

"I 'm Servius', the young man pleasantly, stated in greeting.

"And I am Esparati his sister", the girl added with a friendly smile weighing in to the conversation. 

"I am admiral Gwangwa", he said holdout a hand to first Servius shake hands. Servius and Esparati both stared at the admiral 's extended hand with suspicion.

'It's a greeting", admiral Gwangwa explained upon noticing the confusion on their facial expressions.

"Oh so we should also do the same", assumed Servius holding out his hand to admiral Gwangwa in imitation of the admiral's action.Esparati did the same as her brother extending her hand at no one in particular.

"Oh no no no", admiral Gwangwa laughed light heartedly at their ignorance. Which only confused them further as they did not understand what he was finding so funny.

"When someone holds out their hand to you. You take up the hand with yours, and shake it like so",, said admiral Gwangwa taking hold of Servius' extended hand in firm a manly grip  and giving it a hearty shaking from the wrist.  He did the same with Esparati''s extended hand.

"That's a very strange greeting", commented Esparati. "Why not just express yourself with words like we do?"

"Why not express yourselves with a physical action to express the intimacy of meeting a fellow being?", shot back admiral Gwangwa light heartedly.

"I like it", said Servius, light heartedly. "Enough of these strange customs, we must be on our way. Shaduha shadow will have noticed that you escaped and will be looking for you".

"Shadow what", exclaimed admiral Gwangwa.

"The purple beings who were holding you hostage", said Esparati helpfully, referring to the aliens.

"Shaduha shadow are relentless hunters, they are just keep coming. This way come this way", said Servius as he led them at a brisk pace.

"Where are you taking me?", asked admiral Gwangwa, following hot on his heels.

"Some where safe where Shaduha shadow will think to follow".

Clatra jumped up on two limbs and looked around quickly assessing the situation. What immediately caught his attention was that the creature, his creature, from outworld had escaped. Drawing himself to his fall height, he started shouting orders, "Shaduha shadow scramble all starships and search for the creature!"

The other aliens seemed surprised at what he was saying. They had not noticed that the prisoner was no longer among them. Until Clatra had brought the fact to their attention.

"Go now!!" voice screamed Clatra in their heads as the as though it was going to break them apart from inside.

"Yes my lord", said commander Tulac. "My ship the Shadara will get airborne at once". 

Clatra was torn between two extremes, he was curious as to where Tulac had disappeared off to during the panic in the chamber with frightened delegates scattering in all directions. He had seen where each one of them had been at the time as he was falling to the floor.

He had felt their fear.

Every single of them, except for commander Tulac.

That alone would have made him suspicious but seeing Tulac's dedication to serve without question, without delay, made him question that suspicion . It made him doubt himself how he could ever suspect Tulac of disloyalty.

"My ship the Regenat has picked up an alien signal", reported captain Hegenut.

"It is the creature", announced Clatra excitedly.

"Where is the signal coming from!!?", barked Clatra.

"My lord signal appears to be moving", reported captain Hegenut.

"Of course it is moving, it will lead us to its comrades. We shall capture them all", declared Clatra.

"I want all Shaduha shadow ships airborne and ready for combat. Today we hunt!!", declared Clatra excitedly.

"Gru! gru! gru!, rose the war cry among the officers in the spacious chamber as they began to chant excitedly.