his acrobatic evasive maneuvers. He jumped and flipped away from the obscene appendage. The teragore grew more impatient for its meal.
Tiet heard Orin cry out and tried to locate the voice. He saw Orin’s hands come through the vent in the dome wall. Orin pulled a kemstick from his thigh clip and brought it through the vent space with his hand, as Tiet tried to evade the whipping tongue of the teragore.
“Tiet! Take it!” Orin shouted.
Tiet saw the weapon and leaped after it. The kemstick flew out of Orin’s hand to meet the young man in the air. He caught the weapon just as the tongue of the teragore found purchase around his legs. The beast slammed his body into the ground. The impact knocked the breath out of him and the kemstick out of his hand.
The huge writhing tongue retracted quickly, dragging Tiet toward the beast’s mouth. He realized the kemstick was not in his hand and reached out with his mind to retrieve it as he was pulled across the ground. The kemstick obeyed and rolled after him, leaping into the air to find his hand as Tiet was lifted upside down toward the gaping mouth of the creature. He caught the weapon as the teragore pulled him inside and the jaw closed after him. The teragore raised its great head and swallowed the young warrior whole.
Grod grabbed the armrests, sitting on the edge of his seat as the lump of flesh began to slide visibly down the creature’s throat. Suddenly the lump stopped its descent within the teragore’s throat. An adomen rod erupted from the creature’s neck, whirling around in a great circle from within. The teragore’s head pitched forward, separated from the rest of the animal’s body. The young Barudii warrior leaped out of the orifice, landing near the severed head. He was covered in the creature’s vile secretions.
“Unbelievable!” Grod said.
He was out of his chair, on his feet in amazement. “I have never seen such a display of power and skill!”
Tiet sprang into the air and caught a hold of the vent where Orin was.
“Get back!”
Orin slid backward making room for his protege. Tiet stabbed the kemstick into the armor-plated grating and cut through it-a hot knife through butter. The piece fell out and landed on the floor of the dome as Tiet crawled inside.
Orin backed his way out of the vent shaft with Tiet following him, both on their bellies.
“I should have known you’d be along to rescue me,” Tiet said.
“Quickly, put this on. It will hide you from their scanners.”
Tiet pulled on the Barudii cloak and the pair crawled back down the main shaft on their knees the way Orin had come in.
“Where did he go? And how did that weapon get into the arena?” Grod growled.
“We’re searching, sir,” said the technician. He’s gone into the main ventilation system but his life signature has disappeared from our scans.”
“Find him and kill him,” Grod demanded. “I have to be in Baeth Periege soon to meet with our brothers there. Once the city is broken, the Barudii’s DNA will fuel our transformation. I don’t want anymore loose ends hanging about like the last time.”
DEPARTURE
Estall had done a good job preparing the Vorn battle ships for departure. With the enemy under control here on Castai, they had been able to gain control of the ships still docked on the planet. Ranul had produced technology allowing them to operate the Vorn computer systems. The devices converted the Vorn computer language to Castillian and vice versa, allowing them to pilot the craft through the rift if necessary.
A number of pilots from various Castillian tribes had already signed on for the mission, and now it looked as though it would be necessary to travel through and intercept the Vorn fleet before they attacked, as Kisch K’ta had threatened. According to Ranul’s readings of the data, the rift would be stabilized within five hours and they needed to be in space waiting for it.
The Vorn fleet still had not contacted the governor and Ranul could only conclude that the Sphere was the cause of it. According to the files contained in the Vorn database, the Sphere had been constructed by the Barudii. It still blew his mind to think that on the other side of the rift there was a twin planet to his home world of Castai.
So much of their history had been lost during the war. Their people had migrated long ago, but it had never been properly recorded for future generations. Those born on this Castai knew nothing of the twin world across the rift. Life went on as though the tribes had always been here.
Ranul was as anxious to see the twin planet as he was to know what had become of his friends. Perhaps, when they took these Vorn battle cruisers through the rift, they would find the Vorn engaged in a battle with the Barudii Sphere and be able to aid in the fight to destroy the Vorn armada.
His communication link beeped. “Yes?” said Ranul.
“Ranul, all seven battle cruisers are under way. Are you ready to go?” Estall asked.
“Yes. I’ll meet you at the pad in ten minutes. Are all systems functioning well?”
“Everything seems to be operating smoothly so far. Those translation devices are working well.”
“What about our prisoners?”
“They’re tucked away nicely in one of their own prison compounds, guarded heavily by my men. I’ve already transported Kisch K’ta to the prison as well. The other Aolene warriors are settled in on the warships and ready to join Orin and the others in the fight across the rift.”
“Very good. I’ll join you shortly.”
He did not mention to Estall that the Saberhawk may very well have been destroyed by now.
Still, Ranul couldn’t give up on them yet. The Barudii warriors were powerful. But in a space battle that would make little difference. Ranul hoped Estall’s optimism was well-founded. He too wanted to see his friends again- alive.
Ranul glanced over the data screens once more as he grabbed a pack of his own technical gear then left the lab he was working in. He boarded a nearby transport tube and was whisked away on a suction controlled mass transit system toward the main launch platform where he would meet Estall.
Within three minutes he sped across the large compound and exited the tube system to find Estall waiting for him with a shuttle. They greeted each other unceremoniously then climbed into the small ship. Estall, a capable pilot himself, operated the shuttle controls as they ascended to the Vorn battle cruiser hovering one thousand feet above the compound.
The other warships were already en route for the transdimensional rift and would be leaving the atmosphere by now. The transport was dwarfed by the ominous size of the Vorn ship now receiving them into itself like a mother pulling in its young.
The battleship was easily ten times the size of the Saberhawk and more heavily armed. These same ships had destroyed the Castillian space fleet in the early years of the war with the Vorn and Baruk. Now, they would allow the Castillians to exact retribution for those losses.
Estall and Ranul made their way to the bridge where a Castillian crew piloted the ship with the aid of Ranul’s translation devices. They had all spent many years under the heel of the Vorn. It was a tremendous feeling to have taken so much control back from their oppressors. The ships were fast and well armed. Ranul was confident that, should they have to face the Vorn fleet, they would fair well in the battle.
The cruiser soared upwards toward space, leaving the atmosphere. The rest of the ships appeared on the main monitor. The new Castillian space fleet pushed on toward the transdimensional rift. Neither Estall nor Ranul had ever been in space. The sight of the rift was awe-inspiring. The phenomena looked as though it could swallow the entire planet. Absolutely nothing was visible beyond the void.
Ranul checked the science station readouts on the stability of the rift. It would still be several hours before it became permeable enough to cross. He continued his work on communication with the Barudii Sphere. If the Sphere was orbiting the twin Castai then he would need to establish contact with it quickly to show themselves as Castillian and not more Vorn ships for it to destroy. The void lay before them, waiting. Ranul wondered what mysteries would be revealed today.
