One Wrong Turn-VII
Well here it is, back to Adric and Darnel, time for the big stuff to happen! Im curious what everyone is expecting and if I surprise people or perhaps see if they have guessed how things are going down.
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One Wrong Turn
A story by Adric Listwajinn
On the southern side of the Lonti Clan Island at Darnethlil's home Adric sat staring out a window and sighed. His eyes briefly glanced at a circular calendar tapestry hanging onto the wall. Today was they day, if they had travel at the rate he was told, they should be already arrived at the largest settlement on the island, the city of ‘Toric' which according to Darnethlil was the true seat of power for the Clan Leader.
It had been four days since he had reluctantly said good-bye to the only creature on the planet he had really come to know and care about. He hadn't expected, missing him, this much however. A part of him felt odd and conflicted worried of course for his safety but again worried simply he would never see the face of his rescuer, of his savoir again. He shook his head, the headache he had returning a bit as he turned away from the window.
A clattering of pans from the kitchen reminding him he wasn't totally alone, though in the past three days he somewhat wished he was.
He had been left in the care of and Elder Trathalan, a dear friend of Darnethlil's and a trusted caretaker he was told. Adric appreciated that there was someone he could trust to attend to his still healing body as well as take care of the house, despite a growing amount of Trathalans in the surrounding village becoming aware, and welcoming him; he still had no wish to answer the door whenever there was a knock.
"Peeledfruit! Come here peeledfruit!" he felt in his head and winced, his caretaker ‘Elroner' was as far as he could tell the only Trathalan he had met that didn't ‘speak' in quietly to his mind, "Peeledfruit" of course also made him wince. As far as he could tell, his pale pink skin color was something quite often talked about among the others and as a result he found he had been nicknamed after one of the local fruits. He didn't care for it, but was too polite, and a bit intimidated to say so.
He hurried down to the washroom to find Elroner heaving cloth and blankets from a bubbling cauldron.
"If you would young one, please take these outside to hang and dry with the rest of the clothing" Adric sighed a bit and nodded, doing chores was something he never thought he would have to do when he was stranded on another planet.
"It is evident, such tasks move quicker if electricity is used" Adric said as he hefted up the loom woven sheets and blankets. The elder Trathalan, one of the few physically older people Adric had seen, gave the human a curious glance
."You are perhaps correct, but since you know our past fully, you know we seem to have far more contentment without electricity, machines, or other such things for almost 2000 solar cycles. We keep knowledge of the truly important and vital parts from our past, ‘washing machine' is not one of them."
Elroner finished pulling the long leather cloak around himself, the slit along the back made for his wings a bit loose as he lifted a smaller bucket of cloths as well and followed Adric outside.
Being outside was rare for Adric. He still walked tenderly on his feet, and the sun still stung his skin a bit, but being cooped inside the earthen house of Darnethlil grew boring. He could only look at the books so many times, barely reading a handful of words; and it simply felt good to be outside. Despite being close to the southern military airbase, few soldiers patrolled in the grasslands nearby. Darnethlils house was in a settlement of less than 200 and few took notice of it.
He finished putting up the last of the sheets on the line; his muscles aching a bit and still sore as he looked out to the air base, far in the distance. Darnethlil had left to free a city, his city. He worried about him deeply, even if he succeeded, there was so much to do and so many other bases, forts, and military installations to take down. How could he hope drive them all off?
Even if Darnethlil was able liberate Toric, how many Trathalan lives would be lost in the process of fighting this ‘bloodless' war to liberate the rest of the planet? He blinked and looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder, Elroner above him.
"Do not worry yourself, I am not as zealous as your primary caretaker to assume we shall drive all of these invaders out, but we must start somewhere. We must take action, one small area at a time. Sometimes taking action, even if folly, can have more impact than nothing at all" Adric nodded softly, whether Darnethlil succeeded or failed, he simply wanted him to return in one piece.
On the eastern most side and the northern most tip of the Lonti Clan Island rested Toric, which was built on the glass and ceramic graveyard of an ancient town. The remnants were built into the stone and cement buildings that now made up the city. Toric was one of the few large settlements on the planet, and the largest on the entire island. It was, of course, also the natural location for coordinating military forces in the area.
Since military forces first occupied it, the citizens had tried to continue on with life. Most businesses were left open to trade in goods from the smaller farming settlements; the marketplace was always full of Trathalans, usually watched by patrolling guards. Of course shops deemed ‘subversive' were shut down, the cities only printing presses were seized and all forms of public demonstration banned. That rule had been enforced more than once with deadly results.
The soldiers, themselves, cared little for the comings and goings of the citizens for the most part. Most soldiers posted planet side were regarding as doing menial labor, as no one ever thought that the inhabitants were capable of any sort of resistance, and ‘guarding' them seemed a needless waste. As it was, those patrolling the roads leading into the city paid little attention to several small groups hooded and cloaked Trathalans; more than likely monks coming to the temples of the city or some such.
A trio of Trathalans stopped at the main gate, passing by the guards on either side, assault rifles at the ready. The small group of Qwintoni soldiers watched them passing, feeling oddly uneasy.
They arrived slowly throughout the morning, moving into the city in groups of three and four so as to not arouse suspicion from the soldiers that walked the streets. Darnethlil walked along the main street, Toranth and Solanth at his side. They moved silently, yet kept in contact with one another, every so often getting a look of curiosity from another passing Trathalan. Darnethlil would eye them, giving a wordless message, letting them know not to arouse suspicion.
This was the great unknown part of the plan, the one aspect Darnethlil was not fully sure of, his father had once urged these people to rise up and fight, that command met with horrific results. Now Darnethlil, following in his father's lead, was about to once more ask these people to rise up, but this time, it was going to be on his terms, this time he would be unifying his people as never before.
As they moved through the marketplace, along the main roads and slowly toward the Imperial military barracks, Darnethlil kept a low profile, checking in with each team one by one as the moved toward their goals. Every now and then a group of Qwintoni soldiers would pass by, eyeing them scornfully. Three times they were stopped and asked for identity papers, Solanth wordlessly complying and giving the needed information before they continued on.
They were almost in position, already a small amount of the local population could sense, feel that something was about to happen; they could each feel a growing sense of courage, of pride, they weren't sure where it was coming from yet, but they welcomed it. At last Darnethlil found his group near what was once the great Clan Hall of his father, the true and proper place he was meant to be. He looked at it now, festooned with Imperial banners and with troops marching back and forth in front of it. Darnethlil's thoughts were stirred as he suddenly felt a hand clasp his arm; Toranth looked at him earnestly and spoke aloud.
"My dearest friend and leader, you already now know we are ready, each of us is attuned with the other, you know that what we are about to do has not been done since long before our planets destruction, and even then it was looked upon as a desperate act." Darnethlil listened and nodded for a moment, ever so briefly he doubted himself. But it soon passed.
"What we do is a desperate act, for we are a desperate people, in a desperate time. Look around your Toranth, these people could never rise up with arms, they could never carry guns and explosives; it is far beyond us all. This way, this is the only way for us, and it will work," he said with absolute conviction, his heart racing now as he looked ahead and closed his eyes.
" We are of one mind, we are of one will, we reach out to one another and become as one," Darnethlil spoke to first those around him, and then felt it being relayed to the other teams. Like a resonating chant, it echoed among the minds of all those in his small force, slowly building in resonance before beginning to pass to those around them.
The guards walking out among the population barely noticed anything out of sort. The citizens were usually quiet, talking in soft voices and would move slowly. The odd soldier might have noticed a certain, distant look to the people around them, but even fewer paid it any mind.
"People of Toric, people of the Lonti, people of my father. I come before you now with the promise of freedom and the will to seize it; those that oppress us can do so no longer. I will not allow it," he said, and as he spoke, his words were slowly felt by virtually every citizen within a mile of his location; each group of his force passing on his words, forming an immense collective link.
"The teachings of Crie and the lessons of our pass teach us that we can no longer kill, that we can no longer act with violence to others, it is an anathema to our very souls. But Crie himself would not stand for such tyranny and though we shall not match gun for gun, we are not defenseless, we have our weapon." The bustle and noise of the city was beginning to fade, people stopped what they were doing, they looked at themselves perhaps for the first time in for too long. They were no longer alone; they no longer felt isolated and broken.
Others began to pick up the mental link now, spreading it out along with Darnethlils forces. As they let themselves go to what he was saying memories began to flow from them; the feelings of bitterness, rage, anger, and the emotions they had violently surprised under the heel of the Imperial forces now began to rise in them, fuelling them. Darnethlil could feel the link spread out, each mind joining in, and the shared anger of one fuelling another. They would not be beaten down like this they, would not give in anymore.
Now was when Darnethlils forces began to act, the opened their eyes now, each one looking upon an Imperial soldier. Qwintoni and Tejlili, officer and grunt, to each one they focused on, and felt out with their minds, targeting them.
High above the central market place, Meldragg Korantz, regent officer to the island thumbed through the afternoon reports. He was a tall yet willowy Tejlini who always seemed to have a perpetual sneer on his furred face. He had taken his assignment with glee, the promotion to Nupitiet was one more level of power he could wield for his purposes, and the near absolute authority he had over the local primitives gave him endless amusement.
He once hated the fact that there was virtually no direct communication with the local inhabitants, noting that gathering information was all but useless. However, he had learned that if it was impossible for anyone to speak to the local population, they could never reveal own private enterprises.
"Nupitiet Korantz! I have a report from the city!" Meldragg looked up from his papers, lifting a scowling eye as his ears splayed back.
"Opatitz, Tela," he said, taking a moment to read the soldiers name tag. "I trust you interruption is well warranted?" The young recruit swallowed nervously.
"It has been reported by several on patrol, that the citizens are behaving, oddly." Meldragg stood now and looked outside.
"Are they now? Raising torches perhaps? Planting a bomb I wonder?"
"N-No sir, they are just...standing around and staring. No one has reported hearing anyone in the city speak aloud for almost 5 minutes." Meldragg turned, casting a skeptical glance at the Qwintoni recruit before looking back more carefully at the marketplace below. He watched and felt suddenly ill at ease. Not a single one of the natives moved a muscle.
The feelings and emotions of an entire city had now risen up. Every other person within the link now knew every injustice, every abuse and every act of violence that had been visited to a single Trathatalan. They seethed with a shared anger as together they followed the lead of Darnethlil and his forces, they focused their emotional through his leaders, as each of them focused on their targets. Darnethlil quivered, his eyes burning as he felt nearly 12,000 minds together with his. His mouth trembled as he spoke a simple line.
"I bring you, PAIN!"
In an instant, every soldier and Imperial within visual sight of a Trathaln dropped to the ground, their arms and weapons flung from their grip as the shrieked in agony. Soldiers slammed their fists against their heads, running and howling in pain trying to flee the searing pain they felt in their minds.
Still shaking with the rage of the city, Darnethlil began to slowly walk forward; his eyes upon the Clan Hall at the far end of the market place.
From high in his office Meldragg stumbled back suddenly, the noise of soldiers below crying out made his fur stand on edge. "Send out the guard! I want any Native that does not immediately go inside shot! Do you hear me?!" He bellowed, his paws at his ears; uselessly trying to cover all four. He looked down again, his stomach felt ill. What had they done to his troops?
Darnethlil continued to walk slowly forward toward the Great Hall, his concentration rooting him too deeply to bother with any distractions. Solanth and Toranth on either side of him would target the soldiers as they came now. Groups of ten would charge from the bunkers around the great hall and lift weapons to fire.
PAIN! was all that was said, and that was all that needed to be said. They locked eyes with the soldiers one at a time, dropping them to the cobblestone road. Throughout the city now the people had begun to round up the screaming offworlders. Those not too deep in the link bound and threw the soldiers into rooms, basements, anything that they could lock with a key.
Meldragg whirled and marched from the window; slamming the wooden door to his office as he grabbed a passing soldier.
"What is going on out there, I've heard less than a dozen or so gunshots, why are we not shooting them!" he barked.
"I-I don't know! Anyone who goes outside seems to be seized by some illness, I don't know if its poison or disease, but whatever is going on, anyone going outside seems to collapse. We've locked the front door, all we do know is the natives are marching toward us." Meldragg paused a moment, whatever was happening he suddenly knew it wasn't going to work.
"Opatitz, tell your soldiers to get into encounter suites, I want the Armored Infantry units geared up immediately and deployed," the Qwintoni looked down at his superior officer and quivered.
"S-sir, those, are rated for amour engagements only," he said while Meldragg simply glared.
"You are correct; I will be very interested to observe them in action against civilian targets."
The feeling of rage was slowly giving way to confidence and passion. The suppressed hatred was being purged and vented through ever offworlder they could see. They knew what they were doing was wrong, that deep inside they had crossed a line, but at the same time they had begun to feel relief at letting it all go. They marched as one. They were taking back their city, and then they would take their world.
The concentration among the city was such that it wasn't until after the first shell exploded that those in the market placed noticed the mobilized Imperial Armored Infantry, or as a few in the city recognized their shapes, tanks. Four armored machines moved slowly down the roads on either side of the Clan Hall. They kept their distance as they moved out.
Darnethlil looked at them now, he willed his forces to focus on them and their pilots, and met with nothing. Another shot went off; it's thundering retort making the ground shake as he felt almost a dozen Trathalans' suddenly cease to be. His heart stopped and he felt himself grow sick.
The link that banded them together now suddenly made them cry out as the tanks opened fire, again. Each shell exploded with a force meant to knock armored vehicles. It caused the closely assembled Trathalans to simply come apart in a hail of debris. Darnethlil clutched at his chest, aching at the losses as a shell exploded nearby.
He was thrown to the ground from the force of it. His ears could hear nothing over the ringing as everything moved in slow motion. He felt someone grab him. He looked up into Toranth's eyes, his face streaming blood from a cut on the top of his head as he pulled Darnethlil to his feet.
"It is over Darnethlil! We must go from here now! We are being butchered!" Toranth said shaking him as he nodded dumbly, his mind wheeling from the force of the explosion.
The link was fractured and deteriorating. It pulsed with fear and agony as those in the streets ran for their lives.
Darnethlil limped into an alley while being partially carried by Toranth. He turned around, wiping dust and sweat from his eyes as the ringing in his ears quieted somewhat. Suddenly Solanth fell into the alley. The Toranth's younger brother clutching at his feet as Darnethlil looked down at the pool of blood on the ground; his left wing completely missing. Darnethlil covered his mouth, trying not to wretch at the sight of the injury as Toranth tore his clothing, wrapping them feverishly around the bloody stump as his voice quaked.
"Stay awake Solanth! S-stay with me! Its j-just a wing." He said as Darnethlil helped left him now, the two dragging the limp body behind them as they made for the edge of town
There was no longer any need to relay orders. Those still alive from Darnethlils initial force simply ran. Others also moved from the city, joining them as the fled before the now advancing Armored Infantry
"Well, that seemed to have done the trick. Don't send out the soldiers for another 10 minutes or so, I want the population nice and broken up before we go in to retrieve any causalities we might have," Meldragg said. The others in the roomed nodded before heading out to relay the orders as he smiled.
"Well now, whatever little protest march you had going on down there, I hope you've learned something. We DO control this world."