anyway.
After ten minutes or so had gone by, Gada started the runner and
made the short trip to the camp. A perimeter field surrounded it. He stopped in
front of it and nodded at the two soldiers who stood guard. One of them brought
it down for them to pass. As planned, Gada eased the runner forward, then
stopped right on the middle of the perimeter line, preventing the field from
being put back up. He spoke alien, and said something that had the soldiers
laughing. He used up the minute Rune had figured it would take him to slip into
the camp unnoticed.
Gada parked the runner with six others, then took hold of her arm
and towed her behind a large tree, blocking them from sight. He took off her
sword belt and handed it to her. Once she had it around her waist, she gave him
a silent nod. He grabbed her by the upper arm again and marched her toward the
large white dome. It was twice the size of the eight others and twice as tall.
Kylah figured it had to be where the Xphen scientists were.
She allowed Gada to drag her inside. Two more soldiers stood guard
just inside the entrance. As Gada spoke to them, Kylah studied the pair of much
smaller aliens. The Xphens were gray skinned and wore black shiny
material uniforms over their skinny bodies. Their heads were hairless, and were
larger than the rest of them. They had big black pupil-less eyes. They had no
noses, just two holes where ones were expected to be. The mouths underneath
were small with basically no lips.
The Xphens turned to study Kylah as she waited for Gada to make the
first move to attack. A few seconds later, the first soldier went down. She
drew her sword, and moving at her speed, took down the second and then the
third that suddenly appeared in the entrance. Shouts sounded from outside. Rune
must have made his move.
Kylah turned with her sword raised toward the scientists. She took a
step in their direction, but pulled up short when one drew a smaller version of
Rune’s and Gada’s guns from his boot and shot the other.
The Xphen dropped the weapon and held up his hands. “Don’t harm me,”
he said in a voice that was low and calm. “I’m on your side. I want to help
you.”
Gada came to Kylah’s side. “Don’t listen to him, Kylah.”
“I tell the truth,” the Xphen said. “I’m part of a small faction
that wants to rebel against our government. Not all of us want to conquer
worlds. I want to help Earth, and guard the one human my people want most of
all.”
Sounds of laser guns going off grew closer and louder. “Gada, go
help Rune,” Kylah said. “I can handle this Xphen.” Gada didn’t move. “Go. I’m
the super soldier, right? Go help my mate.”
Once he was gone, Kylah turned her attention to the Xphen. “What is
your name?”
“I am called Arlax.”
“I hope what you said was true, Arlax. Now outside. You’re coming
with us.” She motioned toward the exit with her sword.
The small alien grabbed something like a backpack off one of the
tables, then preceded her out of the dome. Gada and Rune had already taken out
the remaining soldiers. They came to meet Kylah and Arlax.
Rune gave her a hug. “You okay?”
She smile. “Yes. Not a scratch. This is Arlax. He says he’s part of
an Xphen rebel faction. He wants to help us.”
“Can we trust you, Xphen?”
Arlax nodded. “I mean you no harm, Rune. I’ll prove it.” He turned
to Gada. “Give me your wrist control. Quickly. I need to remove the tracker.
With the loss of seven soldiers others on the ship will send more to
investigate. We must be well away from here before they arrive.”
Gada handed Arlax his wrist control. The Xphen took the back off and
used a small tool from his pocket to remove a microchip. He dropped it to the
ground and used a rock to smash it. Once the back was replaced he returned the
control to Gada.
Arlax pushed a few buttons on his, and a space craft came to land in
the middle of the camp. “Hurry,” he said. “Take
After ten minutes or so had gone by, Gada started the runner and
made the short trip to the camp. A perimeter field surrounded it. He stopped in
front of it and nodded at the two soldiers who stood guard. One of them brought
it down for them to pass. As planned, Gada eased the runner forward, then
stopped right on the middle of the perimeter line, preventing the field from
being put back up. He spoke alien, and said something that had the soldiers
laughing. He used up the minute Rune had figured it would take him to slip into
the camp unnoticed.
Gada parked the runner with six others, then took hold of her arm
and towed her behind a large tree, blocking them from sight. He took off her
sword belt and handed it to her. Once she had it around her waist, she gave him
a silent nod. He grabbed her by the upper arm again and marched her toward the
large white dome. It was twice the size of the eight others and twice as tall.
Kylah figured it had to be where the Xphen scientists were.
She allowed Gada to drag her inside. Two more soldiers stood guard
just inside the entrance. As Gada spoke to them, Kylah studied the pair of much
smaller aliens. The Xphens were gray skinned and wore black shiny
material uniforms over their skinny bodies. Their heads were hairless, and were
larger than the rest of them. They had big black pupil-less eyes. They had no
noses, just two holes where ones were expected to be. The mouths underneath
were small with basically no lips.
The Xphens turned to study Kylah as she waited for Gada to make the
first move to attack. A few seconds later, the first soldier went down. She
drew her sword, and moving at her speed, took down the second and then the
third that suddenly appeared in the entrance. Shouts sounded from outside. Rune
must have made his move.
Kylah turned with her sword raised toward the scientists. She took a
step in their direction, but pulled up short when one drew a smaller version of
Rune’s and Gada’s guns from his boot and shot the other.
The Xphen dropped the weapon and held up his hands. “Don’t harm me,”
he said in a voice that was low and calm. “I’m on your side. I want to help
you.”
Gada came to Kylah’s side. “Don’t listen to him, Kylah.”
“I tell the truth,” the Xphen said. “I’m part of a small faction
that wants to rebel against our government. Not all of us want to conquer
worlds. I want to help Earth, and guard the one human my people want most of
all.”
Sounds of laser guns going off grew closer and louder. “Gada, go
help Rune,” Kylah said. “I can handle this Xphen.” Gada didn’t move. “Go. I’m
the super soldier, right? Go help my mate.”
Once he was gone, Kylah turned her attention to the Xphen. “What is
your name?”
“I am called Arlax.”
“I hope what you said was true, Arlax. Now outside. You’re coming
with us.” She motioned toward the exit with her sword.
The small alien grabbed something like a backpack off one of the
tables, then preceded her out of the dome. Gada and Rune had already taken out
the remaining soldiers. They came to meet Kylah and Arlax.
Rune gave her a hug. “You okay?”
She smile. “Yes. Not a scratch. This is Arlax. He says he’s part of
an Xphen rebel faction. He wants to help us.”
“Can we trust you, Xphen?”
Arlax nodded. “I mean you no harm, Rune. I’ll prove it.” He turned
to Gada. “Give me your wrist control. Quickly. I need to remove the tracker.
With the loss of seven soldiers others on the ship will send more to
investigate. We must be well away from here before they arrive.”
Gada handed Arlax his wrist control. The Xphen took the back off and
used a small tool from his pocket to remove a microchip. He dropped it to the
ground and used a rock to smash it. Once the back was replaced he returned the
control to Gada.
Arlax pushed a few buttons on his, and a space craft came to land in
the middle of the camp. “Hurry,” he said. “Take
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