The Starward Exiles Entry 14: Madulluel's Soldier (Serial Novel)

Doubt besieged my heart as we crossed the mountains. Its subtle effect was corrosive, eating at the soul’s defenses like acid. I all but ignored the orange hue in the air and the long, razor-sharp peaks that broke the smog-like clouds into rolling, writhing sheets. The mountain pass was not deep. Unlike the first pass from the tarmac to the town, this set of mountains seemed more like the wall of a city.

We crossed the pass after only a few minutes, rounding a bend and seeing an enormous basin. In the center of this grass-and-shrub-covered plain was a large city, although, to me, it looked very unlike any city I’d seen on earth. As bizarre as the description may seem, between the circle of mountains surrounding the city and the shape of the buildings themselves, the whole area reminded me more of a nest filled with eggs than anything else.

While the town’s buildings looked like eggs whose bottom thirds had been buried in the dirt, the city’s skyscrapers appeared to be silver or glass eggs stretched into tall, narrow ovals. The base narrowed from the center of the structure, while the top climbed toward the sky, random windows and jewels spattering the surface of each building. To keep the buildings upright, a diamond grid of gold or black scaffolding ran from the widest portion of the oval skyscrapers to the ground. Panels of glass filled the cells of the diamond grids holding up the silver skyscrapers, while the cells of the scaffolding connected to the glass skyscrapers were empty, and ribbons and flags fluttered in a small breeze. It was as if people climbed that scaffolding to see whose ornament could wave above the rest. Something like Christmas lights were wrapped around the black and golden frames, adding to the city’s orange glow.

As with the town, there was no road, only the sidewalk, which did widen as we reached the perimeter of the city, and once we’d passed the first of the skyscrapers, the sidewalk and buildings’ lots all merged into one sheet of asphalt. Shrubs and flowers lined the base of the buildings, but they could hardly be seen under the scaffolding. Streetlights, emanating the same orange hue from Madulluel’s ship, cut the sidewalk in half and were scattered throughout the area.

Canvas awnings hung over the doors and the various carts that were carrying all sorts of goods. Most of the alleyways ended with industrial doors, which opened and closed as the land craft the crew had mentioned before flew out of the alleyways carrying various kinds of freight. I had seen three other ships on the tarmac, so it seemed to me that more freight was moving out of these buildings than the ships could carry.

I’d never seen these land craft before. They were open vehicles, shaped similarly to a four-wheeler with a long, narrow trailer attached to the back. Some of these vehicles were brown; others were green. They had no wheels, and there were multiple boosters positioned on the bottom, sides, and back. These boosters shot jets of air that would kick up dust once they were outside of the city. Positioned as they were, all I saw was trash flying around, and the branches of the small shrubs—some alien species of boxwoods I think—waving in the breeze created by the crafts’ thrust.

Droguldai, Baavi, Humans, and even a few Delvians walked the streets and worked the various stands of food that lined our route. I wouldn’t say the city was packed, but there was certainly enough life here to sustain a civilization.

When we were close to the middle of the city, the sidewalk—or now lane, I suppose—widened further into a sort of city square with a fountain in the middle. A Droguldai maiden in a garment that looked like a toga was spitting water from the various stones on her carved forehead, arms, and back. As on earth, people tossed coins into the pool, and children splashed along the ring of water surrounding the statue. Heath stopped at the foot of this fountain, regarded the statue of the Droguldai woman—I didn’t think the statue looked like Madulluel, but Heath glared at it anyway—then turned and looked at Jeena and Silby.

“Okay. It’s time,” he began. “Jeena, I know you’re not planning to stick around.” He tilted his head toward one of the alleyways behind us. “There are a number of warehouses here who need help. They have secretary jobs, accountants, whatever you want. You just need to ask around. You’ll probably find a job before the end of the day, and they might even give you an advance so you can find a hotel. If that doesn’t work, you can always return to Mary’s. The only advice I have is don’t leave the planet. The Nordics will be looking for you.”

Without a word, Jeena turned and walked off.

“She’s gonna stab us in the back,” Helen said once Jeena was out of earshot. “She’ll hop on some other smuggler’s ship and search out the Nordics herself.”

“She doesn’t know anything that could hurt us,” Heath said.

“What about Mary?” Helen asked.

“Her goal is to kill me, not her,” Heath said.

“It’s not worth the risk,” Jill said.

Heath glared at Jill. Jill bit her lip and nodded. Heath looked back at Silby. “What about you? You’re welcome to stay with us, but we’re going to war. I’d feel better if you were here. Mary and Tom can keep you company if you get lonely, and I’m sure it won’t take you long to make friends.”

“I don’t feel right about leaving if you’re going to war,” Silby said. “What if you need help?”

Cynthia said, “We’ve learned to fight, Silby. You haven’t. We wouldn’t feel right about taking you along.”

Silby was silent for a long time, then she asked Heath, “You and Tom are still working together?”

“We are,” Heath said. “He’s our main supplier.”

“Do you think he’d let me work with him? I’d like to help you all somehow.”

“You can ask him,” Heath said. “They’re always needing help here, so I’d say your odds are good.”

“Even if he can’t, stay in touch with them,” Cynthia said. “They’ll let you know if we come back. Maybe when the war is over you can join us.”

Silby smiled and nodded. “So, should I go ask him, or should I apply at the warehouse?”

“I’d talk to him,” Heath said. “We can give you some money so you can find a place to stay for a few nights, and you can go back to Mary’s in the morning.”

Silby nodded, then Heath gave her a few coins, and once Silby had hugged everyone and said her goodbyes, she started down one of the many streets leading out of the square.

When she was out of sight, Jill said, “Glad you’re showing some sense. I was going to slap you if you took her to the warehouse.”

“I’m not worried about Silby,” Heath said.

“Jeena has some power over her,” Helen said. “Which brings me back to my point. Jeena is a problem.”

“What are you suggesting?” Heath asked.

“You know what I’m suggesting,” Helen said. “Let me follow her to some alleyway and deal with it.”

“We can’t do that!” Cynthia shouted.

“She thought Mary was going to take her side,” Helen argued. “But now everybody’s getting along, so they’re complicit.”

“Helen’s right,” Jill said. “I was watching her on the way here. She’ll go after Mary to get to you, Heath. She’ll tell the Nordics about this place.”

“Even if they make her a slave again?” Cynthia asked.

“I don’t think it bothered her that much,” Helen said. “For whatever reason, she’s decided that everything is Heath’s fault. In her head, he’s more a villain than they are.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Cynthia said. “We can’t kill her.”

“She’ll wipe out this whole planet,” Jill said.

“How?” Heath asked. “You really think the Nordics don’t already know about it? Just because they haven’t attacked doesn’t mean this place is a secret. There have been so many Nordics, Reptilians, and Greys through here that secrecy would be impossible. In their minds, this place is just another black market that they’re willing to tolerate. If they can break past the outer planets, that might change, but Jeena can’t make things better or worse.”

“She knows about Mark,” Helen said.

“So?” Heath asked. “We don’t even know who Mark is. All we’ve got is his name.”

“The Nordics might think Mary is valuable enough to attack the planet,” Jill said.

Heath raised an eyebrow. “We’re not that important.”

“Yes. You are,” Jill said.

“And if you’re not now, you will be,” Helen added.

Heath glared at the two women for a minute, then shook his head. “We’re not killing anybody. She’s mad now, but just give her a few days to cool off and live a normal life. I’m sure she’ll calm down.”

“Nobody wants to be a sex slave,” Cynthia said. “Jeena isn’t that far gone.”

Jill shook her head but said, “Fine.”

“This is stupid,” Helen muttered. “But you’re the boss, Heath.”

Thankfully, nobody asked for my opinion, and we left the square, presumably heading for Tom’s warehouse. Heath led us to a lot with a set of industrial doors on the far end. About halfway down the lot, the doors opened and out stepped a tall, broad-shouldered, and shaggy blond-haired boy, wearing a sort of armor I’d never seen before. It looked medieval in a way, but it was strange. He wore a green breastplate with golden embroidery outlining the sides and pecks. This embroidery also made a single line from the base of the sternum to the bottom of the plate, and it outlined the top of the shoulder guards, which curved upward at an angle, starting at the neckline and climbing upward until they reached their zenith just past the deltoids. Another guard lined the man’s neck like an open shirt collar. It rose nearly to the young man’s cheeks. As for the man’s arms and legs, they were covered in the same green and gold armor, but there were no discernible plates. His limbs looked to be incased in a carved sheath. But as he walked, both his arms and legs looked to be unhindered. I have no guess as to how this was done. The only seams I could see were where the breastplate met the arms. I couldn’t see if there were any seams where the legs met the pelvis because the breast plate tapered off just below the groin. After straining for a moment, I did see that he was wearing greaves and boots, but they were of the same design as the armor, and it was impossible to distinguish them from the armor at a distance. At his side was the silver handle of a bastard sword with a brown sheath, and behind him billowed a golden cape.

He met us halfway down the lot and heartily shook Heath’s hand.

Heath raised a cynical eyebrow and said, “Is that supposed to stop bullets?”

“It’s Delvian, and it’s meant to stop Nordic lasers. Might stop a small caliber, though. It’s my great honor to meet you, Heath. I would use your last name, but I don’t know it. However, Madulluel speaks highly of you.”

“So, you’re Mark,” Heath said.

“I am.”

“No last name?”

“Harrison, but Madulluel wouldn’t know it either.”

“So, you’re the one who’s supposed to turn us into soldiers,” Heath said, letting go of Mark’s hand.

“Actually, I need a pilot, but I’m sure we can find a way to tell Madulluel’s tale without lying.”

“How’s that?”

“I don’t know. But there will be plenty of time to think on it once we reach the camps.” He turned to me and smiled. “Do you mind if I call you Nicholas?”

“Not at all,” I said.

He approached me and shook my hand as well. “I usually address people by rank, but you and I shall be working closely together, and referring to you as Hieromonk might become tedious. How much has Madulluel told you?”

“Not enough,” I admitted. “I was told I would be leading a missions effort on one of the outer planets. Then I was told that my mission would be used as a way to bait the Nordics into a confrontation.”

“That’s one aspect of the plan,” Mark said. “But you’ll still have time to commit to your true work. I’ll explain the details on the ship. We have a long detour ahead of us.”

“Detour?” Jill asked.

Mark nodded. He then looked at the three women and smiled. “I suspect you’re the real reason Heath has such a reputation.” Mark gave them a charming grin.

“No,” Jill said, bluntly. “That’s kind of you, but no. I’d like to know about this detour.”

“Stop it,” Cynthia said. “He’s just trying to be nice.” She took Mark’s hand and shook it just as heartily as he’d done to Heath. “I’m happy to meet you.”

Mark looked at Jill and Helen again, then back at Jill. “Am I in for it?”

Jill giggled. “For sure.”

“Can you three tell me your names?” Mark said. The three women gave their names, then Mark nodded and stepped back. He looked at the group, and his face turned serious. “One thing Madulluel has made clear to me is that you’ve suffered. I was spared your fate, so I’m afraid I don’t have much to say in the way of comfort. But we’re going to make them pay for it. Not for vengeance, but because others are suffering too, even now, as we speak. This is a just fight, a fight I think you’ll find worthwhile.”

“It doesn’t matter what we think,” Helen said. “We’re here for a job, and even if we pull this off, Heath just becomes a sex slave again.”

“Heath is in a difficult position, one I haven’t found a solution to yet, and to tell you the truth, I’m not sure I can. But I will try my best. As for the cause, I think once you’ve seen what I plan to show you, you’ll want justice, not just for yourselves but for others.” He tilted his head toward the doors. “Follow me.”

He turned and started for the warehouse. We followed. I tried to catch up to the man because I had so many questions about my mission, but his stride was quick, and Heath beat me to him anyway.

“So, you plan to double-cross Mad. Just for me, huh? I’m sure she’ll like that.”

“You’re a cynical mam,” Mark said without looking at Heath. “I understand. But I never said double-cross. If there’s a middle path, I will find it, and if not, then perhaps the Almighty has a greater purpose for you in captivity.” He paused. “Actually, I’m not sure captivity is the right word. You had a daughter with Madulluel. Yes?”

“Yeah,” Heath muttered.

“Did you make peace with Mary?”

“I did.”

“Did you have any other children?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Then it seems the child is the last loose thread. Perhaps raising her isn’t the worst thing that could happen to you.”

Heath grabbed Mark’s shoulder and spun the man to face him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then you shouldn’t have brought it up,” Mark said, smiling. “Compulsion isn’t the best foundation for a relationship, as I’m sure you’re aware. For that reason, I’ll help you if I can. But a child still needs a father.”

Mark yanked his shoulder free of Heath’s grip and continued walking.

Heath watched the young man for a moment, then ran back up to him. “How is she going to have a father when I’m dead?”

“I don’t know, but if I have my way, I’ll die before you,” Mark said.

Heath stopped walking again, and this time, he did not bother to catch up with Mark. He fell in line with the girls, who’d also overheard the conversation. Nobody spoke until we entered the warehouse.

Once inside, I saw three land crafts, their trailers filled with metal crates. There were two rows of five in the trailers, each row stacked three high. Mark hopped onto one of the landing craft, but Heath stared at the trailers for a moment, then said, “I’m not moving anything until I know what’s inside.”

“Suit yourself,” Mark said amiably. He then picked up a helmet that was sitting behind him on the seat. It looked like a green and gold samurai kabuto, with a single curved spike that grew from the nose guard and stopped a few inches above the helmet’s crown.

Mark put the helmet on, and everyone waited for him to answer Heath’s question, but he said nothing. Mark continued to sit on the land craft, grinning at everyone until Helen spotted a crowbar on the wall behind the soldier. Helen crossed the room without a word, grabbed the crowbar, hopped onto one of the trailers, and pried a lid open. She looked down and frowned. Then she lifted a wad of white fabric, showing it to us.

“Clothes,” Helen said confused.

Heath glared at Mark. “Where are we going?”

Mark’s grin grew. “We’re going to clothe the naked.”

Helen tilted the fabric as she inspected it, and a gun barrel fell to the ground.

May God grant you peace.

Hieromonk Nicholas Petrov