Solar Star
Chapter Thirteen

Maclyn’s first look at the Sakkara compound filled him with dread as there seemed to be hundreds of troops encircling the landing area and he could see bodies on the ground but wasn’t able to make out who they were. He sat tensely in Ty’s chair watching the view screen as Black Elk gently lowered the ship into the amphitheatre, oblivious to the battle going on all around them. His entire being was totally focused on what he had to do and now it was light he carried out the landing quickly and with precision. The gentle bump confirmed they had arrived and he sighed with relief. He’d done it and as the ramps were released, he began the pre-takeoff checks so they’d be airborne again as soon as everyone was aboard.

‘Ramps down,’ Su-min confirmed.

Maclyn nodded and said.

‘I’m going down to see what’s happening.’

He left the bridge hurriedly.

Sarrin looked at Su-min and Black Elk, and found them smiling knowingly at each other and again he was confused, he felt their concern for their crewmates fighting around them but he also felt amusement, which to him seemed misplaced. He decided to ask them to explain.

‘I do not understand why you both find this situation amusing,’ he said.

Su-min giggled and left it to Black Elk to explain.

‘We don’t find being shot at amusing Sarrin, don’t think that, but we find Maclyn funny.’

Sarrin’s face deepened.

‘Maclyn is funny?’ he queried.

Black Elk sighed as it was hard to explain especially to a non-human but he tried again.

‘I’m not explaining this too well; we humans like to cover up our true feelings, especially men.’

‘You got that right,’ chimed in Su-min.

Black Elk grinned.

‘Yes well, we are not good at saying how we feel. It’s a cultural thing.’

He paused and Sarrin nodded, so he continued.

‘Anyway, Ty and Mac are like brothers; they love each other but don’t like to show it, but we can tell, like now, he’s really gone down to check on Ty and make sure he gets back on board okay.’

Sarrin slowly began to see, if not totally understand. He would need many years to truly know these humans and how they acted; their thoughts he could tap into, but without cultural knowledge they could be misleading.

‘So he is concerned but does not say he is?’ he asked.

Su-min nodded.

‘That’s it.’

Sarrin frowned.

‘Isn’t it better to say he is concerned and loves his friend?’

‘Sure it would but men don’t do that,’ she replied.

‘But women do?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then the women are more honest than men,’ he stated.

‘You’ve got that right,’ she said again and Black Elk just laughed.

Sarrin shook his head in amazement and returned to his instruments.

Doctor Roedensky grabbed the arm of a young woman and helped her regain her footing on the metal ramp as it had become wet and slippery and in the panic to get aboard this young woman had nearly been trampled on. She smiled warmly up at her rescuer; there was an amazing calmness about her even in the midst of the noise and confusion around them.

‘Thank you,’ she said softly and then carried on into the cargo bay with the others.

Something about her touched a hidden place inside the doctor and gave her a jolt. She carried inside her a lot of anger and pain over the loss of her husband and young son which she hadn’t yet fully dealt with, but that girl seemed to have reached inside her with one glance and stirred something she wasn’t sure she wanted to face. She turned to watch her disappear into the crowd, a small slim woman with a reddish tone to her face and long straight black hair. For a single moment she looked back at the doctor and their eyes met and the doctor gasped and suddenly felt weak and then the girl was gone and the doctor was again immersed in helping get the last people aboard.

‘Doctor,’ a voice called above the clacking around the ship.

She turned to find Maclyn coming towards her, his brow furrowed in concern.

‘Mac we’re nearly done here,’ she said, trying to recover from her unnerving experience.

She moved back to the wall to allow a large crate to be carried past them, followed by two more.

‘Once these crates are on board there are the elders and our people and then we’re clear to go.’

‘And not a moment too soon,’ he replied as the sound of firing had increased on their arrival.

He moved to the end of the ramp and looked out and blinked a couple of times unsure of what he eyes were showing him was really true. Around the ridge of the amphitheatre there seemed to be a multi-coloured layered barrier like a bubble blown for the amusement of children but this bubble seemed to be stopping Colonel Nye’s troops from advancing any further. They stood at it firing into the amphitheatre, but their weapons were useless. He didn’t understand what was happening, but was thankful to see the crewmembers running back towards the ship and safety. He went to the end of the ramp to meet them and make sure they all got back on.

Jenny ran back to help Tom Selkirk, who had taken a hit in the shoulder and was bleeding quite heavily and the ramp at the back of the ship just didn’t seem to come any closer, yet she felt her lungs were about to burst with the effort of getting there. Tom staggered and lurched toward her knocking her to one side and her legs buckled sending her crashing to the ground. The air rushed out of her body and she was left gasping like a stranded goldfish fighting to breathe again and everything seemed to be falling in on her and she sat in the middle of all the chaos wondering if this is it.

‘I’m going to die here,’ she thought and was amazed how calm she began to feel.

It was alright to die she realised, although she’d have liked to live a bit longer. She wasn’t sure how long this strange peaceful interlude lasted where she found herself totally detached from everyone around her, looking at them, but feeling nothing, observing but not participating. It couldn’t have been long, a moment or two, but it seemed to last far longer and then she felt a jolt, as if she was suddenly thrown back into the action and she heard the noise of gunfire and people shouting. Someone was calling her name and she looked up to find Doctor Roedensky and Maclyn running towards her so she took a deep breath and this time it went in and her body shuddered once, then she could move again.

‘Are you hurt?’ Maclyn said as he knelt beside her.

She shook her head.

‘No, just winded.’

She glanced at Tom and was relieved to see him being looked after by the doctor.

‘Give me a hand up,’ she said.

Maclyn pulled her to her feet.

‘Can you make it the rest of the way?’ he asked.

She nodded.

‘Is everyone else okay?’ she asked.

‘Seven are already aboard, minor injuries; then there’s you, Tom and Lenny,’ he said looking around for the remaining man.

She grabbed his arm.

‘Lenny’s dead,’ she said and gulped back the tears that were threatening to come.

Maclyn’s jaw dropped and for a brief second he thought she was mistaken, but her face told him she wasn’t. He closed his open mouth and breathed hard as he wanted to know what had happened to him, but now wasn’t the time. The barrier that seemed to be holding up against Nye’s men may not last for long and they were too exposed in the open. There would be enough time later to hear the full story of what had happened here, now he needed to get everyone on Solar Star and away from this place.

‘Get to the ship Jenny,’ he said and patted her arm.

She nodded and began to run to the ship, which now didn’t seem far away at all.

The energy wave created by the elders amplified around them and was now stable and strong so O’realian opened his eyes and watched the ship land safely inside the bubble of waving colours. It was, he realised, a beautiful sight, a rainbow coloured wall of light and energy made of love and consciousness. He had hoped they could be of some help to their defenders, people who so far they hadn’t met, who were risking their lives, so they could be free. This was truly an act of great selflessness and courage and he prayed they were unharmed. The group continued to hold the Katera as he watched the last of the community enter the Solar Star along with the last crates. Now as Ty’s people also began to withdraw it was time for the elders to leave so he touched Tel’kesa’s shoulder and she opened her eyes and nodded and silently she left the group and made her way to the ship. He watched her leave and noted that the man Kassina had said was the Captain came running towards them. He turned and touched Kenyon, who responded as Tel’kesa had, passing Kelsey on the way. O’realian moved away from the rest to speak to the younger man.

“Everyone’s loaded,’ he said breathlessly. ‘It’s time for your people here to go.’

O’realian smiled.

‘Yes it is, but we must do this one at a time.’

He turned back and released another elder before speaking again.

‘Is Kassina on the ship?’ he asked.

Kelsey frowned.

‘No, I thought she was here with you.’

O’realian was surprised.

‘She is not.’

‘Then where is she?’ Kelsey demanded.

‘I don’t know. She went to collect some of her things. Abby saw her after that and said she’d asked about the horses.’

Ty groaned.

‘She isn’t going to try to take her horse is she?’

O’realian had to smile at that.

‘No, not even she would believe she’d get away with that.’

Then a disturbing thought came into his head.

‘But she would try to get Magic,’ he said.

‘Who’s Magic?’ Ty asked, but O’realian had turned back to the elders to send another away to safety.

O’realian could feel Ty’s emotions and impatience so he turned to face him again.

‘Magic is her cat,’ he said.

‘A cat! She’s running about trying to find a cat.’

His voice raised several octaves as he spoke.

‘I fear so,’ O’realian replied.

Another figure was heading towards them and O’realian returned to the elders as Maclyn finally found Ty.

‘Why’d you do it Ty,’ he said angrily.

Ty frowned.

‘Do what?’ he said. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

‘You know, you got me out of the way so you could play soldiers.’

Ty tried to look innocent, but it didn’t really come off, but Maclyn knew he’d never win this argument; Ty would always come up with a good excuse, so he changed the subject.

‘All our crew are accounted for, so once these people are on board we can get out of here.’

Ty shook his head.

‘There’s just one slight problem there.’

‘Oh what’s that?’

‘Kassina.’

Maclyn frowned.

‘Kassina,’ he repeated.

‘Yeah, she’s gone off to look for a cat,’ Ty said. ‘Can you believe it, in all this, she had to wander off looking for a fur ball?’

Maclyn sighed as Ty hated cats at the best of times, but to have the evacuation put in jeopardy by one was not going to go down well. Another elder left the Kataree and only three remained.

‘What are you going to do?’ Mack asked.

‘Look for her I guess....’

Ty sighed heavily.

‘Look Mac, you get back to the ship and once these people are on, you get her out of here.’

‘But what about you.’

‘Hopefully I’ll have her back by then. She can’t be far; this place is surrounded so she has to be in one of these buildings.’

O’realian released another elder before turning to Kelsey.

‘Our rooms were at the end of the first corridor on the right. I think that’s where she is, but I cannot leave now to find her.’

‘No you must get these people away, I’ll go.’

He turned to Mac.

‘And you do as I say Mac. If we are not back you leave. I’ve got my communicator and somehow we’ll get away from here and meet up later.’

He wasn’t at all sure that this would be possible, but he couldn’t risk the ship just for them. Mac didn’t like it one bit, but knew he was right.

‘Okay, but you’d better get back or I’ll be the Captain and you won’t like that.’

Ty smiled and then took off disappearing inside the community buildings.

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