:fear: Ok, I'm finally going to share the fanfic I've been writing with you. Some of you may already have read it but for those who haven't, it is set after the Peacekeeper Wars and I've mainly done it as an homage to Chi. I'm not the best writer in the world but it was fun to write. I'd appreciate any comments but please be gentle :lol: It's nearly finished, phew.

Resistance


‘Frell’ I fell back on the damp wall my arm still throbbing from the blast it had taken earlier this morning. I longed to bathe it in the fennis root oil I had in my pouch but I still had a way to go to make the rendezvous with Lomas a Nebari for whom I’d searched this past few weeks.

The decrepit tunnel I was now in was soothingly dark after the ruthless sun that burned over frayland however it meant slow going as I was more feeling my way through picking up more scrapes than I cared for, I’d have to get some new leather boots when I got off this wretched planet.

So which way, the fork led off in two directions, I couldn’t recall the directions I’d been given, I’d been too distracted by the Fraylian guards entering the tavern to give my contact any attention after that point, if they had realised who I was then my search would have been over, the Fraylians couldn’t be influenced by either flesh or currency so I had to slip out of there fast. I’d made it to the back doorway just as the first shot came my way hitting above my elbow, the sand bike I had waiting ensured I didn’t get another hit.

Ok I knew the meeting point was near a beach so I guess the way to take would be the wettest, I would have to take a gamble as there wasn’t time to double back later. As I made my way I noticed I was stumbling less, the ground was becoming softer although the air had a putrid stench of decay I choked it out and heard the faintest echo.

Another noise joined it, a flutter of wings maybe, I drew my pulse pistol out this was not the time to get freaked out by trill-bats I crouched down halting my breathing to listen. The noise was becoming louder and I could hear an awful wailing sound heading straight towards me, I knelt on the moist ground cold through my clothes and waited whatever it or they were I was going to get the first strike.

I caused my mind to leave my body, I needed to see what was coming before it saw me, I could no longer feel anything but still my eyes travelled along the tunnel, faster than a pulse blast and there it was a monstrous bat, not like any I’d seen before, possibly over a metra in height its scaled wings flapping to move its large belly of patchy fur its sharp malformed teeth still coated the remains of its last meal. What the hezmana was this thing and why hadn’t I been warned, had I been duped by the slow witted farbot in the tavern.

Just as quickly my mind snapped back to my body, not many options I had to get past the overgrown furball a nervous scream came out of my mouth as I pushed myself up to charge, closing my eyes as I rushed towards it I fired off two blasts at each wing the creature fell backwards and as it did I leapt over its screeching form and ran like hell hoping I’d done enough damage for it not to give chase. Now splashing through water I saw the dark rays of dusk at last before me I swallowed trying to catch my breath, just as I made it to the narrow opening my body was hurled onto the ground as my legs were caught by a rope, I must have been expected.

Chapter 2

I felt hands push between my shoulder blades as I tried to push myself off the damp earth.

‘It’s the Nebari’ said a male voice, I couldn’t see him but he was somewhere in front of me.

‘Help her up’

Shaking off the two men off who were either side of me I lifted myself to my feet my arm burning where one had grabbed it. I could now see the owner of the voice, his tall form cloaked and his head covered by the protective cloth covering of the Fraylian people but his skin was a much darker hue.

‘Were you followed?’

His dark eyes bore through me.

‘No, unless you count the bat creature from Satra’

These must be the rebels that Lomas was staying with, I thought but why wasn’t he here to meet me, the arrangement had been to make contact on the shores, something was wrong.

His eyes smiled though the rest of his face was covered by the gauze fabric; there was a purity to his gaze that reminded me of Crichton.

‘A Shakirin, as ancient as the mountains themselves, you were unlucky to cross one they usually live further underground, you must have great speed to have got through unharmed.’

‘Great, trust me to find one, what’s with the reception, waiting for me or do you just spend your days waiting to trap people for kicks’

I was outnumbered and if anything I had learnt never to show people fear no matter how terrified I was although something in the stranger’s eyes told me I could trust him.

‘I am Pietros, you are here for Lomas no?’ The tall Fraylian now wore a severe look, and I felt a chill.

‘So where the yotz is he’ I asked anxiously.

The dark figure turned his back on me and started walking into the forest

‘He is gone but you must come with us’

I ran up behind him and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him round to face me
“Look I need to see him, that’s why I’m here on this drenhole of a planet; he is supposed to be meeting me.”

I had been travelling for almost a quarter of a cycle to find word of my brother, knowledge of the Nebari resistance was not given for minklets my purse was drained and I was exhausted, this was my last hope. On one outpost full of relkits and worse I had dared to use my new sight to gamble on Javinian tables with great caution allowing me just enough kretmers to get passage here. I had nothing left spurned on solely on the hope of finding Neri.

“You’ve got trox, I’ll give you that”
He laughed pushing me away, Pietros suddenly grew sombre “this drenhole is my home, it wasn’t always this way.”

He began making his way through the dense canopy once more its softly shaded boughs swaying around us, the other men further ahead.

“Lomas received a transmission at sunlight, he didn’t share its source but seemed greatly troubled by it and he left at once to find transport.” He caught the desperation in my eyes that I was trying to hide and his voice softened.

“But he left you a communication disc, I couldn’t risk carrying it on me you understand, but you will have it when we reach camp.”

“He’s not coming back is he” I asked my gaze fixed on his whilst I balanced on a gnarled tree root covered in lichen.

“I had hoped he would stay with us longer, he has been a valuable aid but he has his own cause”, he held a branch up waiting for me to pass under. I touched my neck feeling where the control collar of the Nebari had once been and then smiled leaping towards him.

“So you got any rasnol at this camp of yours, I’m parched”.