Chapter 3

We arrived at camp after it had turned dark so I could only distinguish the tents closest to the fires. I could hear the sound of water close by and smelt the sea air which was making me drowsy. We were on the edge of the forest behind an outcrop of rocks behind which I imagined was the sea.

Pietros greeted his companions and threw aside the cloth of his head covering, a strong proud face lay underneath. There was only one other female that I could see and she was staring at me with equal interest as the men folk. I suppose grey wasn’t the usual colour around here, my skin usually drew interest so I was used to the quizzical look on their faces.

Pietros smiled, “You have to forgive my friends, Lomas was the only other Nebari we have encountered. They are no doubt curious to see a Nebari female.”

“And you” I asked “are you hiding your curiosity?”

“You are a wonder at that” he beamed “as if you should only exist in moonlight, almost ghostly and yet very much alive”

“I try to keep it that way” I looked into my pouch to check the fennis root oil was still intact, I really needed to attend to my arm now but more importantly I needed to see the com disc. No time for manners now

“The disc, can I see it now”

Pietros disappeared inside a tent and brought out a small metal container.
“You may view it in private if you wish, I have neural oculars that you can play it on, just don’t venture too far out, there are some other not so friendly creatures around here like your cave bat. “

I took the disc and the oculars and sat by the fire the container held the small disc and also a badge bearing the picture of Eachak tree (grown only on Nebari).

“I’m too tired for another adventure tonight and I’m sure you are just as curious to learn whats on here” I said genuinely exhausted. I hooked the oculars up so they would display the communication in hologram form, a flickering blue image of a man appeared before the fire.

“Forgive me for leaving Chiana but I have learnt that a Nebari military ship has been sighted near one of our bases on Catola, they could learn more than we could afford if they are captured and I must amass reinforcements at once.

I have news of your brother he is back on Nebari prime seeking intelligence; I cannot leave you co-ordinates for his location however there is a contact named Tirla who can lead you further. Leave the Eachak symbol behind the bar at the Blackriver Inn and take lodging, she will find you. I warn you though Neri has been much changed by this struggle.”

The image of Lomas disappeared before me leaving me in utter terror. I had sworn I would never step foot on that accursed planet again. If I was captured then I would once again be a slave my freedom no longer my own, was I really willing to take that chance. I reached for the nearest bottle hoping its contents were strong enough to put out the horror that lay inside me.

Chapter 4

I must have fallen asleep by the fire my tortured thoughts dulled by the liquor I’d drowned myself in. After my reaction to the hologram no-one tried to speak to me leaving me to drift in unanswered questions. How would I even get to Nebari Prime, I would have to raise enough currency for passage and I doubted I could do it in one journey. There were enough ships willing to forego the usual trade routes into Nebari Prime which were controlled by the government but again this would cost double.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to fool Nebari officials that I was mind cleansed, I was far too impetuous for that so I’d have to think of another way. I hated to admit it but right now I needed Rygel, he was always the strategist in shall we say less than legal pursuits.

Rygel was back on Hyneria now finally welcomed home as Dominar once more. I had planned to join him there before D’Argo, no I couldn’t start thinking about D’Argo now I had to think straight.

It wasn’t quite light yet and I had slipped into unconsciousness before I had seen to my arm. I found the badge was still in my hand, my fingers curled around it I slipped it into my pouch cursing it.

Quietly I made my way behind the rocks and followed the stones down to the shore. I bathed my arm in the cold surf of the sea the spray catching my face as I bent down, my arm stung where the salt water touched it but I welcomed the coolness on it. I crossed back over the stony beach and finally applied the fennis oil on the wound which soothed it instantly. As I sat hunched on a smooth rock footsteps approached from behind me.

“I can help you get passage a trade station close to Nebari Prime”

The voice belonged to Pietros who was looking at my damaged arm.

“And what would you want in return” I asked cynically, would Pietros turn out to be another Fenik out for pleasure.

“There is a shipment that I need sending back with the transport; if you can get me the shipment then you owe me nothing more.”

I laughed this guy was klempt, “and what makes you think I would get you your shipment and not just leave on the next ship out of there.”

He took my hand, “Because you have seen the pain my people endure on this planet, robbed of everything from the Scarran imposed tyrants here. You will help me, the cause for which we fight is not so dissimilar”

I hated the Scarrans even more than the Nebari, they had robbed me of D’Argo, yes I would help Pietros, if it would help satisfy my revenge, I would have perhaps helped him anyway but that was enough to sway me.

“I’ll get you your shipment and you can send me to Satra (hell) “

We discussed the arrangements and then went back to camp to eat something before our journey to the docks. Once on board a transport I could contact Rygel, I was going to need his help to get me onto Nebari Prime safely.

I was sad to leave these strange Fraylians, if I hadn’t been so anxious to find Neri I would have been happy to settle with them for a while as it was I knew little about them but they shared the same wounds and that was enough to make us friends. I thanked Pietros with a kiss as I boarded the small transport pod, he grinned widely and gave me a package. It was a head covering like the ones his people wore only made of a finer weave and though it was blue it shimmered silver in the light. I smiled and turned away to hide the tears forming in my eyes.