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Corky had located some of the devices he wanted from the museum. La Toyah had become aware of events and the aftermath. She HAD to. No one would DARE, NOT inform her. So Claria's team were believed to be trapped somewhere with the old mining tunnels? Caverns? Only one race could help and reluctant as she was to involve them, she knew, she had NO choice but to enlist their help.
La Toyah is not a flesh being as such. An amibiotic life form, conceived one might believe in a laboratory of sorts. Not that anyone would dare taunt her with the ‘Born in a test tube‘ jest. Whether said nicely or as a rude remark, said to offend. You would not be wise to comment with that on your tongue!.Not that she has a temper as we would perceive such to be. More a case of wait your turn and I WILL have my revenge for you insulting me kind of scenario? But I digress.
The Dragonja? They had been on the planet since the time it was first mined. Living in the Forbidden lands, or what the Kets referred to, as ‘The Far Away Lands’. Perhaps, for the Kets that were trapped in the midst of all of that rock? From within those lands, might come, their salvation!
It is whispered. Amongst those who have become ‘Elder’ Kets at the Akademy. A position I should add that can only be attained by Kets who have been there for over 2 of our Earth years. Having been recognised by their tutors as having reached a satisfactory level of learning for them to be an example to other Kets. Rumors of a strange race of beings that exist within the Far Away Lands?. But was that fantasy or reality?
Since neither can be disproved one way or the other without going there and discovering for yourself the truth at the risk of expulsion? Such tales, legends; persist. According to the Imperitannica Galactica there were originally three races that were to be found upon Onica before the miners arrived.
Hoki who is known to Hellenia is a Simeron. They keep to themselves, for good reason. They are far too advanced a race of beings to allow their knowledge to fall into the wrong hands. When the miners arrived on Onica, backed by the Biaki mining corporation, they encountered hostility to their plans to seize valuable mineral and other resources. A war broke out. The mining corporation would not permit any acts or threat to their miners. Their property and assets deposited on the planet to allow them to continue their operations.
Sabotage? Guerilla style tactics, in, out, as much destruction and chaos as you can create and an almost invisible enemy? Savage, brutal. Conclusive.
What the corporation thought would be dealt with quickly was anything but. Over a year later and little or no return on their investment, it looked as though they were having second thoughts and a possibility of them pulling out altogether? For the locals as we might call them, a victory? Not quite.
The corporation sent in armed squads of bionetics, to deal with attacks. Providing protection for the workers and ensuring shipments left the planet for them to sell. The weapons were expensive, latest technology as was then known. The Simeron, had they chosen to involve themselves, would have wiped out the squads with ease, but they remained neutral. Thus it was left to the other races, one in particular that had been waging the war against the invaders.
They did not have that level of technology. As Corky and I should say, Serenia; will tell you? Simplistic guerilla warfare using what the squads would have deemed antique weapons and ideas, can prove far more devastating than high tech weapons. Traps had been set and the invaders did not know where or how they had been contrived, set by, or could be activated with ease by the ‘locals‘. Seeing some of the horror inflicted on them, including the squads aswell was having its toll on morale.
Desertion? Unusual but, it was happening. They were off to the satellite and then gone. Numbers started to dwindle. That meant production suffered, goods to sell were reduced, profits down AGAIN. PLUS those squads had to be paid for. Weapons, equipment.
One of the miners geologists, was a male called Arquin Trace. He was a Humana, his work involved finding new sites and mapping them, indicating where to find their desired resources. He frequently explored the lands beyond the estuary. Finding even more resources. A lone male, unarmed, was not of interest to the locals. He did not dress, nor appear to be a miner.
Not that he was not observed. Watched. Tracked by the Dragonja. Across the vast areas of the lands beyond the estuary. To the area inhabited by the Simeron? An unseen, unknown race to him. In a cavern, scanning the walls and finding rich Trexllium deposits? He was more than pleased with his days work. Suddenly. he stopped. Listened. Yes, there it was again!
Faint cries from across the cavern? The closer he got to the sounds the louder they became and were, without doubt of something in pain? What he saw was unreal. Tiny in size and with wings? Struggling to break free from where it had become trapped. As he would discover, it was a very young Simeron. A loose rock had hit its foot? Well it looked like a foot. Panic had found the Ket Simeron falling back into this crevice to get itself trapped. Struggling to release itself.
Arquin was bigger, much much bigger than it. The sight of him, this giant of a thing. Terrifying. Closer to the Simeron Ket? Even larger and fear? The rock was removed and Arquin gently lifted the Ket to safety? Zarac had been assigned to watch the stranger. He saw him lift the Ket, gently stroke it and reassure it? No violence, no threat to it, kind, compassionate? Perhaps these invaders were not the threat to his race that they had been made out to be? Arquine put the Ket down as he heard a noise? Around him a ring of light that held him, bound him. He could not move.
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