Star Trek PBEM Sim / Star Trek RPG
OUR STAR TREK PBEM STORIES: REMEMBRANCES PAST
Title: Remembrances Past, Part Nine
Location: Pandora's Box, CO's Stateroom
Flashback Setting (Saldar/Kamranov): Takharesh X
As he traveled, Saldar looked for a good place to hide at every opportunity. He
knew that there wasn't any he could reach in time from the sound of the
footsteps. He looked down at the front of this robe, making sure the prince was
still hidden.
Company came in an unexpected form, that of a young girl and her parents. Saldar
jumped and shrank back, pretending he had not known they were coming when they
came into view.
"Don't be afraid," the father spoke. "We won't hurt you. We escaped from the
village." He put his daughter down. It was hard to tell but she looked about
eight or ten Terran years old.
"They are burning our village to the ground looking for some people," the mother
said in tears.
Saldar changed languages to one more appropriate for his chosen caste and the
current setting. "Who are they looking for?" he asked, making sure the accent of
his caste was present.
"We don't know," the father lied. He had become newly part of the resistance
allied with the Intel group. The father was unable to evacuate his family in
time when the call came out to leave. He did not know the allegiance of the
beggar so he did not want to give any details. He had no waying of knowing
Saldar was on the same side and had in fact been the one who had issued the
orders to leave and take any allied with his group to safety, if they wanted to
leave their homes behind.
"Saldar," the beggar said giving his cover name and identity. He wondered the
same about the family's ties to any political group. He recognized them, having
met them before, but that didn't mean anything for allegiances during times of
stress and war. One person could change sides at any second and the scale tipped
dramatically.
Saldar felt the prince start to awake. He hoped desperately that the boy would
stay asleep. It was best no one knew he was here.
"Do you know your way around the caves?" the father asked.
"I've escaped some beatings here before a couple of times and one yesterday,"
Saldar replied.
"I am sorry people treat your kind that way. Can you get us around and out
safely?" the mother asked.
Saldar paused a moment.
"Please," they begged. "Take us with you."
Saldar exhaled. This cut down the chances of being able to save the prince
considerably. Depending on how good the family had concealed their steps this
far, or more importantly how determined his pursuers were, he had little enough
lead left. If they were the same group trying to burn down the village they may
have been looking for him and the prince there.
The hard choice was made for him.
"Come out where we can see you," a deep, menacing voice of authority boomed.
Knowing it was all over, the father decided to sacrifice himself. "Here I come.
Don't shoot," he said.
"All of you come out," the voice bellowed.
"Please, save her?" whispered the mother to Saldar softly. She put the girl's
hand into Saldar's hand, signifying adoption in her culture. To give a child
into his caste was unheard of and showed the desparation of the mother for her
child to live.
The girl had dark hair and a tear stained face. She was some years older than
the prince and had met the beggar previously. She was not afraid of him, but did
not like his smell. She thought though he was funny and nice. She had seen him
visit her village several times selling things and trying to get money by
cleaning porches. She was however very afraid for her mother and father.
"Coming," said the mother.
Saldar took the girl's hand and began walking quickly and quietly. He did not
look back. He was glad the prince did not stir under his robes to see what was
going on. If they could get away, the soldiers in the cave would not find out
directly, nor by interrogation of the parents, that there was anyone other than
a beggar of the lowest, most disdained caste in the cave hiding to escape a
beating.
Saldar heard the hurried footsteps of the mother as she joined her husband.
There was some barely audible speech. Then he heard two shots ring out and echo
in the caves.
Saldar squeezed the girl's hand to comfort her as she tried to hold back the
tears swelling in her eyes about to give way. They moved quickly to the side of
the cave and down a tunnel. He worked hard carrying the concealed little prince
away from the family's pursuers while holding the other child's hand.
Twenty minutes later, the bats returned and so did Edgar to his roost. The
girl's tears stopped for a moment as she saw the funny sight of the bat on the
beggar's head and his head covering being used as a roost. For the first time,
Saldar didn't mind Edgar's hitch hiking.
"We rest now," Saldar told the girl. She nodded.
Saldar opened his robe. He gently picked the boy out from the sling he was
carrying him with from under his robes. The girl's dark eyes grew wide with
surprise but she said nothing. She studied the boy who was much younger than
herself. He was dirty and sick, but somehow looked familiar in spite of his
beggarly clothes. She wondered where she had met or seen him before.
"They are gone?" asked the prince in his language. He did not seem fearful now.
"For the moment," Saldar replied, making sure to speak the girl's language which
he hoped the prince would be able to follow. "We can't rest too long. Water?" he
asked.
"Yes, please. After you," the boy said trying to change languages to match the
one that Saldar just spoke. His accent was however thick, indicating what caste
he was from or around the most. There was none higher than his. Rahdemi did not
notice having any accent but did notice how fatigued his rescuer was getting.
Saldar looked at the girl. Her brows were furrowed trying to figure out who the
boy was and her eyes were still wide from the surprise that he had been carrying
this boy the whole time.
Saldar tried not to show it, but he hoped she had drank plenty with her parents
on the way in. Much to his relief, she shook her head indicating that she did
not want any.
Saldar drank sparingly but sufficiently, uncertain how long they might have to
hide out in the caves if things deteriorated badly enough to warrant that. He
still hoped to make it to the rendezvous on the other side, but did not know if
the safety on the other side had been compromised.
He gave the water to the prince who drank quite a bit.
"I feel stronger," the boy said. "I would like to walk," he announced, knowing
that the man carrying him needed a break and that he did really feel better.
Saldar thought for a moment on that and what to do now with an extra child. He
did know he needed the rest of not carrying the prince to make better time later
and be ready for anything. "Yes, thank you," he replied.
They walked for a long time until suddenly part of the ledge gave out under the
girl. Prince Rahdemi thought fast and pushed her out of the way in time, but
could not move fast enough himself. He began to slip and fall. He reached his
short little arms and tiny hands up to grab anything as more of what was below
his feet gave way.
Saldar struggled to reach the dangling prince. He'd have used his rope but there
was no time. The boy began to slip further. While fear shown in the child's eyes
as he held on to Saldar by one arm, he did not cry or cry out. He did not want
to alert any pursuers for he rightly assumed the hunt for him would continue and
Saldar. His cousin could not ascend to the throne while he lived or people
thought he might still be alive.
Saldar, hearing more of the ledge give way and seeing more of it fall under the
prince, boldly and quickly moved to wedge his left foot between some stalagmites
to get a better and longer hold on the boy. He was rewarded with the extra
length he needed to be able to grab Rahdemi's out stretched hand. It came
however at a great cost as he felt something in his foot snap and a terrible
pain as he hoisted Rahdemi up.
Half an hour later, they finally reached his destination 2/3 of the way through
the caverns underneath the mountain, checked it out to be safe and stopped to
rest. The bats had left by now, not wanting to be this far away from their
regular roost as morning came.
Saldar sat down and wanted desperately to remove his boot and legging. He knew
he should take a look at his foot but he thought if he did he'd never get the
boot back on. He was pretty sure from the pain and the sound it had made that it
was more than a sprain. Saldar elevated it while he rested.
"How is the foot?" Prince Rahdemi asked concerned.
"It's fine," Saldar lied. "It just hurts a little," he added lying some more.
Then suddenly he motioned for everyone to be quiet, dimmed his chemlight and
listened.
There was the telltale faint whine of a stussimer, a type of
propelled grenade used by the Jullai. Saldar doubted it was a Jullai
who launched it though and got up quickly. He motioned to move ahead
silently and hold hands as he terminated the chemical reaction for
the light. Saldar had spent some time earlier teaching a few sign
signals by sight and touch to make it unnecessary to make a sound to
communicate any idea or to need to see the sign if the complete
blackness of the cave was needed.
Kerrrrfrzt!! The stussimer detonated and the force of the explosion
set off a series of tunnel collapses.
