Tales of the Journeyman. The Elvanol Paradox

Chapter 14 An Eventful Journey

Chapter 14. An Eventful Journey 

 The shuttle craft Morning Star was well into her journey heading for the Elvanol homeworld Mazarchia. Rolly sat facing the two Invars on the bridge of her ship. ‘Well I hope you have come suitably equipped for our mission?’

 Derenby turned to his companion Semiantor. ‘I believe my assistant has provided for our needs.’ He was looking at the younger Invar as he responded to Rolly’s question.

 ‘You mean you haven’t already checked?’ Rolly replied.

 ‘I have complete faith in Semi’s capabilities.’. Again Derenby was looking at the now visibly nervous Semiantor who appeared quite likely to collapse in a quivering heap before their very eyes.

 ‘Yes sir of course I have er... I think so anyhow, I have brought two weapons, pulse handguns and our invisibility cloaks; oh and provisions for two or three days.’

 ‘There you are, as I said, complete faith.’ Derenby said, relieved at the answer he had received.

 Rolly grinned. ‘Well that will certainly be a new experience for me, accompanied by two Invars armed to the teeth and invisible as well. Now there’s a force to be reckoned with.’

 Derenby pulled himself up to his full height. ‘As always my friend, you underestimate us and I feel quite insulted by your sarcasm’.

 ‘Oh come on now Derenby, where’s that well known Invar sense of humour? You are far too touchy.’

  Semiantor was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable at the exchanges between Rolly and Derenby but his master patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. ‘Semi you must not be alarmed at our banter; it has been going for quite a few years now.’

 The younger Invar glanced nervously at the two. ‘Perhaps I should prepare some food before we land?’

 The Elvanol smiled encouragingly at Semiantor. ‘Sounds like an excellent idea.’

Rolly’s smile quickly disappeared as she scanned the charts before her. She turned to Derenby as Semiantor hurried aft to prepare their meal. ‘I’m just trying to work out where the safest place to land undetected might be.’

 ‘Sorry Rolly but that’s not something I can help you with I’m afraid. It’s years since I last visited your homeworld. Exactly where did you see the Shades’ landing site?’ 

 ‘It was close to our capital city and there aren’t many locations nearby where we could remain hidden except for a densely forested area on the other side of the city so that will have to serve. I can keep the ship’s cloaking on but only for a limited time. Our small craft don’t have the power to maintain cloaking devices for extended periods of time.’

 ‘In that case Rolly we are just going to have to work that much faster. It’s an intelligence gathering mission only and then we return to the Library Moon as quickly as possible.’      

 Rather than bringing the Morning Star into a low, shallow descent Rolly decided to take her craft into a steep dive, testing the vessel’s heat shielding capabilities to its very limits. She hoped that if detected the Shades might mistake the ship for a meteor strike. Her tactics proved sound and she brought the shuttle in on its final descent, landing in the interior of the forest accompanied by crashing branches and foliage. The cloaked vessel finally touched down gently belying its initial crash through the tree canopy.

 ‘So far so good.’ Rolly muttered while Semiantor Quilley unclenched his white knuckled fists and slowly opened his eyes after letting out a deep exhale of breath.

 Derenby gave his apprentice an encouraging pat on the shoulder as the still shaking Invar fumbled with his seat belt. ‘It’s okay now Semi, you can relax. Not the most elegant of landings but at least we are safely down.’

 Rolly snorted. ‘I don’t know about that. Under the circumstances it was a pretty good landing. More to the point though, I’m not picking up any detection warnings from my monitoring instruments.’ 

 As the party prepared to leave the Morning Star. Rolly addressed her companions. ‘Make sure you check all your equipment, weapons, camouflage cloaks and most importantly provisions. I suggest we cannot stay much longer than two or three cycles and it would be good if we can make contact with the Delens rather than just observe the Shades’ activities from afar.’

 ‘So how do we proceed and how far do you think we are from your Anildar capital?’

 ‘We are one day’s trek from the city and I have landed us due north. There is a large Delen settlement also north of the city, on the edge of the forest. We should make for there and try our best to make contact with our friends, undetected of course.’

 ‘Sounds like a plan’ Derenby turned to his assistant. ‘Quickly now Semi, we must prepare at once; the sooner we do this the sooner we can leave and hopefully reconvene with the Journeyman and the children.’

 The three left the cloaked vessel, they themselves similarly camouflaged in their Elvanol cloaks and struck out south through the dense woodland. They trekked in silence with the Invar following Rolly in single file, Derenby taking up the rear. Then disaster struck. They hadn’t travelled much more than the first kilometre when Rolly’s path was suddenly blocked by a huge figure appearing as from nowhere out of the heavy foliage before them. The Elvanol had no time to react as the deformed shape of a Shade warrior blocked her path, pointing his pulse weapon directly at them. ‘Not so well hidden in your cloaks, lay your weapons down.’ The harsh guttural voice commanded.’ 

 ‘Wh... Who are they Master Penn?’ Spluttered Semiantor as he dropped his pulse weapon.

 ‘Shades.’ Derenby spat out the words.

 ‘Not just Shades but Pharier and Hasradans.’ Groaned Rolly.

 Derenby looked around to see other figures emerging from the undergrowth, more Shade troopers. Then the Invar saw the squat Pharier with their huge hooked beaks and talon like claws and the taller stooping figures of the Hasradans with their long dreadlocks and metal breast plated armour.

 The Invar gasped. ‘By all that’s evil in the known galaxies!’