Stellar Saviors

fifth chapter

     I fell asleep sitting upright in the ship. The flight seemed to drag on. Lolti mentioned something about arriving at First Colony, the first to be liberated. When I woke up the landing ramp like ours was lowering to show the city. It didn't look anything like ours had. Our tower was stacked, largest floor to smallest. This tower looked thick and was rectangular. Not many windows either. Their houses and buildings surrounding it were different. They were in sorted sections.
  A section larger than another, one with no windows like the tower, a section with larger buildings, and a section which I assumed to be human quarters.
   We slowly hovered to the ground, far from the tower. The ship shook as we landed, vibrating me side to side. Lolti didn't seem to move at all. When the shaking stopped she undid her seatbelts. I set the helm to the side and began to undo mine, I didn't quite understand how they worked. We never had clips like these in all my time.
    She seemed to notice and walked to me, undoing the belts with ease. I would've figured it out but it's nice of her to help.
     Taking hold of the helm once more we made our way off the ship. Lolti led me to the city's edge where tables of Khagveks were sitting. I was about to ask about it when she spoke up,"My people keep track of who goes in and out of the city. We try to make sure each human is counted for, for safety reasons. Recent colonies have a habit of running away. They have more distrust towards my people. We do not blame them, in these situations we let the human troops help them,"
    Safety reasons, letting the humans help, not blaming us? They are very different from the Shakall. She led me to the tables where two Khagveks sat.
    "Salem, Ismene, mission went successful. I've brought another one to interview. How are today's numbers, " Lolti went on with asking the two. They have a system where they log who's leaving and why. Whether it be to gather outside supplies or to go back to their original colony. The humans aren't trapped with the Khagveks. It has to be too good to be true.
   "Thank you we'll be heading on in, "Lolti concluded the conversation and as we walked away I saw one of them add a tick to a count book. Now we were truly in the city.
    The first Colony, that's what I'll call it. Seeing people walk so freely, talk to  the Khagvek so calmly. People here weren't tense or working their weight off. Many people weren't working actually. It was mostly the Khagvek doing hard jobs. I know it should be a good thing, but it was a little off-putting. They can just give up their routine so quickly? Not being under a Shakall or the Golden Ones presence was causing an unexplainable itch in me.
    It shouldn't. I clung tighter to the helm, ignoring the sting from the spikes.
good thing,
    There was a bag in me as we passed people. Person after person, they were able to smile and even wave at Lolti. Why are we trusting another alien so quickly? Their colony went through the same as mine right? Though now that I think about it,I did see a significantly less number of pillars here. The pillars always meant a dead human.
   Their life couldn't have been entirely different. The shakall are bad. They treat us bad. They hurt my people. Why does it feel as if I'm lying to myself?

     Inside their tower it was horribly cold and had no other windows beside the first and top floors. Those were closed as I saw them however. They had elevators like our tower. More floors than ours. We raised to floor 5 and inside a lot of Lolti's people were walking about. The sight of me turned a few heads as we passed, causing a discomfort to brew in me. Lolti approached a door raising a finger to shush over her lips. Quiet? She didn't expect me to be already?
    Inside was a table and six Khagvek positioned around. The stranger at its head further from us. His eyes barely shifted over us as Lolti took a seat at the table. Seven Khagveks, one human. Why me? These have to be the other warriors,or beacons, with the way they have different facial markings. Or maybe the others had tattoos and I didn't notice. I knew nothing about these people.
    "As I was saying, respectfully sir, since all the human colonies, have been liberated, our people can return to the mothership now," "One of the males spoke, directed towards the Beacon of Rebirth.
   "And the humans, what will they do?"
   "Restart, we got them free, leave them to grow on their own."
    "You're suggesting we just leave them, "the stranger didn't appear to be in the best mood.
   "More or less, we did our part, let them do theirs, " he wasn't helping with his tone.
    "Stilgik, our part is to help the humans. You think they can handle themselves without us currently in this state?"
   "We've dore our part. Let then go back to normal, " Stilgik responded with a coldness.
    "Normal was when they had walls and protection. What say we throw you out there with the mutants, would you still act as you do now," the Beacon of Rebirth held a certain tension in his voice. The room felt thick and was too still for me. Stilgik turned his head up at the Beacon, then he sighed.
    "Who am I to question your authority Leader of the fight. By the mothership if your choice is made we shall follow," like an automated motto he relayed and took a stand. The others at the table, minus Lolti, rose as well. A chorus of 'farewell beacon' echoed as they took their leave. Lolti stood now and took a chair closer to the remaining beacon.
    "Stilgik seems to be increasingly testing you, has he - "She began only to be stopped by his hand lifting.
    "He hasn't invited me to a duel, no. Nor do I suspect he will. He is just uncomfortable on this planet."
    "As we all are, the temperature is unbearable, has mothership sent new orders," Lolti took his hand, massaging at the knuckles.
   "Yes, High Leader wishes for reconstruction. You might have seen the workers on your way here. She believes it to be a helpful project," He explained and took his hand back. Now turning his chair to face towards me. "You kept the helm," he inquired, an eyebrow raising.
    I looked down to the helm, softening my grip against it. I noticed a spike poking through my shirt. I did keep it, why did I? My gaze stayed lowered. even as I heard his voice again, this time he was quieter.
   "Has he spoken yet?"
    "A little, you know how the fresh ones are," LoLti, replied and crouched down beside me. Gods, I felt like a child. She reached a hand out towards the helm. I didn't want to give it up still, but I didn't want to mess with them. Not now or here.
      I gave it up, holding it out as little as I could for her to take and set it on the table. looking back at the other beacon. They exchanged a few words in their language. Then Lolti got up, and left. She left me alone in the room with him. I believe the last time I saw him, he knocked me out somehow.
   "Why did you Keep that stuff on your nose," he let out a puff of air through his nose as he reached forward. My eyes squinted as he rubbed his thumb against my nose. The black smudge now stained his skin. "that's better. Now, " he leaned back in his chair, "Can I ask you a few questions?" A hand motioned to a chair near him.
     My head tilted slightly before I actually moved. Taking a seat, my eyes landed on the helmet again. It was just there. A reminder of last night.
     "What are your relations to the Shakall leader," he broke the short silence. My relations? I spoke for him. He was in my head. I clutched against my knee as I felt my voice bubble up.
     "He called me his voice. He didn't ever speak aloud so he'd talk in my head and I'd translate for my people," I explained avoiding eye contact all I could. My gaze locked to the golden state of the helm.
    "Did he hurt you?"
     The golden One? Strange question.
    "No. the Golden One never hurt anyone. He had the maniacs do that."
    "Maniacs?" I noticed he was writing on a small piece of paper as we spoke.
     "Yes the maniacs. They were shorter, sometimes bulkier Shakall. They made and threw the pillars at the Golden Ones command. The Golden One never actually harmed anyone," why was I trying to defend him.
     "They used the pillars often," he didn't seem to be weirded out by my answers.
      "Yes, or they would have long guns sometimes, the guards at least." He didn't reply for a few minutes, possibly thinking. I mean what was there to ask? I'm sure the Khagvek knew everything about us humans.
    "Why did you run?" Why did I run? Last night or was he confusing me for someone. I glanced up to see if he was messing with me. No, full eye contact. The aqua now had me trapped
    "Last night, you ran after the Shakall told you to. Why?"
    My head tilted as I thought for an answer. Why did I. "I'm not sure." Was all I could muster. He didn't look satisfied by this. He leaned over the table towards me, his horn nearing my forehead. In this lighting I could see he had small sections of his hair in loose ponytails. Why do I notice that.
    "There had to have been a reason. You humans should hate the shakall, the others were glad to know he was dead but you, you were scared and ran. Any words to that?"
    I thought over that for a moment. It does sound like my people to have been glad. The Golden One never treated them well. Never treated any of us well. He wasn't violent himself though, that was the maniacs. He just. . . I don't know what I'm thinking. My eyer had lowered to the table but when I looked back he was staring straight at me. Expectedly. I breathed in sharply as I stumbled for my next words.
    "I was only listening. I'm his voice I had to be important so I had to be obedient. He kept me alive It's the least I could've done... and.. and what if it was you I was running from. You put a spear through the person I've been under for 26 years. I mean, you are scary," I rambled, my voice became increasingly quiet as I went on. My eyes burned trying to maintain eye contact with him.
    His hand came up and swiped at my cheek, more black staining his skin. Then he stood and walked past my chair, taking the helm with him.
     "You're not his voice anymore. It'd do you and your people good to forget him completely. We're here to help now, just . . . Forget him," he ended then left.