Planet of the Stars

Chapter 7: Okum

The ship was standing above the planet we needed to go to. Everyone was already here. We just got here. I look around, and saw the specter around the planet.

"I think we need to tell Helaina we're here, and we're heading towards the planets surface." I say.

Efren nods, then undoes the communicator from his belt. He got a hold of Helaina to tell her what was happening. He came back in.

"Alright. We're goof to head down." Efren says.

I nod. I put on my armor, then make sure my blasters were in their spots, then Efren, Theo, and I walked out of the ship, and headed towards the planets surface. When we reached the planets surface we walked around.

"What am I supposed to do here?" I ask.

Efren shrugs.

"I don't know they just said to come here, because you have a trial." Efren says a little bitterly.

I look over at Theo and see him crouching down. I head over to him.

"What do you see?" I ask.

Theo pointed and pulled me down by my sleeve. When I was crouching beside him I saw what he was looking at, footsteps. Efren joined us.

"These footprints look tiny. Like they belong to a child." I say.

"There also the only ones. Their is a child, but it's alone." I say.

"Should we follow it, and see if it's in trouble?" Theo asks.

"Of course." I say.

Theo and I stand up, then follow the child's footprints. Efren follows us. I keep to the right side of the footprints. Theo keeps to the left, and Efren is behind me. We eventually come to a little village. In the village the child's footprints mingle with others, and I loose them.

"Maybe it was just a child walking home." Theo says.

I shake my head.

"No these footprints are way too far out. No parent would send their child that far alone, especially with creatures out there." I say.

"Then what do you expect to do?" Theo asks.

"Shh. I'm listening." I say.

Theo and Efren fall silent. My ears were bombarded with a ton of sounds. I listen for one, and tune out the rest. Eventually I find what I was looking for. I heard a small cry from a small child. My eyes fly open.

"Come on." I say, then start running through the town.

Efren and Theo follow me. I focus on the Childs sounds. Eventually I reach an old house where the sound was definitely coming from. I open the door slowly and enter the house slowly. I raise my hands. Theo closes the door behind us.

"Hello. My name is Skye. I'm here with my friends Efren and Theo. We're here to help you, not hurt you. I promise." I say.

I made sure I spoke slowly and calmly. I heard the child stop sniffling. I was moving slowly towards the spot.

"I just want to help you I swear." I say gently.

I see the child creep out from where it was hiding. It studied us cautiously. I get down so I'm on my knees. Theo and Efren follow my suite. The child rubbed its eyes.

"I'm just here to help." I say gently.

The child comes closer to me. I hold out my hand. The child grabs my hand.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." I say.

"My name is Saja." The child says.

"Hello Saja. What's happened?" I ask.

The child looks skeptically at Efren and Theo.

"My friends Efren and Theo. They just want to help also." I say gently.

Saja nods.

"My parents were killed, and bad men came after me." Saja says tears running down his face.

"Are you hiding from the bad men?" I ask.

Saja nods.

"Are they coming here?" I ask.

Saja shakes his head.

"I don't know." Saja says.

"That's okay." I say.

Saja hugs me. I'm taken back, but I hug him back.

"Are you going to protect me?" Saja asks.

"Yes. I will." I say.

Saja keeps hugging me. I gently pick him up. Efren and Theo stand up after me. We head out of the building back outside. I was carrying Saja.

"Saja, do you have any more family?" I ask.

"Just an Aunt." Saja says.

"Is that why you came here?" I ask. "To see you Aunt." I ask.

Saja doesn't say anything, but I feel his head move. He was nodding.

"Do you know where she is?" I ask.

"A big house under a hill." Saja says.

"Okay." I say.

I look around I wasn't seeing any hills. I did see a group of people coming towards the town. I felt my grip on Saja tighten, and so did he.

"Is it the bad men?" Saja asks me in a whisper.

"Yeah, but you don't have anything to worry about. I'm going to protect you." I say.

I turn to Theo.

"Theo, I need you to take Saja somewhere safe. Ask people about his Aunt and the big house under the hill. Efren and I will handle these guys." I say.

Theo nods. I carefully hand Saja over to Theo who takes him, and then heads into a big building. Efren and I head over towards the people approaching the town. Before they cross the threshold into the town Efren and I were waiting for them.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I ask.

The people smile. I can see they had remnants of Big Brother's weapons.

"And who are you to demand that?" They ask.

Efren and I summon our swords.

"We're protecting this town." I say.

The people hesitated at the sight of the swords.