An Incubus Life - 170 - Shadow Fall

Chapter 170 - Shadow Fall

The transport had ten-foot tires that were about three feet wide to keep it above the sand.  The vehicle easily moved over the sand, and the orcs went to the windows in the back to watch and make use of the bunk beds on the upper level.  There was not much to see but an endless sea of sand golden sand, sometimes marked with streaks of red or black.

There was a series of three seats in the cockpit.   I was behind the driver, Brin, as she operated the transport from the center seat.  “We are going to meet the invaders.  Take us in that direction,” I ordered the young woman.

Her hands passed over the controls uncertainly, her self-preservation fighting my charm on her.  She eventually tapped a few buttons, and an overlay appeared on the windshield.  She punched in the coordinates, and a red beacon flashed on the windshield for her to steer towards.  She centered the red beacon and engaged the autopilot.

Bedelia was in the co-pilot seat and was trying to figure out the controls for herself.  Brin finished her work plotting the course around hazards and then looked up at me, “Apollyon, I should go check the drive shafts and ensure the lubricant is topped off.”

“Is there anything we should know about driving the vehicle while you are gone?”  I asked.

Brin looked at the controls, “This disengages the autopilot.  This is the breaking, this is the acceleration, and the wheel steers it.  It is about as simple as it can be.  Even an orc can do it.”  Her delivery was deadpan and not a joke, so she obviously did not think highly of orcs.

Aurora volunteered, “I can keep an eye on her.”  I didn’t think it was necessary but nodded my consent anyway.  Bedelia and I were left alone.

“I know what you are going to say.  I am essentially kidnapping the young woman.  I didn’t have any other choice,” I rationalized to Bedelia.

“They don’t seem hard to drive.  You could have had her teach you and left her with her family,” Bedelia countered, but her tone was not accusatory.

“Maybe, but what if this transport breaks down?  We couldn’t fix it.  And she knows where to stop to refuel them.” I took the pilot’s seat which had cracked and worn leather covering it.  The vehicle hummed along on just electric power.

“How do you see the encounter with Andromeda’s captain going,” Bedelia said, making herself comfortable in one of the co-pilot chairs and pulling blinds on the windows to block the sun.

“I am hoping she doesn’t attack me on site.  But I am also hoping she will work with us to find ans free Andromeda.  I am curious why the angelic rulers of the cities are not banding together to stop her.  I am also curious if they will be getting help from the transit or higher layers to deal with Eshanya.”  I told Bedelia and she was silent for the next few hours.  She sent out her senses a few time to scout but there was nothing around us besides desert.  Brin and Aurora returned, and I gave the driver seat back to Brin.

Brina nodded in appreciation.  She explained, “The transport was serviced recently and just needed to top off the axle oil.”  She tapped a gauge, “Looks like the solar panels are not working at 100% efficiency.  I will wait till we stop for the night to work on them.”

Bedelia asked the young nomad, “How long have you been a mechanic?”

Brin looked at me before answering, deferring to me.  I nodded at her to answer.  “I started when I was twelve and have been working on them for the last ten years.  I have worked on many different vehicles from wheeled to winged,” she said proudly.  She had an innocence to her smile that made me feel terrible for taking her from her family.

Her smile was infectious and Bedelia returned it, “You and Artica would get along.  She loves cars but is not a great mechanic,” Bedelia noted.

“We are not keeping her, Bedelia,” I said irritably.  Bedelia was thinking of Brin like a lost puppy.  She was a human being.

“She could have a much better life on Earth than here,” Bedelia countered.   “You should ask her what she wants when you release your hold on her.”

“It wouldn’t work.  My charm lingers on a person, even after I break it.  She would still see me as her friend and probably say yes reflexively.” While we talked about Brin’s fate, she just smiled and monitored the autopilot on the transport.

Bedelia engaged Brin in conversation and her open up about her people.  These transports wandered the desert searching for eruptions in the sand that contained precious stones.  The eruptions were caused by a buildup of gases and liquids that spewed out the stones from deep in the sand.  You needed to find them before the winds covered them again.  They were looking for the black and red steeaks in the sand.  They also fished and crabbed along the ocean shoreline.

We also learned the massive vehicles ran completely on solar and wind power.  The transports had generators that ran off of alcohol, not diesel.  But these alcohol generators were just backups for emergency situations.

Eventually, Brin went to get some sleep on the lower level, and Bedelia went with her.  Aurora remained with me while I watched our progress, and Sharn joined us in the cockpit.  “How is your clan doing?”  I asked the orc woman.

“Resting.   They are all resting.  What is our next stop?”   She asked, occupying the third seat.

I tapped the console to quickly zoom in and out in the map.  “Brin has us going to this small valley.  It should be about ten hours but we learned the transports only work in direct sun to charge the batteries.  Most likely we will have to spend a single night out here but there are no dangers away from the coastline.”

The journey continued and we reached the valley a few hours before dark.  The valley was a lot deeper and rocky than i imagined.  As the transport descended on a worn trial we quickly fell into heavy shade.  plants and small trees started to appear and the trees graddually got larger but the leaves were more orage than green.  Brin came back into the small bridge area, “You should have wolen me.”He fingers flew across the terminal as she activated the overlay on the windshield.

Brin seemed a little nervous, “Is there a problem?” I asked.

“This is a popular waypoint.  I wouldn’t have descended the valley before making sure it was safe.”  The overlay on the screen suddenly showed a few red dots.  Brin studied the data, “There are other transports already here.  Five, it looks like.”

“Should we turn around,” I asked, slowly interpreting the radar for myself.

“It should be fine.  It looks like it is the Rising Moon clan.  The Rising Moon and my clan, the Night Riders, are allies,” Brin said.  “I will send out a friendly ping to identify us.”  her hands flashed across the board.  “Your orc friends should keep themselves hidden, though. Neither clan particularly likes orcs.”

A small stream of water along the trail grew wider and wider as we descended until it was a wide stream.   When we reached the bottom of the ravine, the five transports were parked near the water.  Aurora had warned Sharn and the orcs to remain concealed on the transport.  I stepped off the transport first, two rifles trained on me, and the leader was clearly agitated but they were dressed the same as the Night Rider clan.

Brin was behind me and spoke, “We only wish to partake of the water.  We plan to leave in the morning.”

An old woman looked on in concern. “Brin?  Is that you?  I am not familiar with your companion here.  Where are the other transports of the Night Riders?” Clearly, she thought I had abducted Brin.

“Mother Natalia, I am taking friends of the Night Riders to the Sky Elves,” Brin replied succinctly, and I immediately sensed the tension go up a few notches.  Two more rifles trained on me from people on top of the transports.  Brin had told them the truth.

I put my hands up to appear as non-threatening as possible, “Brin is just getting us closer to the elves. I plan to try and reason with their leader.” I know admitting I was planning to talk with Eshanya was not a good move, but Brin had already revealed where we were going.

Mother Natalia addressed Brin, concern clearly on her face, “Did Father Noel send you with him? You can tell us the truth, child. We will protect you.”

The young nomad looked at me for permission to speak, which did not help the situation. I stepped in and replied to her, “Brin is free to go with you. We now know how to operate the transport.”

The woman called Mother Natalia had white hair and an aged face. Her scowl accompanied her next words, “I don’t know you. Father Noel would never give away one of his transports or his niece. It is clear you have either drugged or magicked Brin’s will.” She gave a motion with her hand, and more of the nomads trained weapons on me.

A voice cut the air, “Interesting little party going on here. I need you all alive, though.” All the weapons suddenly trained up on the rocky cliffs. A figure in dull black metallic armor stood looking down at us.

One of the nomads panicked and started firing on the figure, and soon, dozens of carbine rifles and laser rifles joined as they targeted the figure. Green shielding flared around the black figure, and no shots got close to it. While the nomads scrambled for cover, I watched the figure. It was clearly feminine, with larger hips and a noticeable chest. A black helmet covered her face as she slowly scanned the transports. I checked the cliffs and could see a half dozen more people in the same armor scattered higher up that the nomads had failed to notice.

The figure let the nomads expend their ammunition to show their futility. After a few minutes, the figure’s voice was magnified, “Enough! Continue, and we will cut you down and just enslave your children.”

Mother Natalia took a few minutes to get her people under control and put down their rifles. When the firing finally ended, the black figure leaped off the cliff and fell nearly a hundred feet but landed softly. Getting a closer look at her, her matt black armor formed around her curves and flexed with her body. It was clearly some type of advanced combat armor. She didn’t appear to have any weapons.

Also, my abyssal sight could not penetrate her armor to measure her aether core. With her helmet covering her eyes, I could not use my charm on her either. I was fairly certain she was from the Elven ship I sought.

Others dressed in the same armor started to land around the clearing. “Take their weapons and bind them,” she announced.

I stepped toward the woman, “Are you Eshanya?” I asked the armored figure.

Her dark helmet focused on me, and the visor retracted to reveal a feminine face with sweaty black hair and elven ears within. “I am Captain Adia of the third Marine company of the Shadow Fall battleship. You are now my prisoner and will be brought to the work camps.” She obviously did not hold me in very high regard.

Now that I could see her eyes, I activated my seductive gaze on her. Her visor immediately snapped back up in place, and she attempted to backhand me. I caught her wrist but stumbled slightly from her strength and did not see her other fist snap up and strike me in the face. It was the hardest I had ever been punched, and it caused me to release her wrist and take a few steps back.

I suddenly found a half dozen futuristic-looking rifles trained on me. They just appeared out of nowhere. Did all these soldiers have mind spaces? How strong were they? Captain Adia announced to her company, “He attempted to use aetheric influence on me. Stun him, cuff him, and put a hood on him.”

They were not messing around, and a bolt of energy slammed into my side, prickling my nerves. “Stay on the transport! Brin, get on the transport!” I warned my companions. I didn’t need them getting hurt. A second bolt of energy at a much higher intensity numbed my side. It didn’t seem like these elves were open to conversation.

I rushed the Captain and had the stupid idea to take her prisoner and get them to listen. We got into some hand-to-hand, but she was a lot faster than I had guessed. Probably, her armor had enhanced her speed. The flurry of blows between us echoed in the ravine. Her armor looked flexible, but it hardened on the impact with every strike. She must have told her men not to interfere because they just watched, tracking me with their rifles.

A solid punch to my ribcage, and I think she broke one of my ribs. I huffed in some pain and joked, “Well, this deteriorated rather quickly.” She didn’t respond, and I stepped into her guard, taking another shot to my already injured ribs, but I got her into a judo throw and slammed her into the ground as hard as I could. She was face down, and I strained against her power armor to hold her in place.

Seven Marines surrounded me and had their rifles trained on me.  “I think you need to let the Captain up. Now!” a male voice echoed from one of the suit speakers.

“I would like to talk with Eshanya,” I tried to negotiate. He fired a bolt of energy that stung more than a little but also affected his Captain underneath me, whose body spasmed slightly. So that was why they had let the fight proceed as their stun bolts conducted easily.

“Release the Captain, and I will let Admiral Eshanya know you wish to speak with her,” the male with the rifle trained on me said.

“I can wait. Tell her, Caleb, one of Andromeda’s scions, wishes to speak with her,” I said, which got a long period of silence from the elves in the black armor.

They must have been communicating within the confines of their suits. Captain Adia, underneath me, spoke, “Eshanya will speak to you on the Shadow Fall.”

I needed to trust her. I cautiously let her up. Adia rose slowly, showing no hostility in her body language at being bested. Her visor opened again. The voice that came from her suit was different this time. Still definitely feminine, “This is Eshanya. Prove to me that you are one of Andromeda’s.”

I put together my thoughts. “I lost connection to her and came looking for her. I know she is still alive and on a higher layer from here,” I admitted. “I travalled from Earth to Mercanious to find her and moved up from the twenty-third.”

The woman on the other end of the communication didn’t speak for long. “You are the babe incubus from Earth? Go home; there is nothing you can do to help. Adia, bring the humans to work camp C.  I want the mining operation doubled there.”

I was shocked at my dismissal, “I came here to help Andromeda!” I said irritably. “I will be traveling to the 21st layer to search for her next.”

Eshanya, on the other end of the comms, retorted, “You can’t help her. Her battleship, The Remembrance, was boarded on the twentieth layer when we tried to escape. The beings that layer are far beyond your capabilities, babe incubus.” She paused, “If you want to join my crew, you are welcome to. We should have completed our own repairs in about five years. At least as long as we are not interrupted.”

A massive black transport came flying down the trail, interrupting my conversation. I needed to do a double take as the vehicle had no wheels and was buffeted by a cushion or air. It emitted a loud hum as it came to an abrupt halt next to Captain Aida. The nomads were already cuffed and being lined up. The Captain spoke to them, “Don’t worry. You will not be harmed. You will be fed and conscripted to help with gathering materials for repairs. Once our ship is repaired, you will be freed.”

Mother Natalia spat on the ground. “You just said it was going to take you five years to fix your cursed ship. You are nothing but slavers!”

One of the Marines made to step onto my transport, and I blocked his path. “The people on this transport are with me.” The Marine turned to face Captain Aida for direction.

“Are you coming with us?” Captain Adia asked.

It was hard to make a decision. I wanted to get to Andromeda as fast as possible. Five years was not a good timeline for me as I also wanted to get back to Earth. My family, my friends, and my companions were waiting for our return. “Is your ship parked on a transit portal?”

Captain Aida nodded, “We crashed shortly after emerging. About two miles from a portal.”

I requested confirmation, “And your people will not enslave my companions?”

Captain Aida took some time to communicate on her comms before answering me, “Your companions will be treated as guests on the Shadow Fall. Are you coming?” She asked patiently.

I was cursing Carrie’s name. At least getting to the Shadow Fall was a direction toward getting closer to Andromeda. But Eshanya thought my quest was pointless. “Yes, we will return to your ship with you. Everyone, come on out!”

Aurora was first, followed by Sharn. “Orcs?” Captain Aida said, a little bemused. When all eight orcs exited, Bedelia and Brin were last. It looked like Brin was going to be swept up in my company. Otherwise, she might be forced into one of these labor camps.

The transport had a holding cell in the back where the nomads were confined. Their eyes hold only contempt for me and the elves. The middle compartment had padded seats for the eleven Marines. My companions were forced to stand.  Brin, in a daze and not understanding her situation, asked, “How is this vehicle off the ground? I didn’t feel any pressurized air when we boarded.”

One of the Marines answered her after he removed his helmet, “Gravimetric repulsears. If you crawled under this beast, you would be crushed.”

Captain Aida took off her helmet.  Her short black hair was matted with sweat, while others in her small company hadn’t sweated at all. “Looks like I gave you quite the workout,” I said, trying to make conversation.

She narrowed her eyes, “My suit heats up quickly when the shielding is being used. It stopped forty attacks from the nomads, not your attempt to subdue me.”

I couldn’t help but smile, “Attempted? I am pretty sure I succeeded.”

“Only because the Captain was instructed not to use lethal force,” a female Marine quipped.

Aurora defended me, “Caleb was holding back too. I am sure if your Captain had not been in powered armor, she would have lost to him rather quickly.”

The Marines came to their Captain’s defense and things started to get heated until Captain Aida silenced everyone, “These people are guests of Admiral Eshanya. Treat them with respect until ordered to do otherwise.”

We had a silent trip after that, and the vehicle picked up speed across the sand, creating a large wake behind us. We passed out of the desert terrain into plains and then semi-wooded. It was not long before we reached the destination. The Shadow Fall was soon viewable out the small windows in the compartment. It looked like the massive starship had plowed a few miles long trench on landing. I had no idea how something so massive could fly in the atmosphere in the first place.

As the transport moved toward the ship, hundreds of people and machines could be seen clearing the debris trail from the hard landing. Buildings had been erected and were spewing dense black smoke. I guessed they were smelters. We approached the ship rapidly and entered a gaping hole in the side, barely missing some of the elven crew just inside.

I guess I would get to meet Eshanya soon. Hopefully, she could be reasoned with.