Zara and the Caves of Creda -Book Three

Prologue

Zara knelt in the desert where her partner Sten was last seen. Her tears wet the sand. She placed her hand on the place he disappeared and whispered. Goodbye my love. I will never forget you. She stood, took one last look and transported back to the ship.

Jan Stappes, the Commander of the Warriors, turned around slowly and looked at the remnants of the firefight with the Saudi troopers. There were a few dead bodies or parts of them scattered around. Most had been killed by the rogue, Fen in his panic. Fen had effectively wiped out the majority of the elite Saudi troopers, when he lost control of the weapon he was demonstrating, as the Warriors dropped from their ship among the Saudis. Stappe’s warriors had been on orders to keep weapons on stun unless needed to defend. And defend they did. He looked around the encampment. It appeared empty of life. All the servants in the encampment had fled when the fight began. He sent one of his men to make sure no one was left in the tents then gave the order to obliterate the bodies and all standing and fallen tents and anything else that was there. I want this encampment gone. This place should look like what it is when you finish, a desert.

Myths would spring up from this encounter. The servants who fled would tell how white devils sprang out of the desert sand and took all the people to their demon hell under the earth. The listeners of the story would shudder and vow to stay away from that hellish part of the desert.

* * * * *

The two hidden CIA operatives, who had recorded Fen’s interaction with the Saudis and the fight with the Ceran Warriors, left their encampment and headed back to Cairo. They would send the recording back to the senior operative, Paul Johnson. They didn’t realize that the recording would not make sense. The Ceran Warriors had the ability to cloak their bodies. They would be invisible on the digital film, but not to the Saudis or to anyone watching. And even if satellites had recorded the interaction with the Warriors and the Saudis, only the Saudis would have been captured on the recording along with Zara, Sten and Fen.

When Johnson saw the film, he was amazed. Damn, they’re cloaked. He watched the recording of the elite Saudi troops apparently fighting an invisible foe. It appeared as a chaotic choreographed dance. He watched as Sten pushed Zara down, turned and before he could use his weapon, Sten disappeared in a flash of light. A Saudi must have had one of the weapons. At the end of the fight, he watched Zara’s reaction to Sten’s death. He could see the hurt and pain on her face before she transported to her ship. Johnson shook his head. That’s too bad. Then he turned off the video.

He sat at his desk thinking and staring into space then he picked up a secure phone and called his superior. There was a click then the connection was made.

Sir, the Saudi’s did not get the weapons. There was a firefight between the Ceran Warriors and the Saudis. It appears the Saudi troopers were wiped out along with the Prince and one of their top Generals.

He listened to his superior’s questions. Yes sir. Zara, Sten and the Ceran, Fen, who they were pursuing, were in the fight. Zara survived, but Sten did not and neither did Fen. I believe a Saudi trooper grabbed one of the Ceran weapons and killed both Fen and Sten before he was taken down. Johnson placed the phone on speaker, knowing that it was encrypted and his office was bug free and wiped his face with a tissue. I’ve placed the phone on speaker, sir.

And why did you do that, Johnson?

Sir, the office is closed and the air conditioning is turned off and it is hot as hell in here. This was the only place I could contact you where I knew we could not be heard. I had to wipe my face, Sir. I was dripping on the phone.

Okay, Johnson. Have you heard anything about the Saudi’s reaction? My people have heard nothing, only silence coming from that end. What will be their reaction in your opinion?

Well sir, I don’t think we’ll hear anything. The Saudi’s would not want this to come out, especially to other Middle Eastern countries. And I think how the Saudi’s handle the death of the Prince and the General will be up to them. I don’t think we’ll hear much. Their deaths will be accidents of some kind. Little will come out of the Kingdom about it, other than to say that they will be mourned and a few details of the accident given to the Saudi press.

Send me the disc.

Yes sir. I’ll send the disc, but it won’t make much sense. The Ceran Warriors were cloaked. The Saudis saw them, but the images didn’t take on the agent’s camera. You know how tricky these people are. They don’t want any evidence that they were here.

Damn. Is there anything on the disc or anywhere else that links us to this?

Sir, there is nothing to show that the US had any part in what took place. From what I saw of how two of those weapons performed, I hope we never piss off the Cerans. They’re too advanced for us.

General Sanders clicked off and checked to see that his conversation with Johnson had been recorded. He sat back and thought about the situation. At least the Saudis won’t be able to destabilize the mid-East any more than it is. We would have big problems if the Sunnis were in control of the area and Wahabism was the religion du jure. We’re having enough problems with ISIS. This episode will be kept under wraps. The Saudis won’t want the other countries to know what they had planned. All hell would break out then and we would really have our hands full. I’ll destroy the disc after I watch it.

Chapter One

Zara, Serena and Jan Stappes stood before the Council. When a Warrior is killed during combat, especially on foreign soil, a hearing is called. Zara was the first one called to speak. She had decided to start with the beginning, Fen’s aborted coup to overthrow the government.

Esteemed members of the Council, after much thought, I felt that starting at the beginning is the best manner to present the reasons for our fight with the Saudi’s on the planet Earth and the deaths of Fen and the warrior, Sten. Please bear with me as I reiterate some of the details that most of you already know. She paused and looked around at each member. Fen had a plan to form a group for a coup against the government. Unbeknown to anyone, Fen’s body had been taken over by the rogue, Taryn. Taryn orchestrated everything with the insane idea that he could subvert our government and take over the Council. When the coup was aborted, Fen, as Taryn, fearing arrest, stole an armory ship filled with weapons and fled through the wormhole to Earth along with his friend and lover, Thad. Sten, Cara and I were charged by Serena with stopping him. We outfitted a ship and went after him. In the meantime, Serena had contacted our monitor on Earth, Julie and apprised her of the situation. We needed help to ascertain where Fen as Taryn would settle. Julie was able through one of her contacts to find Fen, but by the time we were able to get there, Fen and his companion, Thad had disappeared. This was in Paris, a major city in the country of France, then we lost them again in London, also a major city in the country of Britain, but this time we knew where they were going and were able to confront them, but not before a firefight that resulted in the death of Thad and the minor wounding of Sten. We retreated back to Julie’s, but we had some information that would help us find Fen, but again we would need more help. Julie contacted Serena and she then contacted an ally in the US government, a contact named Paul Johnson. He used his resources to track Fen and therefore we knew Fen was looking for a buyer for the weapons. We realized that we had to subvert the deal before the weapons were transferred. His buyer was a group in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is a middle-eastern, a rather primitive country, in a volatile part of Earth. If he was able to sell these weapons to this country, then there would be wholesale deaths and the balance of power in the region would shift to Saudi Arabia. We couldn’t let this happen and Paul Johnson, Julie’s resource was in accord. When we found Fen in the desert outside a city in Egypt, he was demonstrating the weapons to a Prince of the Kingdom and a military General along with a small contingent of Saudi troopers. We knew we couldn’t take on Fen and the troopers. When we found out where the weapons were to be sold, we had called Serena and she called for help from the Warriors. We knew they would have to come through the wormhole and hoped that the sale did not take place before the Warriors could get there. When they reached us, Sten and I along with Jan Stappe’s group, dropped in the middle of the Saudis. Fen had been giving a demonstration and was holding one of the weapons. He panicked when we appeared, fired the weapon and accidently killed some of the troopers. One of the Saudis shot him and he dropped the weapon. It was then picked up by one of the Saudi troopers who pointed it at me. Sten saw him, pushed me aside and took the blast. He saved my life with his own. By this time it was all over. Jan Stappe’s men took out the rest of the troupers and in the melee the Prince and the General were killed. I transported to my ship and Jan took care of the cleanup.

She took a breath. Sten’s death was difficult for me to accept, but I know that he would have wanted to finish his life as a warrior doing his job. Fen was a victim and our scientists will hopefully be able to understand how Taryn’s spirit was able to inhabit Fen so that it won’t happen again. Our Earth government ally, Paul Johnson was crucial to the outcome of this hunt for Fen and I appreciate his help. This was an eye opener for me and I’m sure for the US government. Their government is not ready for these types of weapons and hopefully, never will be.

She stepped back. Thank you for allowing me to be of service again. She clenched her fist to her chest and went to her seat.

Jan Stappes was motioned forward after Zara returned to her seat. His part in the assignment was related and then Serena spoke. I believe that I am fortunate to have members of the Warriors such as Jan Stappes and former warrior, Zara. It is unfortunate to have lost a brave and loyal man such at Sten. We will honor him for his bravery at a ceremony next week and we invite the Council to attend.

The Council members spoke among themselves then motioned for Zara to come forward. She stood before the Council. Marta, the head of Council, stepped to the podium. We, the Council members, thank you, Zara for your service to our Council and to our people of the three planets. We think that with what you have told us of the mission and the part that each of you played in that mission, we have no further need of testimony. We would like to commend each and every one of you for your bravery in the face of tremendous odds. A ceremony will be forthcoming not only to commemorate a fine warrior such as Sten, but also to award the mission members for a job well done. Thank you.

The Council filed out of the chambers and when they were out of the room, people could leave. Serena approached Zara. Well done, Zara. That was an excellent presentation. Succinct and to the point and that’s the way the Council likes it as well.

She walked along side of Zara. Do you have time to come with me to see Fen’s widow, Corra?

Yes, I’d like to see the child again. I had an uneasy feeling when I looked at him the first time. Serena gave her a knowing look.

* * * * *

Zara stood looking at Fen’s baby. She had been horrified when she realized that Taryn’s spirit, Fen’s ancestor, had now inhabited Fen’s child. She looked at Serena with a question in her eyes. Serena gave a slight shake of her head. Zara handed the child to Corra.

Your baby is beautiful, Corra. You must be proud.

I’m sorry that Fen was unable to see his child. I know he did bad things, but I wish he had survived.

Serena placed her hand on Corra’s shoulder. There is no shame, Corra. You may tell your child when he grows up that his father committed himself well in the firefight. He turned his weapon on the Arab troops and kept Warriors from dying. He was killed by a rogue trooper. He performed like a Royal at the end. You can be proud.

Sympathetic, Serena smiled. We must go, but we wanted to see this beautiful child and to let you know that the Council has awarded you a pension, and you and the child will be well taken care of. Whatever you need, we’ll see that you receive it.

Thank you, Serena and you too, Zara. The baby started to fuss. Oh, it’s time for his feeding.

We’ll stop by from time to time to see how the little one is growing.

Once out of the apartment, Serena gave a sigh. This is going to be difficult. We’ll have to keep a close eye on this child. I think we can form his personality. The old scientist said that as the child grows, all memories of Taryn should fade, but we’ll watch him closely.

It was a shock to look into that child’s eyes and see Taryn.

"I know. I felt the same way. He’ll grow up and we’ll have a hand in that growing period.

Our scientists will write this up, I’m sure. It will be quite a case in the scientific journals."

She looked at Zara intently. How are you doing? I know you spoke to Sten’s parents.

Yes, I felt that I needed to do that. They took it well. They knew when Sten joined the Warriors that it was a dangerous job. It was what he wanted and thrived on. They knew that. His father told me that Sten said when he died, he hoped it was as a Warrior making a difference. And he did. He saved my life at the expense of his.

Zara, he loved you as a person, but also as a Warrior. Warriors sacrifice their lives for each other. It’s part of the Warrior Code. You know that.

Yes, Serena, I know, but I can’t help how I feel. I have regrets, but I won’t carry guilt. Sten and I both did what we did because that was our job and our cause.

They continued to walk out of the compound in silence.

When they stopped to part, Serena said. So Zara, you’re going to Creda?

Yes, I have to finish up some projects at the office then I’ll go to Creda.

I’m happy for you, my dear. I know this is the first time that a man has come into your life that has you wanting to settle down. It’s quite surprising, but this Jaxon must be quite a man.

Yes, he is. I’m in love and it’s a wonderful feeling.

The two women embraced and said their goodbyes.

As Zara walked away, she thought back to this last adventure. Taryn’s spirit inhabiting Fen had been quite a shock for her and for the Council. No one had any idea that such a thing could happen. And the loss of Sten in the firefight with the Saudis would also haunt her dreams for a long time. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing Sten again, hearing his laugh, his wry sense of humor and his love for her. She was sorry that she could not have loved him as he had loved her, but her heart was elsewhere. She would miss his friendship and the adventures they had together through their service in the Warriors and would always cherish his memory.

Zara walked into her office and Patta was happy to see her. Zara, you’ve had several calls from companies that heard about what you did on Creda. They want you to set up a security system for them.

That is not what I do, but I’ll call them and see what they want. I’m going on another trip, this time to Creda. I need some time to recover from this last journey.

I heard that Sten was lost and I’m so sorry. I know how much you cared for him.

Sten lost his life as a warrior doing what he did best. And knowing Sten, this is how he would have wanted to go.

Zara went into her office and returned calls. She told the people that wanted her services that she was going to take some time off for a couple of weeks and she would talk with them when she came back. She finished up a few loose ends and called Patta into her office.

I had your name placed on the office account. You can now access the funds to take care of rent and any other office expenses. I’ll be gone for two weeks, but you know how to reach me. If you would check on Mootie once a week, that would be helpful. That little robot will stand in her corner and stiffen up if she doesn’t have any chores. I’m sure the place is spotless, but if you would go and have her make you a lunch that will keep her in working order. I know I really need to get an android, like Jaxon, but I don’t want to part with Mootie. She’s like an old friend.

I understand, Zara. I’ll take care of it.

Zara gave Patta a parting hug. You know how to reach me, if you need to.

She called for her car and left for her apartment.

When Zara entered her apartment, Mootie appeared. Mootie, I’m taking a little trip, but Patta will be here once a week for you to fix her a lunch. Will you help me pack?

Yes, Zara. Mootie went into the hall closet and brought out a case. What kind of clothes do you want packed, Zara?

My underwear, bed clothes, cosmetics, jewelry and clothes for the cold weather. I’ll be on Creda for two weeks.

I will pack your boots and shoes in a separate case.

Thank you, Mootie.

Mootie knew the ritual for packing for cold weather. She also knew the ritual for packing for warm weather. Zara often went to Cheron to visit her parents and Mootie packed for her.

Zara placed a call to Jaxon. Hi, big guy. I’m packing as I speak or I should say Mootie is packing as I speak. I’ll be on Creda sometime tomorrow afternoon. I’m taking the first flight out in the morning so you can check the time I’ll be arriving….I know, I can’t wait, either….I miss you, too…Yes, I’m meeting Mora and Saja for dinner tonight….I will…Also I called mom and dad and told them I have a surprise for them….I thought we could drop by and see them after our honeymoon….I know they’ll be disappointed that they won’t be at the ceremony, but I really don’t want anyone there, except Chief Conor and Marle to be our witnesses…I’ll call you tonight when I return…I will…I love you too.

Meeting Jaxon had been a turning point in Zara’s life. She had been involved in many romances and lots of fun over the years, but had never really been in love. This time she knew what it felt like and the thought was scary--but scary in a thrilling way.

Humming, Zara went to dress for dinner, anxious about how Mora would take the news of her commitment to Jaxon. She felt that her best friend would be happy for her.

Zara arrived at the restaurant just after Mora and Saja had taken a seat. Mora waved to her and Zara walked to their table and sat.

I hope you’re hungry, Zara. We’ve ordered the full special for three people.

I can always eat and what I don’t, you can take home for lunch tomorrow.

Mora laughed. You can take it home.

I won’t be here tomorrow. I’m going to Creda to spend time with Jaxon.

"This has gotten serious, hasn’t it, Zara?

Yes, it has. We’re having a commitment ceremony this week.

I don’t believe it. Mora stared at Zara with mouth agape. Saja had a big grin on his face.

It’s about time you settled down, Zara. You’re not getting any younger, you know. You can still have children. Just think of what good looking children you’d have.

Zara laughed. "Don’t push it, Saja. This is a commitment ceremony, not a wedding, at least not yet. Jaxon does want a wedding, but I have to be sure. We can live together for a year or two and see how it all works