The lost astronaut, p.26
The Lost Astronaut, page 26
“What a shame,” Colonel Wiggsby mumbled.
“What’s that?” Jag asked.
“It’s a shame that Mahjon came in last. He was once my star pupil.”
“What happened?”
“You don’t see the family resemblance?”
Jag examined the competitor closely.
“Tahjon?”
“Yep, Mahjon is the baby brother of Tahjon, who he adored. Their father and grandfather were both guardians, and it was expected that he’d follow in their steps, but the king’s death has dishonored his family and his tribe.”
“But that wasn’t Tahjon’s fault. Prince Damon manipulated him.”
“It doesn’t matter. His actions have dishonored his family, and now Mahjon doesn’t have the heart to compete.”
Jag thought for a moment. “Colonel, would it be acceptable for me to speak with him?”
“Well, it’s never been requested. However, if you speak to each contestant equally, that would be alright.”
The colonel lined up the challengers for Jag to greet. Jag congratulated each one for completing the race and mentioned he had toured their beautiful home regions. When he stood before Mahjon, the family resemblance was obvious.
“You are Tahjon’s brother, are you not?”
“Yes, I am,” Mahjon whispered, not making eye contact.
“I know Tahjon. He is not the monster some believe him to be.”
“Are you certain? Would you trust him with your life?” Mahjon asked, looking Jag in the eye. “How could you trust anyone in my family after what Tahjon did?”
“Tell me, Mahjon, if you were to win this competition, could you put aside your feelings toward your brother?” Mahjon didn’t respond. Jag leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Win, and you may yet see your family’s honor restored.”
The next day was the strength competition. Enormous objects had been placed inside the amphitheater. The contestants competed in a giant log toss, a boulder race, and an uphill boat pull, the boat filled with heavy weights. At the end of the day, Seathan took first place, followed by Mahjon and then Twederik. The leaderboard at the end of the second day showed Seathan in first, Arden and Kaylori tied for second, followed by Twederik and Mahjon.
The third day was the skills competition, designed to test their proficiency with ancient weapons. The challengers had to throw spears through small loops and then shoot arrows at moving targets. Lastly was the axe competition, in which they threw axes at bandits while avoiding friendly targets. Kaylori and Mahjon tied for first place. At the end of the third day, Seathan and Kaylori were in first place, followed by Mahjon, Arden, and Twederik.
The fourth day was the combat event. The challengers wrestled each other inside a circle and, without using any punches, tried to push their opponent out of the ring. At the end of the first round, only Mahjon and Seathan were undefeated. The two met in a showdown, and while Seathan was slightly larger, Mahjon’s quickness gave him an advantage. At the end of a hard-fought match, Mahjon pushed Seathan out of the ring to win his first daily event. After four days, Seathan and Mahjon were tied for first, followed by Kaylori, Arden, and then Twederik.
The final and most challenging day of competition arrived: the sensory event. The five challengers and the prince’s entourage left via skimmer and landed near the headwaters of a raging white rapids flowing down from Mount Makua.
“Today is our final competition, the sensory challenge,” Colonel Wiggsby said. “Each competitor will wear a head covering to block out all sight and sound. Using only your empathic abilities, you must navigate the course while protecting your charge from ten bandits.
“There are seven gates, and the guardian who passes through the most gates without any marks upon their charge will win today’s event. And for your information, no guardian has ever passed all seven gates. Now please welcome today’s charge, Private Raluna.”
A young and obviously nervous Celestian private waved half-heartedly.
“Guardians, please come and choose your weapons, and draw a number that will determine your order in the competition.”
Twederik drew the first number. While he was preparing, Private Raluna became so anxious about his trip down the rapids that he began vomiting, for he had not actually volunteered for the mission but had drawn the short straw among his squad of soldiers.
“You know, Colonel, it seems to me that the private isn’t too thrilled about playing the protectee,” Jag said. “Wouldn’t the game be more effective if they were actually protecting me?”
“Well, yes, but most royals prefer not to get wet.”
Jag smiled. “That doesn’t bother me. It sounds like fun!”
“You’re not seriously considering going down this river, are you?” Bayli asked.
“Oh, I assure you it is quite safe,” the colonel said. “His Majesty will be covered from head to toe in protective padding. I’ve gone down the river myself many times.”
“I’ll be alright, plus I’ll have five of the best guardians protecting me,” Jag said.
“They aren’t guardians yet!” Bayli reminded him as Private Raluna handed Jag the padding before Jag could change his mind.
After cleaning off some of the private’s regurgitated breakfast, Jag strapped on the leather padding and placed his helmet on securely. Then he waddled over to the canoe, and Twederik sat him in the rear. As Twederik stepped into the canoe, it dipped and drifted away from the dock. The competition organizers pulled the canoe back and placed a leather helmet over Twederik’s head, preventing him from hearing or seeing anything.
They released the canoe, and it drifted some ways before picking up speed. Within seconds, Twederik got his bearings and began to feel through Jag. He navigated the river for some time before sensing a bandit throwing a spear, which he blocked with his shield. However, as they came around a river bend, Twederik was thrown from the canoe, leaving Jag vulnerable. Within seconds, a bandit shot Jag with a padded arrow that left a blue splat on his vest.
Twederik made it through only the first gate before Jag was shot. A skimmer returned Jag to the starting line, where he repeated the journey with Arden, who fared better than Twederik and made it through the second gate. Afterwards, Kaylori performed valiantly by protecting Jag through to gate five before Jag was struck by an arrow. Seathan outperformed everyone and made it through six gates before Jag was struck by arrows from two bandits.
With Seathan finishing six gates, the best Mahjon could expect was to tie unless he did the impossible and finished all seven gates to win the competition. For his weaponry, he selected a large shield and a bow with six arrows. He secured Jag in the front of the canoe and placed the shield over Jag’s body with only Jag’s head peeking out over it. Mahjon sat behind Jag with his paddle, bow, and quiver of arrows beside his leg.
They launched off the dock, and within seconds, Mahjon tuned into Jag’s senses and navigated around the turns and obstacles in the river. As they reached the first gate, Mahjon sensed a bandit with a spear along the riverbed, so he had Jag duck under the shield as he rotated the canoe to face the attacker. The bandit’s spear hit the shield and deflected into the river.
Mahjon turned the canoe downstream, and it picked up speed as the river divided, flowing between a canyon with high rock walls and bandits standing on both sides. Sensing the first bandit above him, Mahjon reached up and grabbed the bandit by the leg and pulled him down into the rapids, where he floated downstream. The second bandit stood higher along the rock wall and was out of Mahjon’s reach, so, as they neared him, Mahjon knocked the legs out from under bandit with his paddle, causing him to fall into the rapids as well.
They were heading into the third gate when they began taking fire from an archer standing behind a tree. Mahjon grabbed one of his arrows and fired at where he sensed the strikes were coming from, but his padded arrow ricocheted off the tree. Frustrated with himself for wasting an arrow, Mahjon took a deep, calming breath and then leaned forward to fire just as the bandit was taking aim. The arrow struck the bandit in the chest.
At gate four Mahjon, shot another bandit before heading into gate five, where they encountered a bed of large rocks protruding from the riverbed. Mahjon had to carefully navigate the canoe around the rocks as he blocked arrows from a bandit on a cliff above. Mahjon wedged the canoe between two rocks as the water pounded against it. With Jag ducking under the shield, Mahjon was unable to get a fix on where the arrows were coming from.
“I need you to look at the target and sense where the danger is coming from,” he said to Jag.
His heart racing, Jag spotted the bandit hiding behind a large boulder. The bandit moved out from behind the boulder and lifted his bow to take aim, but before he could release his arrow, Mahjon’s arrow struck him. Then Mahjon pushed off the rock, freeing the canoe, and they floated downstream through several hairpin curves toward gate six. As they rounded a curve, a bandit charged with a blunted axe drawn and leaped toward the canoe. Mahjon caught the bandit and threw him into the river before he could strike Jag.
After crossing the sixth gate, Jag heard the sound of an approaching waterfall. Mahjon was down to only two arrows while three bandits remained. Down river, Jag saw two archers standing on the same side of the river, one ten feet behind the other, with arrows drawn. The waterfall dumped into a pool below, and across from the pool, Jag saw the final bandit standing on a tall wooden tower with his bow in hand. Jag sank down into the canoe and pulled the shield over his head.
“I only have two shots left,” Mahjon said. “I won’t be able to hear you answer me, but I’ll be able to feel it. I have to know something: Do you really trust me, or was what you said earlier just for show?”
Jag thought about the question and knew in his heart that he did trust him. Perhaps it was because Mahjon reminded him of Tahjon, but regardless, he felt safe with Mahjon. At that moment Jag realized this was the sign he was looking for. He had been searching for the one he could trust the most, and now he knew the answer.
“Thank you, Prince Marcello. Now hold your breath. Here we go.”
Mahjon grabbed his two remaining arrows, took a deep breath to calm his aim, and then fired, striking both archers simultaneously.
Out of arrows, and with the canoe cresting the waterfall and the final archer positioned to fire from across the pool, Mahjon grabbed Jag by the shoulders and threw him up as high as possible, Jag’s arms and legs flailing. Then Mahjon hurled the shield like a giant Frisbee just as the last bandit fired. The arrow sailed between Jag, who was going upwards and Mahjon, who was descending down the falls. The heavy shield spun as it flew across the divide, striking the bandit in the chest and knocking him off the tower and onto the beach below. Mahjon and Jag landed into the pool. As soon as Jag surfaced, he lifted his hands in excitement.
“Woo-hoo!”
The crowd that had gathered down on the beach erupted in cheers. Mahjon had broken the record, the first guardian to make it past all seven gates.
Jag helped Mahjon remove his mask, and the would-be guardian squinted in the brightness. Soon everyone was standing and cheering at his performance—everyone, that is, except the poor Mravian that Mahjon had knocked off the tower. Several people tended to him and helped him to his feet.
The next evening, everyone returned for the final day of feasting and celebration. The challengers were dressed in their best uniforms and stood on pedestals in front of the thousands of Mravians. The grand chief congratulated the challengers for their outstanding performance.
Then Colonel Wiggsby stood to address the audience. “This has been a glorious festival, and I’m proud of how each challenger has performed. I’d like to remind everyone that while this was a competition, the prince is free to pick from any of the challengers regardless of how they placed. Prince Marcello, have you made your decision?”
“Yes, I have,” Jag said as he walked up and stood by the colonel. “I have chosen Mahjon.”
Upon hearing his name, Mahjon closed his eyes, and a tear fell down his cheek. All his life he had dreamed of this moment, but he had thought all was lost due to Tahjon’s actions.
“Mahjon, do you accept this calling to serve and protect Prince Marcello with your life from this day forth?” the grand chief asked.
“Yes, I do,” Mahjon replied.
A step was provided to allow Jag to stand on equal footing with Mahjon. Then Colonel Wiggsby instructed Jag to place his right hand on the left side of Mahjon’s chest and repeat an oath: “As a Prince of Celestia, today I accept Mahjon as my royal guardian, to serve and protect me as I serve and protect the Kingdom of Celestia.”
Normally, the oath would have ended there. However, because of the control that Jag witnessed Damon exude over Tahjon, Jag added: “And if I ever order you to do anything contrary to the principles of this kingdom, you are hereby released from this oath.”
“Mahjon, do you accept this oath?” the grand chief asked.
“I accept,” Mahjon replied. Immediately, the area upon his chest where Jag’s hand rested turned bright blue as light shone through Jag’s hand and into Mahjon’s body. Steam flowed from beneath Jag’s hand as it became hot. Mahjon stiffened and pulled his head back as power surged through his body. When Jag removed his hand, a blue pulsating mark appeared on Mahjon’s chest, indicating that the bonding was complete.
Chapter 23
THE EXODUS RESCUED
Corian Prime was a highly industrialized, scientifically advanced planet in the Heiger system and was the last major planet one passed before entering Murk space. As such, it served as the kingdom’s first line of defense. It was home to a prosperous shipbuilding industry, manufacturing both private and military vessels. Once a wealthy planet, years of diverting all non-essential workforce to factories to build Prince Damon’s new fleet of battlecruisers, warbirds, and destroyers had left the planet depleted, a fact that had been kept hidden from the king on his tour.
Entire industries had been shut down, schools closed, and families divided to support the prince’s ambition to build his fleet. Cities that had once thrived were now desolate as every able-bodied person was shipped to the capital. With no one to tend the farms, food shortages occurred, as they imported most of their food supply, which led to higher prices and rampant poverty.
Commander Corbis stood along with the entire palace staff awaiting Jag’s arrival. First to disembark was Mahjon to examine each person for any threat. Moving down the line, his senses focused in on a man wearing a kitchen apron who was fidgeting with a pocket. As Mahjon drew near, the man pulled out a gun, but before he could fire it, Mahjon grabbed his arm and wrenched the weapon free, causing the man to cry out in pain. Security took him into custody, where he would no doubt confess that he was of Murk descent and loyal to Prince Damon.
Once it was safe, Jag, Bayli, and IRIS descended from the shuttle and greeted the palace staff. Unlike the queen’s palace, Jag’s palace was smaller and more modern, though Jag thought was still large enough to probably house the entire population of Mulberry, Indiana. Everything in the palace was immaculate except for the garden, which had been neglected and overrun with weeds due to all non-essential staff being reassigned to the factories.
As governor, Jag’s first act was to release any political prisoners who opposed Prince Damon’s policies, including the most ardent of opponents, Senator Andor Thanos. Not only had he been imprisoned, his house and finances had been seized and his senate seat given to Leonel Warily, Measil’s father. Jag restored him to the senate while dismissing Leonel. By downsizing the shipbuilding industry and using funds from Prince Damon’s personal accounts, workers were returned to their families and communities.
While significantly downsized, Jag did have one special project in mind for the shipbuilders. He met with architects to discuss a concept that originated from his “free time” in Darkside Prison: a ship that would be elegant, aerodynamic, and extremely fast with a full arsenal of weapons. Day and night, they collaborated until they met to review a 3D model before construction began.
“She’s a thing of beauty. Have you picked out a name for her?” the lead architect asked.
“Cora Lee,” Jag said. “After my grandmother.”
“That is a lovely name, your majesty.”
The Cora Lee took nearly a year to build. During that time, Commander Corbis handpicked elite officers to begin their training. When the day arrived for her test run, Jag ordered the ensign to open up the ship’s throttle, and that’s when she revealed her true nature, soaring through space faster than anything ever seen. A warbird escorting the Cora Lee tried to match her speed, but within seconds, the Cora Lee disappeared and circled back on its tail.
On Corian, Jag frequently toured the planet to meet with community leaders. On one occasion, while touring with a town’s mayor, they passed a junkyard when the mayor mentioned that its proprietor was notorious for dealing on the black market by trading illegal parts acquired from pirates. The shop was an old hangar with enormous doors on the front and a faded sign that read, “Skylar Stuckey’s Parts Oasis” and beneath it in smaller text, “We can find any part!” Seeing the sign, Jag ordered the caravan to stop.
“Prince Marcello, is there a reason you have stopped here?” the mayor asked.
“Tell me, aside from black market trading, has the proprietor been involved in any other nefarious activity?”
“You mean like murder, slavery, or other vices?” The mayor shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“Then, I should like to meet him.”
“Your majesty? You shouldn’t be seen with such a degenerate person.”
“Probably not, but I’ve been around much worse.”
The caravan pulled over, and Jag’s security detail of royal guards entered the shop’s side door. Seeing them, the short, chubby proprietor waddled out of his office. “You have no right to keep harassing me! I’ll file a complaint with the prince himself. You can’t keep harassing a businessman who is just trying to make an honest living.” The proprietor kept rambling until he saw Mahjon step inside, ducking his head under the side door. Behind him was Jag.
