The Enemy Part 3 By valerafon An earth man and an alien woman battle on a distant planet. This work of fiction should not be read by anyone under the age of 18. Please do not read further if you are offended by graphic violence and sexual content. Chapter Three Pumacass and Wormabeast Bannon had spent the last several hours seeking a safe haven for his supplies. Securing his cache was top priority. He finally buried it at the base of an unusual tree making sure to cover his extra blaster to keep the dirt from the mechanism. Then he silently and meticulously removed every trace of his presence. As he worked feverishly to complete his task, every few moments, he would stop what he was doing, and listen. When all seemed safe, he would continue on. After his task was completed, he gazed upon his handiwork, and he was satisfied. The tree and the surrounding ground offered no clue that someone had paused here. Nervously, he looked up at the two suns. Instinctively, he knew it was time to move on. It just wasn't safe to stay in any one place for too long. His adversary was just too formidable. And finally, when he did move, he didn't move north or south or even east or west, but instead, he moved upwards into the tree tops. ------------------------------------- As soon as Glaxxana landed, she took off in a jog towards her adversaries position. She wanted to end this as soon as possible, and she hoped that he would be foolish enough to want the same thing. As she jogged southwards at an inhuman pace, she trusted in her keen senses to warn her of danger just as she trusted in her reflexes to make the difference if she was running headlong into trouble. She had tested human reflexes in the arena and she knew hers were far superior. If Bannon had been there to watch as she ran, he instinctively would have felt fear. For she was the epitome of the pure warrior. Her body was tall and strong, but yet unbelievably flexible and graceful, and with a cat like quickness that only a human could dream about. Her breasts bounced up and down with the rhythm of her strides, but she did not seem to grow tired with effort. It was more like her body was an invincible finely tuned machine. It was not a body that would break down under stress or strain, but rather it seemed as if it transcended the flesh. Her look and thoughts were one of supreme confidence as well, and it was not arrogance. For she was built for speed, but her body was like iron, and it gave her a confidence and an edge in any battle. She also possessed an awareness that was beyond those of mortal men. When a foe was nearby, he did not need to make a mistake for her to know that he was there, she would just sense him, and then he was hers. And if that was not enough, the goddess had given her supreme beauty. It was a gift that also transcended the flesh. She was more than a woman, she was a goddess. In battle, men would gaze upon her and the struggle would be lost even before it started. What soldier could hope to conquer such an ultimate female. Even as he fought, he wanted to be beaten, to lose, and to be possessed both in mind and body, but instead, he only found complete darkness for his weaknesses. As she jogged on, the rhythm of her strides bouncing her red hair on her back, and her breasts heaving with exertion, she thought of her adversary and wondered what he was like……… ------------------------------------- Bannon left the forest. It was not a place he would use as a base, but only as a place to hide his cache. He moved southeasterly towards the rolling plains he had seen from the ship. Even as he moved, he already knew where he would sleep, and where he would fight his first battle tomorrow. Maybe, he hoped that would be the only battle that would be needed. The plan seemed to spring fully blown into his head, and as he jogged onto the plains, he knew it could work. For the first time, he felt confident and ready for anything. But fate was about to throw him a curve, and to prove to him that he was not ready for everything. For what greeted him over the next rise shook his confidence to the very core of his being. And he had to stop and stare, in total wonder, at the site he now beheld. A small herd of unicorn were grazing not one hundred meters from his position. The one nearest him stopped munching, on the tasty grass, and observed him even as he was observing them. It did not seem frightened at all for it had four legs to the strange creatures two, and it instinctively knew it could outrun him. It looked for a few seconds more then went back to eating its favorite food, the tasty grasses of the great plains. For a moment, Bannon forgot the outside world and thought about the dream that had been plaguing him for the last month. In it, a beautiful red-headed woman tracked him on a large white unicorn. He would always wake up before he knew what happened, but he would always have a vivid memory of the woman's alien, but beautiful face. It haunted his waking moments mainly because of the extraordinary woman he saw in his visions, but he dismissed it as nothing because unicorns only existed in fables. Now, he had to rethink his judgment of the dream. Here was living proof of the strangest part of his dream. As he gave the herd a wide birth and moved on, he came to the conclusion that the woman of his visions did exist, and she must be trailing him now. It upset him as he jogged toward the river and his plans for tomorrow. The woman was truly unsettling, but that wasn't what bothered him the most. For the first time, his mind was cluttered with thoughts. That was something he never had to deal with on one of his previous missions. He knew his mind was not complex. It was one of his greatest attributes in battle, but now he was finding it hard to focus, and the clarity of his thoughts and purpose suffered. As he neared the river, no matter how hard he tried to focus, his mind kept coming back to the beautiful red-haired woman riding the unicorn……And he finally knew the enemy…… -------------------------------------- In a matter of minutes, Glaxxana covered the two kilometers to her foe's landing site. He was not there, and nowhere to be found. So he was not a fool she thought, and the game would continue. For several minutes she surveyed the surrounding ground, but could not find the direction he had taken. For the first time she smiled. Maybe, he would prove better than the human examples she had seen and killed in the arena. Then again she wondered why that was important to her. What she did next, was what any true warrior would have done. She pulled out a small shovel and started to dig a hole for her extra equipment. It was the only place on the whole planet, she knew, was totally safe. It was her foes landing site. After she had concealed her cache, she did another extraordinary thing. Instead of striking out to find her prey, she sat on the ground, crossing her long limbs in front of her, and meditated for nearly two hours. She summoned and focused her considerable powers into one great purpose. Afterwards, she smiled and was ready for the hunt and its inevitable conclusion. But before she moved, she looked to that section of the sky where she knew Gamula was located many light years from her present position, and prayed to her goddess. And when she was ready, she stood confidently, closed her eyes, and let her senses take wing. It was just like an out- of-body experience, but when she opened her eyes once again, the direction of pursuit was clear. She took off towards the woods at an unearthly speed. She was supremely confident as the ultimate warrior moved once again. Her adversary would be hunted down and eliminated, and then she could go back to her beloved Gamula and get on with her life……and her destiny. But even as she ran into the forest, a strange vision overtook her and made her lose focus. For a moment, she was back on Gamula in the great hall before the huge statue of the Goddess Heim. And as she looked up towards the statue, the Goddess's lips began to move. What the goddess said unsettled her and she stopped running and became motionless like she was in a trance, and she was. "Chosen One, I grant you a vision of your adversary." And then her perspective changed and she was back on Regna, and she could see her foe as he landed and looked about. He was ruggedly handsome with black hair, and he was wearing a strange suit. What surprised her the most about the handsome man was that she could not detect the slightest bit of fear in him. He only paused a moment, and then he ran towards the woods. She could tell, as he ran, how skillfully he covered his trail. Then she was back in front of the Goddess, and this time she received a warning, "Beware of this man!……..Beware!……….Beware!……" As she spoke the goddess's image faded and her voice trailed off. And then she found herself back on Regna. The goddess's warning still clearly in her mind. As she took off in pursuit once more, she said a silent prayer to her goddess. Do not worry Great One, I will not fail you. But even as she spoke her vow, she felt uneasiness creep into her being for the first time in her life. She thought about her destiny, and she wondered if she was running headlong towards it. She fought the sensation and refocused, and soon she was running at an incredible speed and supremely confident once more. Still in her mind's eye she saw her adversary………And now she knew the enemy……. ------------------------------------- As soon as Bannon reached the river, he dove right in and made for the rocks about a mile and a half ahead. If he had been facing an ordinary foe, he would have left small clues along the trail so his foe could follow, and inevitably race headlong into the trap that waited. For some reason, he knew this was not necessary and could actually ruin his plans. Instead, he made no mistakes, intentional or otherwise, as he swam for the high ground. Eventually, the riverbank hardened and he deemed it safe to walk along the rivers edge. He had walked for hours when he finally found what he was looking for. It was a waterfall about one hundred feet high. As soon as he saw it, his plan started to crystallize and refine itself. As he surveyed the top of the falls from down below, he nodded in approval and smiled. The current of the river was extremely rapid at this point, and his mind thinking far ahead, decided that a safeguard was needed. He judged the flow for sometime, and then he carefully hid his blaster and his hand gun in the brush near the river. It was a dangerous move only leaving him with a a knife, but he always needed that little something extra he thought. It often made a difference when things got the hairiest. Afterwards, he again cleaned up the ground not leaving any clue behind. Then he left the spot of his trap, and moved on looking for a safe place to spend the night. He found it about an hour farther down river. There the river entered a maze of canyons and hidden gorges. Among these rocks, he knew he would be safe, at least for the time being. It would take his adversary days or weeks to explore them all, and it was already getting dark. Bannon chose a group of rocks that allowed only one access. It was the perfect place to spend the night, and plan for tomorrow. As soon as he was comfortable, he pulled out his food packets and opened one for the first time. As he ate, he looked up at the planets two moons. He thought they were a beautiful sight to behold. What a place this would be for lovers, and then he realized the irony of his thoughts and laughed. Still he gazed at the moons for some time. It was an unearthly sight, but a wonderful one. In another hour he settled into a very light sleep. It was the kind that he could awaken from at a moments notice, but soon even in this uneasy sleep led to dreams, and as usual, he dreamt about unicorns and red- headed women. ------------------------------------------ Several times in the woods, Glaxxana had to stop and let her senses take over like she had done earlier. It was the only way to track the man. Always, the direction he took was the most unlikely. He was a magician this one she thought. Never had she run up against someone so formidable, in his retreat. Slowly, she started to admire his ability even as she trailed him. It will be a pity to kill him she thought. Back on Gamula, he would make a fine husband. And she could train him to understand what was required of him. It was the first time she felt that she had found someone so close to what she considered her perception of what a man should be. Then anger filled her. She shook her head to clear it. Don't let his pretty looks beguile you girl. Remember your task! Stay focused! He may be a man, but he is dangerous! And you have a mission to fulfill. As if to erase her dangerous thoughts with exertion, Glaxxana started to run. She ran for a good half hour at top speed. She did not think as she ran, and she let her instincts guide her. It felt so good to run. The exertion purged her mind and comforted her. She felt more like an animal than a Gamulan as she ran. She could feel her heart pumping and the blood surging in her veins. It was a wonderful sensation, and she felt more like a warrior again. After all, it was what her people were bread to be. They ruled and man obeyed, or else. Slowly her mind was purged of the impure thoughts, and she could focus once more. Soon she was out of the woods and racing over hilly grasslands. As she cleared another rise, she beheld a wondrous sight. A one-horned animal similar to the swifts back on her home planet, were grazing nearby. She stopped and beheld them. She had never quite seen an animal like this before, and from deep within her a racial memory stirred. She could not place the feeling she had for the animals, but the emotion was true enough. It was almost as if she had a feeling for these animals from the moment she was born, and it was just waiting inside of her laying dormant ready to flower. She had an inescapable urge to see these beasts close up. In another moment, she found her self walking towards them, her hands up in supplication. All the unicorns heads rose at the same time. Curiously, they did not run as she approached. The one closest to her, and the same one that had appraised Bannon earlier in the day was the first to react. Instead of taking flight, he pawed at the ground a moment, and then started to walk towards her. His head bent in supplication. She petted the animal for some time as the others gathered around and vied for her favor. In this manner, she spent the next hour with her new friends. ----------------------------------- Back on the wheel, Donavan was using the treadramp as was his custom this late in the day. His thoughts weren't on exercise though. His mind was light years from his present location somewhere in the Delphius star cluster. He couldn't get his mind off the life-and-death struggle that was now taking place on Regna, no matter how hard he worked or how hard he exercised. His thoughts would invariably end up back in that same feed back loop. As he started to run on the ramp, he wondered if the entire Federation was having the same problem. It seemed as if the struggle on Renga had already been going on for days, but in reality, not even a day had elapsed, and still the news was the same…….There wasn't any. He wondered as he increased his pace yet again, if the outcome on Regna took any length time, if the whole Federation would be a wreck inside of a week. Then an unusual thought crossed his mind. He wondered how the Gamulans were bracing up under the waiting game. As he increased his pace yet again, silently, he cursed the man who came up with the idea to totally isolate the battle, and then he chuckled when remembered it was himself who had conceived of the entire plan. Yes, he would have to lay low for awhile. The president was the most impatient man he had ever met. But as his exercise period ended, his thoughts turned to sadness as he remembered, once again, the message he had received earlier in the day. The news about mars came in only hours after Bannon began the most desperate struggle a man from earth had ever waged. At least, the news on that front was totally positive. The final shaft, at New Eden, had been cleared and the bodies found. The work had been done in record time, but it hadn't quite been fast enough for Bannon. And now he waged a desperate struggle on some god forsaken planet hundreds of light years from home, and he was totally alone. Donavan reacted to his last thought. To be fighting totally alone with no possible hope of outside aid, that had to be a crushing weight on any one. And to die for what you believed in was one thing, but to die alone for something you didn't quite understand was another. At that moment, he was sorry for opting to change the rules. In any event, he could only hope that dying alone was not all that bad for a loner such as Bannon. As he exited the ramp and started to towel himself off, he cursed his lack of confidence in his friend. If any human could succeed, he knew it was Bannon…….But could any human succeed? "There you are! I've been looking all over for you," the president exclaimed. Donavan looked out from underneath his towel to see the presidents excited face. "Have you heard anything?" the president excitedly asked. He answered knowing the president was privy to even more up to date information than himself, but it was obvious the president needed reassurance not data. "Sir, It's only been eighteen hours……….It may take a great deal of time," he said whispering the words not wishing to offend the leader of the Federated World of Planets. "Damn it! Damn you for talking me into this……..How could I put the fate of the entire Federation into the hands of a loose cannon, and a loner to boot……..What was I thinking?" The president paced about as he talked, then he started to move off toward the executive quarters. But before he left, he had one further thing to say to his chief advisor. "Damn you, Donavan!" As Donavan watched the presidents retreating figure, a horrible thought occurred to him. What would the president be like in a week or a month or, god forbid, six months if the struggle on Regna dragged on? After the president made his exit, Donavan resumed his toweling off, but his thoughts quickly returned to Bannon. Then he had an ironic thought. Maybe, Bannon was the lucky one. ---------------------------------------- Glaxxana looked up at the late afternoon sky and could see that dusk was rapidly approaching. One sun had set over an hour before, and the other was about to do the same. As she made her way along the river, she wondered when her quarry would choose to fight or if he would ever stop running and fight. She hoped the former was true. It was easier to praise one's enemies, after they were dead, if they had proven to be brave fighters in battle. As she remembered the face of the man the Goddess had revealed to her, she was sure it was the face of hero not a coward, and then she remembered the Goddess's last words……..Beware! She would heed the Goddess warning, but it was just not possible to believe that he actually stood a chance. Her advantages were to numerous to mention, and he was after all, just a man. There were many types and varieties of men in the hundred conquered worlds, but none so far found could match her sisters in battle or even come close. No, men were not fighters. They were best suited for being what they did best…….and that was to be husbands! As nightfall started to close in, Glaxxana gave up the chase and settled in for the night. She was secure in the knowledge that the man would not attack this night. She had gauged her bodies reserves and estimated his. She knew she was tired and his body did not come close to equaling hers. He would have to be totally exhausted. No, she was content in the knowledge that he would not attack this night. She slept under a huge waterfall, and was soothed by its gentle roar. It reminded her of the roar of the Pumacass back on her home planet. Then she thought of its prey the Wormabeast. She smiled as she thought, Was she the Pumacass and he the Warmabeast? She slept with the knowledge that the Pumacass always brought down its prey once it had locked in on its target. But slowly, in her dreams, the man's image changed back from the Wormabeast to his own features, and she smiled in her sleep…… ------------------------------------- Silently with head bowed Tiani entered the sacred baths. It was imperative that she talk to the queen. Glaxxana had told her that if she wasn't around, she should seek the queen's council, and she desperately needed it now. Once inside, she let a eunuch disrobe her and prepare her for the sacred baths. The preparation was a ritual unto itself, and she waited impatiently for him to complete his tasks. After the eunuch's duty was performed, she dismissed him with a wave of her hand, and proceeded into the sacred and warming waters of the spa. The baths were a large circular pool of water five meters across and one hundred meters in circumference. Inside the circle of water, stood another immense statue of their great goddess Heim. It rose as high as the diameter of the circle, and she too stood naked with her hands cupped as if she was presenting something to her children…...and she was. At his time of day, the hierarchy of the clans met in the pool to bathe. Not only was hygiene performed, but all the pressing matters of the day were discussed. It was a time to relax and conduct business all at the same time. It was not forbidden, but only considered bad manners for lower echelons in the hierarchy of the clans to bathe at this time, but Tiani pressed forward. She received many stares as she slipped past cluster after cluster of women bathing in the pool. Some stares of disbelief were from her own clanswomen. She had nearly made a complete circuit of the circular pool when she saw the queen lounging by the huge waterfall. It cascaded down from the Goddess's cupped hands as if she was delivering the life giving and warming waters to the spa. When she saw the queen, she froze. The queen was chatting with some of the highest ranking women on all of Gamula. But not much escaped the queen's notice, and she saw the young woman out of the corner of her eye. She knew exactly who the young girl was. As soon as the queen saw her, she stopped talking and motioned for the young girl to come forward. Everyone else, in the queens presence, stopped talking as well and turned to look. Tiani took a deep breath and boldly moved forward. As soon as she reached the queen, she took her regents hand and kissed it in supplication. The queen smiled and asked gently, "My child why are you here?" Tiani let the queen's hand go and looked up, but she did not stand up from her bow, instead she almost whispered her answer, "I am worried about Glaxxana…….It's almost been a full day." The queen laughed at the young woman's misgivings, but she quickly corrected her behavior and immediately became more regal. She also motioned her closer with a wave of her hand. Tiani sat next to the queen as she began to talk once again. "My child, Glaxxana has been engaged for less than a day, and I'm sure the man that they sent was the best of the best of the best." "But your majesty, Glaxxana has no equal……..She should have easily dispatched this earther." The queen laughed just a bit before she tried to soothe the young girls worries. "I'm sure she will be victorious, but the battlefield is huge, and it is best to feel one's opponent out first." "I know your majesty, but its just so hard to wait. I have always covered Glaxxana's back in battle……and now, I feel so helpless." The queen listened, understood, and instantly felt compassion. She placed her hand on the child's hair and gently stroked it with her hand as she told the young girl a story. "My child, I am sure you have seen a Pumacass?" Tiani instantly answered, "Yes, your majesty, they are native to my continent. "Good, Then you most know that once a Pumacass has chosen its prey, nothing can prevent it from killing the poor Wormabeast, but the struggle can last a long time. The Pumacass is much stronger and swifter and far more intelligent than the Wormabeast, but nature has compensated the poor Wormabeast. It has made it devilishly clever, and the Wormabeast does not know it has no chance, it therefore tries every trick it can think of to preserve its life." The queen paused for a moment, and looked into the young girl's eyes as she asked her next question, "But no matter what the Wormabeast may try, What is the outcome?" Tiani smiled back at the queen as she understood the significance of the story and answered the queens question. "He losses the battle and is eaten!" The queen laughed as did all the women around her. Now go my child and be secure in the knowledge that Glaxxana will prevail." Tiani laughed as well feeling a lot better, but she had one final thing to say to the queen, "I just wish that old Wormabeast would die already, and let Glaxxana come home." The queen and everyone around her laughed out loud once again….. ---------------------------------------- As soon as the rays of the first sun peeked over the horizon, Bannon's eyes opened. He stood and stretched leaving the rock he had propped himself against all night. He quickly downed a packet of nutrients and readied his mind and body for the ordeal ahead. Today would start with the most dangerous thing he had done to date. He would have to backtrack back to the falls, and from there it only got worse, but first he would do his daily ritual. He would not let his present situation change his routine. So with his mind and body set, he forced his palms together and went into his routine. Slowly, he performed the martial arts movements focusing both his mind and body to the task. His movements were slow and deliberate. One could say they were intricate and precise, and they were all these things, but most of all they centered the man and helped him to focus. When he was done, he felt calm and totally at peace. It was precisely how a man must feel when he is about to do the most dangerous thing he has ever done in his life. At almost the same time, Glaxxana awoke. The gentle roar of the falls immediately filling her mind with the reality of the situation. She quickly downed a nutrient packet and prepared to continue the pursuit. But first, she would perform the The Retow. It was performed every morning by every member of every clan no matter where they were. The precise nature of the Retow varying slightly with each clan. Each adding their own martial arts movements to the ritual. First there was the breathing techniques…….Slow intake of air and even slower exhalation. As soon as she started, she felt her body relaxing. As she got into the breathing, her hands and body started to move in a very precise manner, and she felt herself relaxing even more. Slowly her momentum built and her movements quickened, and she felt a power, an energy seeping into every pore of her being. With this energy came confidence that the machine that was her body could perform anything……..do anything……..overcome anything or anyone, and it was not arrogance. If someone could have observed both combatants as they prepared themselves for battle, they would have been amazed at how similar their preparations were, even though both were born and bred on worlds many thousands of light years apart. After the centering, Glaxxana prepared to leave, but first, she tidied up making sure no one could have guessed that she had been there. When she was about to leave, she called up the vision of the man her goddess had given her. As if speaking to that vision, she said out loud by the falls, "Today we will meet, and you shall know the power of my Goddess…….and then I will go home." As Bannon hurried back to the falls, he wondered if he and the woman had already passed on the trail. He had taken a circuitous route back, but it couldn't be helped. Meeting the Gamulan without preparations was just not possible. He would be meat for sure if that happened. As he hurried among the jagged rocks, zigzagging his way forward, he began to hear a gentle roar. He stopped for just a moment, and listened carefully allowing himself a moment of satisfaction. Then as if he was talking to the rocks, he exclaimed, "Hurry Gamulan!……….The hunter shall be the hunted this day!" Glaxxana saw his trick immediately. He was backtracking. My quarry is getting desperate she thought. Before she moved back she said to herself, I have you now……..This day you shall be mine. After her declaration, Glaxxana moved off at an even quicker pace. It was just a few hundred meters further on when she thought she knew the humans destination. He was backtracking to the falls. What have you hidden there? Instead of following his trail, she decided to take a more direct route back. It was a dangerous move, she could lose precious time, in the pursuit, if she was wrong. But if she was right? With a confident smile, she chose the more direct route back. Then she thought about the man again and said to her vision of the man, you have made your first mistake, I will try to make sure you do not need to make a second. It was just a matter of minutes till she was back at the falls. This time, she climbed to the top for a view that hopefully would reveal her prey. When she got there, the roar of the water was much greater. She looked about and saw nothing and heard nothing. Nothing that is except the sheer magnitude of the water as it dropped over the precipice to the pool below, and always the mighty roar of the water as it did so. She was about to move, to the edge, when she heard her Goddess's voice once more, "Beware!" it whispered. Instantly, she stopped and looked about once again. There was nothing. She tested her footing. The ground was hard. She saw nothing to worry about, no sign of the human, but as she moved forward, she remembered her Goddess's words and every sense in her being was ready. When she was but a few feet from the edge, he struck at her from nowhere. It was as if the ground had come to life. The thrust from his knife was made in but a fraction of a second, but it seemed to Glaxxana as if the struggle was happening in slow motion. She saw the knife coming, and she reacted, but her movements were in slow motion as well. She even had time to wonder if her blocking move would get to the knife before it pierced her stomach. Her move was successful, but barely. Instead his knife was diverted to her arm and she felt the pain immediately. And then they were fighting in real time once again. His knife sang through the air as she ducked and dodged its sharp edges. She was purely on the defensive, backing up slowly, as he moved forward with skill and cunning. She felt herself get cut again. He was the best knife fighter she had ever faced. At that moment, if she would have tripped, her life would have come to an end. But she had not practiced her routines every day of her life to trip at a crucial moment. Instead, her mind became calm, and she remembered who she was. She was a warrior of Defender Clan, and in that desperate moment, she remembered all of her defensive movements and tactics. The battle slowed down once again, and she started to fight in a more controlled manner and more precisely. Now, she blocked her opponents every thrust. It seemed as if she knew where every thrust would be directed, and they came slower. She fought calmly now, not desperately……..waiting for an opening which never came. Bannon felt the momentum of the battle switch. His initiative had been lost. Her movements were blocking everything, and he was tiring. He even felt himself start to lose ground. But in his desperate moment, his mind became calm and he thought of one final move before he had to leave. He made one final thrust and as she backed slightly to defend against the thrust and also to sucker him forward, he quickly somersaulted to his right and threw his knife directly at her. She barely had time to react, but she did react in time. She cupped her hands and caught the knife inches from her face. The moment seemed frozen in time, and for the first time she had a moment to gaze upon the enemy. His face was just as the goddess had shown her, but strangely, there still was not fear on his face, and there should have been fear there for she had him now. The moment only lasted one more fraction of a second, and then he did something even more unbelievable. He took of for the edge and dived for the pool of water below. It was a second before Glaxxana reacted and when she got to the edge, she could see that the current was already pulling him downstream into the rapids. At that moment she felt anger. The human was lucky. Or had he planned for even this? Quickly she turned her anger into resolve and she did what any warrior would have done. She dove in after him. Soon the current had her too and both were being carried by the greater force downstream. The human was maddeningly close, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not gain control of her big body. The rapids had her and they wouldn't let go. Even the power of her superior body was no match for the power of the current. When she looked for the human once again, he was near the riverbank, and he seemed to be actually extricating himself from the water. How could that be, she wondered? In another instant, she was moving past him, downstream. In a moment of insight, she finally understood. For the first time in her life, her larger more powerful body was actually working against her. The water had more surface area on which to act and carry her further downstream, and her strength advantage was like the wind against the power of the current. Fifty meters further downstream, the current lessened and she then was able to take full advantage of her superior strength. In just a moment, she was pulling her self out of the water on the opposite side of the river bank from the human. When she turned to look towards her foe, she saw the most chilling sight she had ever seen. He had a blaster and was leveling it right at her. How could that be? Again the moment was frozen in time. But this time, she was the one that was somersaulting out of the way. As she did so, a shot echoed and the ground erupted in a shower of sparks. As soon as she righted herself, she was moving again, and another shot echoed and more sparks appeared on the ground near her position. Slowly this drama repeated itself again and again, and each time the blaster got closer to hitting its mark, but she had steadily been making progress towards the cover of brush. As she dove for it, the blasters beam nipped her arm, but she was now safe. Quickly, she gathered herself and looked at the human from her place of concealment. He was scanning the area, for her, from his position on the other river bank. He looked so confident, it maddened her. If only I had my blaster she thought. I would need but one shot. Then she remembered where she had left it near the waterfall. I must go back there, and then she remembered his knife. It was there as well. The human looked for her for a few more moments, and then he turned and looked back towards the waterfall. That's right she said, you must go and get the weapons, and then I will have you. Instead of heading for the waterfall, the human turned and jogged towards the northeast and the woods miles away. For the first time in her life Glaxxana cursed, and she slumped to the ground feeling the effects of her wounds. Staring at the human once again, making sure he was leaving, she attended to her wounds. She had been sliced on the arm, cut on the abdomen, and nicked in the shoulder. None were serious, just strength sapping. She knew she would heal quickly. As she attended to her wounds, she thought about the battle. The man was a better fighter than she thought he would be, and he was excellent with both knife and gun. Still, she had managed to survive his advantages and turn the tide or at least managed to get a stalemate. But there was still one thing that really bothered her. Had he actually planned for everything that happened? His choice of the falls gave him an escape route. That was clever. But what about the blaster? That thought chilled her. If he had planned for even that, it would make him the most formidable opponent she had ever faced…….and he was a male! After her wounds had been attended to, she moved off to retrieve her own blaster and his knife. As she retraced her steps, her mind wondered if her wounds for his knife was an even swap. A smile came to her face after her mind did the calculations, and Glaxxana felt she had come out far ahead in at least that exchange. Bannon was jogging slowly back towards his cache in the woods. He was not moving at the pace he moved yesterday, but he judged he had at least the rest of this day before she was close again. She would need time to lick her wounds and to find his trail once more. He regretted losing his knife, but he knew he must cease every opportunity to win because there just wouldn't be that many. As he jogged, he replayed the fight in his mind. He had not made a mistake. Everything was done flawlessly, and still she lived. He had given her his best, and still she managed to survive. That thought was chilling. All her attributes were clearly on display in the firefight. He couldn't expect to win hand-to-hand and now he understood why the Federation troops were so helpless in the Arena. It seemed as if she could sense his shots and move out of the way in time. Her speed and quickness were absolutely mind boggling. What were his options? I must find a weakness he thought? Or I won't be alive for very much longer. As he made the woods, his mind was already on to a new plan. Will she be so careless next time he wondered?………. ----------------------------------- Back on the wheel, the president was ecstatic. "Have you seen the news?" Donavan knew the president was the first to see any news from Regna. How could he have seen the news first? He ignored the comment and looked to the president's face, and saw only exultation there. Quickly, he braced himself and hoped for the best. The president shouted in joy, "He's wounded her!……Three times!………I knew he could do it!" Donavan took the communiqué from the presidents hand, and read it carefully. The Meridians had informed both sides that they could detect injuries as well as death from the implanted subcutaneous sensors, and when anything occurred they would inform both sides as a matter of courtesy. The president was right. Bannon had managed to wound his opponent three times, but the letter also stated that they were not life threatening. As he read further, Donavan's mind raced with the possibilities. Where they debilitating? Would they make a difference? The communiqué did not elaborate. As the president continued on extolling the virtues of his choice, and the ramifications of this victory. Donavan was much more sober. He let the note fall from his hand as he listened to the president, and decided the information was virtually worthless. -------------------------------------- Why was Tiani summoned into the queen's presence at this late hour? It could only mean that Glaxxana had finally dispatched the earther. So Tiani was all smiles when she entered the queens inner sanctum. The queen was slumped in a chair A note dangled from her hand, and the look on her face immediately removed Tiani's smile as well. As soon as the queen saw her she said sadly, "Glaxxana has been wounded three times!" A look of panic spread across Tiani's face as she replied, "How could that be?…….Three times!…..Is she……." The queen interrupted, "No my child…….She is not dead…..The letter says they are not life threatening…….Still?" "Thank the Goddess!" Tiani exclaimed. The queen made a show for Tiani's sake, "This means nothing…….She will be victorious!……..She will kill the wormabeast!" Tiani gave her a forced smile, bowed, and retreated from the queen's chamber. She did not want the queen to see her cry. Slowly she made her way back to her own chambers where she would be up all night worrying about the woman she thought of as more than a sister. That night, her tears would have filled the sacred baths. Back in the queens chamber, the queen stared at her wall stoically. At that moment, the twenty five worlds did not seem to matter. As the note fell from her hand, she whispered to her walls, "Come back to me…….my daughter." To be Continued……. In the next chapter, the fighting intensifies. And the people who care can only wait and wonder?