Izikiel by Thomas Fay Page B

their identical grey uniforms, Izikiel surmised that they had to be some form of security force. Each carried a powerful looking weapon cradled in their arms. As their leader raised his fist into the air they all stopped. Izikiel could feel himself reaching out to the Eternal Flame. Then something unexpected happened.
    The leader lowered his weapon and raised his dark visor.
    ‘Xavier?’ he asked in surprise.
    ‘ Jonas?’ Xavier responded in turn. He too slowly lowered his weapon.
    ‘ What in blazes are you doing here? You disappeared over five years ago without a trace,’ the star port security officer named Jonas said.
    His skin was a touch lighter than Xavier’s but they clearly shared a common ancestry as evidenced by his wide, flat nose and thick lips. Physically , he was just as intimidating as the large scavenger.
    ‘It’s good to see you too,’ Xavier said.
    ‘Where have you been all these years?’ Jonas asked.
    ‘ Living in the Kartucian Desert,’ Xavier replied. Turning towards his sister, he said, ‘You remember Te’Anne?’
    Jo nas inclined his head slightly.
    ‘ Hello, Te’Anne.’
    ‘ Jonas. You look well,’ Te’Anne said. She, however, did not lower her weapons.
    ‘ You too,’ Jonas replied with a grin. Turning his attention back towards Xavier, he said, ‘You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here. We’re in a state of mass evacuation so this better be good.’
    ‘ We’re seeking passage off the planet,’ Xavier replied, deliberately avoiding looking at Izikiel. ‘We need to leave urgently.’
    ‘ So does everyone else, unfortunately. Look, I should arrest you for what you did back there at the wall. You know as well as I do that use of star port security technology without authorisation is illegal.’
    ‘ C’mon Jonas, you know me, you know us.’
    The security officer named Jonas let out a slow breath as he looked at his men. Turning back towards Xavier, a smile spread across his face as he said, ‘I do owe you for that desert training session. If you hadn’t disobeyed the commander and fended off those desert wolves then I wouldn’t be around anymore.’
    ‘ Does that mean that you’re going to let us go?’ Te’Anne asked.
    ‘ Yes’
    ‘ Thank you, Jonas. It is good to see that you have not lost your sense of honour,’ Xavier said.
    ‘ You’ll need to hurry. There are only a handful of civilian ships left and about two thousand people still to evacuate. Once that number of ships drops to one there will be a mass panic,’ Jonas said. He motioned for his men to lower their weapons.
    ‘ Make your way to The Sargon in the south west corner of the dome near the space platform. It’s an interesting place but some of the civilian freighter pilots prefer it to the more upmarket joints.’
    ‘ What about you?’ Te’Anne asked.
    ‘ Don’t worry about me. There’s a ship reserved for security personnel. Now go.’
    Izikiel had remained perfectly still during the exchange between Xavier and Jonas. Some instinct of his had told him that Jonas could be trusted. Now, as they were about to walk away, Izikiel experienced a flash of darkness across his vision. Feeling instantly cold, his mind raced as he recalled the touch of the void spawn. His thoughts turned to the Eternal Flame. As he began to reach upwards, his concentration was interrupted by a voice as sharp as steel.
    ‘ Do not move.’

THIRTY ONE
    The speaker was a tall man with a waspish face and deep sunken eyes. He was dressed in a dark grey uniform of the same colour as the security forces armour. Izikiel noted several black and gold stripes emblazoned on his sleeve. Standing directly behind him were two dozen armoured star port security officers. Their visors down, each held a double barrelled weapon pointed directly at them. The man’s steel grey eyes glinted with a dangerous edge as he addressed the other group of security officers.
    ‘ Captain Jonas, what is the meaning of this?’
    ‘