HELIOS

Chapter 31

We jump out for the last one and my stomach feels queasy, but I hold it back and breathe to gain my bearings. I look out and there is a planet, though it seem to be covered in ice. It's really looks inhospitable from up here. "Where are we?"

    "It is Cohtahn-ahar the ice planet that was one of my Mothers holdings she acquired a long time ago, when she first Pledged herself to my Father." She banks the fighter heading towards the planets surface. "All of my Mothers holding passed to me when she died." I hear the sadness in her voice when she speak of her Mothers passing, and I can sympathize with her because of my Father.

    I look at it again, and now that we're closer I can see sporadic settlements dotting the surface. "Hold on Ant, we're about to enter the atmosphere." The fighter starts to shake and buck roughly and I tighten my gut to keep it from shaking too much, but soon we get through it and everything smooths out. "Are you alright?" She asks with concern.

    "You bet." I give her the thumbs up. We are still moving at break neck speed and I wonder why. "Jahní, why are still moving so fast?" I ask her.

    "This a royal family holding, there are satellites that monitor it for security reasons. In ten minutes one of them will pass directly over the Palace." I understand, since no one knows where we went the eye in the sky would give us away. The Kings security forces would be all over this place in no time.

    "So how far are we from the palace?" I ask her.

   She looks at her instruments. "About eight minutes." she responds.

   "Eight minutes!" I exclaim. "Thats cutting it kind of close don't you think."

    I can't see it, But I'm sure she has a devilish gin on her face right now. "It will be fine." She says, but I feel the increase in speed, as she skillfully maneuvers the fighter down on the hard deck map of the Earth. Up ahead I see a mountain and at the top of it sits a palace, that seems to have been carved right out of the stone it self. It is a magnificent structure, with tall towers and defensive Parapets and murder holes. Firing slits dot the first two levels. And that's after you overcome the mountain. It's imposing.

   She gains altitude circling to the rear of the palace, and a bay door is opening. A place to hide the fighter, and not have to expose yourself to the cold. "My Mother loved this place; it was her solace to be free from palace life and duties." This has to be very nostalgic for Jahní. She deftly swings the fighter into the bay landing with the softest touch. She is a spectacular pilot. Probably one of the best I've seen.

   She winds down the engines opening the canopy; we both jump out of the fighter and I am impressed with it, and the ease with which it flies. I hear a voice and I turn around to find where it's coming from. An older Majah-tu  approaches us and Jahní Takes off her helmet  just dropping it on the ground. She goes up to him and just hugs him like you would a dear family member.

    I take off my helmet and I place it on the wing of the fighter, and the old Majah-tu is looking at me as Jahní turns smiling so brightly. She speaks to him in their language and he nods, but doesn't smile at me. "So you are the human that we've heard so much of." He says a matter of factly, with a very heavy accent. He motions for us to follow him, but I get the feeling that he's not to thrilled to see me.

    Jahní walks with me by my side and we're still wearing the armor. "I'm sorry about his reception to you. His name is Kohan-To. He has been serving my family for a very long time, and he was very loyal to my Mother." She looks at him smiling. "However, he disagrees with what I'm doing."

   I look around at the palace and it's very quiet. "Is He the only one living here?" So he knows about us.

   "Oh no, there are the rest of the staff who are waiting in the main hall." She says and I feel better somehow, to know that he's not the only one that I have to deal with. He leads us to the main Hall where the rest of the staff is and it's a mix of ages here, from young to old.