-PHILLIP-

  Phillip and Brand were almost at their destination, but Phillip still wasn’t certain why his father had brought the gun.

  They sped on across the plains, riding on their family's two speeder bikes. The nimble hovercrafts were old, but they zoomed across the open land, their engines purring, as if glad to be free of the confines of the family’s stables.

  Phillip's father had taught him to ride when he was younger, and Phillip had taken to it naturally.

  He relished the rush of wind across his face and the power of the speeder engines beneath him.

  His father did not ride as well, but today Brand rode with a mask of determination that made him resemble a hero of old. Phillip barely recognised him. Was this gun-owning, speeder bike riding master really the old pudgy man he knew? Ever since the strangers had arrived, his father's countenance had changed. It had been the same when the first Terrans had come, many years back.

  Brand signalled for Phillip to slow down. They were nearing their destination. Phillip eased up on his throttle as they neared a valley covered with a thicket of trees. Their destination was hidden within those trees; the village of Cana.

  Phillip glanced at his father. The man's eyes were set steadily forward. He didn’t look in the mood for conversation, but Phillip risked a question.

  "Why the gun, father?" he asked. "Aren’t we here just to get resources for the strangers?"

  His father continued to look forward as he responded. "No. We’re not just here for that. There are people falling from the sky, Phillip. We need more information."

  They had not slept since the strangers had arrived. After they interrogated the one called Ben Wilson, Phillip's father had instructed him to prepare the speeder bikes and ride with him to the largest nearby village, Cana.

  There Brand said they would get food stock, medicinal herbs, and extra speeder bikes for the strangers to use on their journey.

  Phillip was glad that this steely version of his father maintained his generosity. They could have given the strangers scraps and sent them on their way, but that was not how Brand Hura did things. He would satisfy his guests, even if he was wary of them.

  They descended into the valley and the grass of the plains gave way to shrubbery and trees which grew taller the more they descended.

  Phillip had heard many rumors as to how Cana Valley had formed. Many of them had to do with the gods. Some spoke of an ancient holy war between the gods and the old royal family, Kivessa’s family. Others said the valley had been formed by a meteorite.

  These thoughts ran through Phillip’s mind as they traversed the valley and came upon the village within.

  Cana village, which took its name from the valley, was the largest settlement most locals knew. It was a long, sprawling village that had formed around a small river which cut through the center of the valley.

  Most of the buildings resembled Phillip's home. They were old wooden structures that had stood the test of time.

  The village was famous for two things. First was its remarkable assortment of fruits and vegetables, which the villagers had access to thanks to the fertile soil within the valley. The second was gossip.

  Hundreds of people from different villages flocked to Cana Valley every day, bringing with them news from distant places. Cana village was the hub where all that information was exchanged.

  The entrance to the settlement was bordered by a set of large wooden gates which were always open.

  Phillip and his father nodded at the solitary guard who stood by the gate. His job was mostly performative in nature. He never checked anyone who passed through the gate, and he never needed to.

  Everyone was wise to know not to cause trouble in Cana. The locals, and some of the foreigners, who visited it had no qualms taking down troublemakers.

  He probably should have checked us today, Phillip thought. He wondered how the guard would have reacted to the rifle. Brand had hidden the weapon in a sack that was tied to his speeder bike.

  Phillip followed Brand through the village. Brand only bought things from one man in the village; a farmer who went by the name Reshal. Reshal consistently stocked fresh produce and was always willing to negotiate.

  However, Phillip believed his father's loyalty to the farmer also had something to do with the fact that Reshal was a busybody with a loose tongue.

  Reshal's tent-shop was located close to the center of the town. As usual the place was busy. Numerous shoppers stood around it, haggling with Reshal's staff. The shop owner himself sat on a small stool just outside the tent smoking a pipe. He saw them and stood up sharply, a broad smile on his face.

  "Brand!" He bellowed. "I have missed you."

  Phillip's father smiled in response. The two Chintari men embraced each other lovingly. When they broke apart, Reshal waved an accusatory finger in Brand's face.

  "You abandoned me, Brand! Abandoned!"

  "Abandoned is an extreme word," Phillip's father retorted with a chuckle.

  "It is the perfect word to use! It has been months. Only your wife comes. And you know I don't like your wife. I'm sorry Brand. But I have to say it. She is far too serious for me." Reshal mimicked Phillip's mother in a mocking fashion. Again, Phillip's father laughed but there was an edge to it this time.

  "Let's not go there, Reshal. You remember what happened last time."

  "Ah yes," Reshal said. "You punched me in the face." He rubbed his jaw. "Remind me why I like you again."

  The two men broke into laughter once more, and Reshal turned his attention to Phillip.

  "The little pup had grown to become a man!" He clapped Phillip on his shoulders. "You look good, Falu. Ah wait. Are you still going by that silly human name?"

  Phillip looked the farmer in the eye. "Yes," he responded. "My name is still Phillip Falu Hura."

  Reshal looked at Brand and raised an eyebrow. Brand simply nodded.

  "Okay then, Phillip," Reshal said. "I'm happy to see you so healthy." Reshal clapped his hands together. "I suppose you are here for my services."

  When they nodded, Reshal looked back into the shop and whistled one of his attendants over. He then pulled a sheet of paper and handed it over to Phillip's father with a pencil.

  "Just write whatever you need," Reshal instructed. "She will put it together for you."

  Phillip's father quickly jotted down the items and handed the paper back.

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  Reshal took a look at the paper and whistled. "Are you throwing a party, Brand? And you didn't invite me? That's a lot of food."

  "Can't hurt to be prepared," Brand responded with a smile.

  "Indeed."

  Reshal handed the paper over to the attendant who disappeared into the tent. When Reshal turned back to face then he had a conspiratorial grin on his face. "Did you see the sky last night, Brand?"

  Here it comes, Phillip thought. Reshal's trademark flow of gossip.

  "I did," Brand responded.

  Reshal smiled. "And what do you think it was?"

  Brand shrugged. "Possibly a comet."

  Reshal laughed. "And what about you, boy?" he said, looking at Phillip.

  "Aliens," Phillip said instantly. He could feel his father's hard gaze boring into him, but Phillip was hungry for information and didn't want to beat around the bush.

  Reshal clapped loudly. "The boy is right! You should be proud, Brand. You have a sharp son."

  He dropped his voice into a whisper. "It was aliens. Strangers. It seems their ship exploded on entry to the planet."

  Reshal paused, then frowned as he looked from father to son. "I have to say I thought you would be more impressed."

  "We've met strangers before," Phillip's father said quickly.

  "Ah yes," Reshal replied. "The Terrans. From many years ago. But those ones didn't blow up in the sky, Brand. This is different."

  He gestured for them to get closer. "I hear the Blood Queen is very interested in them."

  "Kivessa," Phillip whispered.

  "Yes!" Reshal glanced at Phillip's father. "Your son is very informed, Brand. I'm surprised. I was told he was just a simple dango herder."

  Brand's expression was unreadable. "I'm as surprised as you," he said to Reshal.

  Phillip noted that his father had not asked any questions about who Kivessa was. ‘So he knows too,’ Phillip thought. ‘What other secrets do you have, father?’

  Brand spoke again. "What does Kivessa want with the strangers?" he asked Reshal.

  Reshal shrugged. "I have no clue. But I've heard she's sent agents all across the planet to hunt down pieces of their exploded ship. But here's the thing..."

  He leaned even closer.

  "I have a piece of the ship." He whispered. "It was a part of their control system. Fell to the ground a few miles west of here. Some of the herders there picked it up. I had to pay them a hefty fee to get it. But it was worth it. I have someone on the way who is going to help hack it. I bet it has a treasure trove of knowledge. I'm taking over these plains, Brand!"

  Brand did not look pleased. "That sounds risky, Reshal. Aren't you afraid Kivessa's people will track you down?"

  "Kivessa's main campaign is all the way on the second continent. Descara. That's what she's after. She doesn't care about herders and farmers on the round continent."

  Phillip spoke up. "Actually, I've heard she's taken down many of the old temples that are on this continent. And she’s conquered much of the coast. Right now she’s just biding her time until she's ready to sweep all of us."

  Reshal rolled his eyes. "By the time she's ready, I'll be so powerful she would have to make an ally out of me. You two worry too much. Nothing will happen."

  At that moment, Reshal's attendant popped out of the tent, cradling a large bag. She handed it over to Phillip, while Brand paid Reshal.

  "I'll call you when I retrieve the information from the ship part, Brand. Apart from forgetting to visit me, you've been a good friend. I want to share the information with you."

  "I would like that very much," Brand responded.

  They exchanged goodbyes.

  "Well he wasn't much help," Phillip said as they walked away. Their speeder bikes followed behind them automatically. "Not yet anyway. Maybe once he decodes whatever ship part he retrieved."

  Brand didn't look at Phillip when he responded. "I taught you to be thankful, Falu. What happened to that? I came here to buy food. I got food. And at a good price. I don't know what is more helpful than that."

  Right, Phillip thought.

  "We're going to buy more speeders," his father said. "Three new ones for the humans to ride on their journey."

  "Three speeders? That's a lot of money."

  His father simply grunted. Phillip waited for more, but his father didn't say anything. ‘Alright then. Guess that's all I get.’

  A high pitched whine cut through the air, and they stopped walking.

  "Do you hear that?" Brand asked.

  "Yeah," Phillip responded. "But I don't know where it's coming from."

  They weren't the only ones hearing the sound. All around them, people stopped in their tracks. Some cupped their ears while others searched around for a source of the sound. The noise was gradually growing louder. Phillip saw a small child tug at his mother's dress and point into the air.

  Phillip looked up.

  In the distant sky he saw a metallic ball speeding through air. Phillip realised in alarm that the object's trajectory was carrying it towards Cana.

  "Run!" Phillip shouted. "It's coming this way! Run!"

  The people around seemed to get the message. Phillip locked eyes with his father, who nodded. They grabbed the handles of their speeders and tried to navigate their way through the chaos that was beginning to form.

  Someone else grabbed the handle of Phillip’s speeder, and he turned to find himself staring into the crazed eyes of a young Chintari man.

  "Let it go!" The man yelled at him. "Give me the bike! Let me get out of here!"

  The man threw a punch at Phillip. It was slow, and Phillip dodged it easily. He kicked the crazy man in the abdomen, and the man doubled over and let go of the speeder. Phillip glanced at his father. Brand was also fighting off fear-crazed Chintari.

  Phillip's bike jerked. Yet another person had taken hold of it. He saw that an even crazier individual had jumped on the bike and was trying to kick Phillip away.

  "Stop!" Phillip cried. "Stop!"

  A shadow fell upon them and Phillip glanced upwards. His heart sank.

  It was upon them.

  The large metallic sphere struck the ground several feet away from him. The air cracked and the ground buckled.

  Phillip found himself thrown backwards. He lost hold of the speeder, and hit the ground hard. Thankfully, he had the presence of mind to roll with the impact. When he finally stopped rolling, he realised his ears were ringing and his heart was hammering away in his chest.

  His ribs hurt when he coughed. He stayed down for a long while, trying to recover his breath. Having done that, he tried rising to his feet and was able to get up slowly.

  Everything was covered with a dusty cloud, and Phillip could hear people and animals crying all around him.

  "Father!" He called out.

  He gingerly took a step, then another. It seemed none of his bones were broken.

  "Father!"

  No response. He continued walking. The dust was clearing and he was beginning to see the carnage the metal ball had caused.

  The ground had splintered in many places, forming large gaping cracks. There were people trapped in some of those cracks. Some were crying, others were unnervingly quiet.

  In the distance, Phillip saw where the metal ball had landed. It had hit the ground then skidded for several meters before stopping.

  The displaced earth from the skid bunched up around it like a protective wall. A rectangular shape appeared on the surface of the ball and peeled back like a door.

  The inner parts of the ball had screens and several buttons.

  It's a ship, he realised

  He got closer to it, then heard the sound of approaching footsteps, accompanied by a low dragging sound.

  Phillip watched as a fearsome figure dressed in white armour crested the mound of dirt surrounding the ship. The armour was not regular armour, but seemed to be made of interlocking bones that jutted out of the man's body.

  Phillip had heard the stories but he had never even seen a drawing of one. This was a dawn trooper, a member of Kivessa's elite troop.

  The plates of the dawn trooper's bone helmet slid off like a puzzle piece disassembling, revealing the face of a fearsome Chintari warrior. The man had two bone spurs above his eyes; they were horns, a sign he belonged to a royal clan. He held a piece of machinery in his right hand and was dragging something with his left hand.

  Phillip realised that it was Reshal's limp form. The dawn trooper dropped the body on the floor in front of the spherical ship. Reshal was breathing, but each breath looked like it filled his body with pain.

  "Reshal!" Phillip cried. He began to run towards his father's friend, but something crashed into him and pinned him to the ground.

  A strong firm hand latched over Phillip's mouth. Phillip blinked and opened his eyes to see his father glaring down at him. Brand slowly lifted his free hand and placed a finger over his mouth.

  The dawn trooper turned to look at the area Phillip had been standing. He scanned it for a while then turned back to his ship. Phillip heard him speak but could not make out the words. The trooper spoke for a while, then held out his left hand. Another trooper stepped out of the ship.

  This one was female. She had similar armour to the male, but had a more lithe figure. The female trooper took the piece of machinery from the male. She studied it a bit then nodded in satisfaction. She pointed to Reshal's body and said something.

  The male trooper reacted. He lifted his hand, and a small sharp bone spur emerged from his palm. Reshal's body jerked as the trooper shot him with bone spurs multiple times.

  Phillip wailed and fought to get up, but his father refused to relent and pushed him down. Tears streamed down Phillip's cheeks when Reshal's body stopped moving.

  Satisfied with their work, the troopers walked back into the ship. The door closed and the whining sound began again. The sphere slowly lifted into the air and then, with a loud bang, it shot into the sky.

  Five seconds passed before Phillip's father released his hold. Phillip pushed off and ran to Reshal's body. The jovial man's face was a mess of blood and broken skin. Pieces of bone spurs jutted out of him.

  He didn't react when Phillip shook him and called his name. Phillip sunk to his haunches and howled. He heard his father walk up to him and tap him on the shoulder.

  "We need to go now, Phillip." Phillip whirled on Brand, ready to berate his father for being so detached in this situation, but then he saw the heaviness in his father's brow and the tear marks on his cheeks.

  Brand took Phillip by the shoulders. "We need to go, Phillip. We need to go now. That thing… I think it went in the direction of our house."

  Phillip’s heart sank.