The Adventure Begins: The Star Traveler Series: Volumes 1-3

By Theresa Snyder

Action, adventure, romance, and intrigue; it all began with a friendship between Jake, a battle worn, middle aged human mercenary, and a young alien named Arr. From that friendship sprang the foundation of this fast paced, character driven, page turning series.

The Star Traveler Series is currently a six volume set of science fiction novels reminiscent of the old masters; Bradbury, Asimov and Heinlein. The Adventure Begins collects the first three books in the series: The Helavite War, The Heirs of Henu and Old Friends/New Enemies.

With well-defined characters and a strong cinematic feel, the books create tremendous atmosphere. A terrific, highly imaginative world built and peopled with, appealing, interesting characters you will grow to care about.

“Theresa Snyder writes great stories.”
-5-star Amazon review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Theresa Snyder
• Release date: Sep 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370937660

Theresa Snyder

Theresa Snyder is a multi-genre writer with an internationally read blog. Theresa grew up on a diet of B&W Scifi films like Forbidden Planet and The Day the Earth Stood Still. She is a voracious reader and her character driven writing is influenced by the early works of Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffery and L. Ron Hubbard. She loves to travel, but makes her home in Oregon where her elder father and she share a home and the maintenance of the resident cat, wild birds, squirrels, garden and an occasional dragon house guest.

Book preview

BOOKS BY THERESA SNYDER

The Farloft Chronicles

(Dragon books suitable for Middle-school to Adult)

James & the Dragon - Vol. 1

Kingdom of the Last Dragon - Vol. 2

Dragon Deception - Vol. 3

Too Many Dragons - Vol. 4

Three & a Half Dragons - Vol. 5

Dragon Memories, Dreams & Reflection - Vol. 6

The Star Traveler Series

(Sci-fi suitable for Young Adult to Adult)

The Helavite War - Vol. 1

The Heirs of Henu - Vol. 2

Old Friends/New Enemies - Vol. 3

The Malefactors - Vol. 4

Cataclysm - Vol. 5

A Mear Sleight of Hand - Vol. 6

The Twin Cities Series

(Paranormal Mature Young Adult to Adult)

Shifting in The Realms (Book 1)

Shifting Agony & Ecstasy (Book 2)

Shifting Places (Book 3)

Memoir

(Adult Non-fiction)

We 3

Learn more at

www.TheresaSnyderAuthor.com

The Helavite War

Vol. 1

Theresa Snyder

1 Last of the Henu

Many long years ago pivotal events occurred remembered by few modern historians.

There lived a Henu…

He was the last of his kind…

The end of a dying race…

His name was Arr…

Arr could not remember the time when his people were many. He could only remember back to when there were two, he and his brother Nor.

Nor told him wonderful stories of how the planet was peopled by hordes of Henu. His words drew pictures for Arr of forest communities where the Henu lived as gatherers, peacefully in their homes in the trees - homes that had laughing children and warm fires. Nor told of his memories of their mother and father, of the chilled nights when they would lie round the fire, snuggled deep in mounds of soft, fat cushions, listening to their father tell stories of his dealings as a trader with the galactic convoy.

Arr's father was the backbone of the Henu colony. He was the trader of all the spices and herbs that the people gathered. He, like his father and his father's father before him, piloted the communal ship to the far corners of the galaxy, selling the goods and buying whatever the people of the planet needed. Being the older of the two boys, one day the position would be Nor's; then eventually Arr's.

However, none of this came to be. Arr and his brother's world ended the day The Others came. The day it happened there was no time to ask themselves where The Others came from or what they wanted - there was only chaos and death. Three days later, when The Others left the planet, the two brothers were the only ones still alive.

Arr could just barely remember those three days. They were like a dream. They were still pictures in his mind like the drawings in the sand that they made in the summer, by the Crystal Lake. He heard his mother screaming to get to the trees for safety, his father calling his name right before he disappeared, in a cloud of dust. The Henu were all fleeing to the trees. The trees were on fire and the screams - he could still hear the horrible screams in his nightmares. Arr tried to go to his father and he would have died in the arch of the blast ray with him if it were not for Nor holding him back in the tall reeds by the water's edge. Three of the most important days of his life and that was all he could remember except for the numbing cold of the water as they crouched there waiting for The Others to leave.

That was fourteen flowerings ago. Today he said goodbye to Nor for the last time.

It was a silly accident. They'd been stuck on the planet ever since The Others destroyed or stole everything, including their father's ship. They fled from the burnt forest and the smell of death to the opposite side of the tall mountains to the east. It was warmer there. The brothers took to wearing lighter clothing and sandals instead of the smooth knee high boots of their youth. Nor stepped on a thorn from a casha bush, when he tried to remove it the tip broke off. It was not long after that, that the foot began to swell and turned bad. Nor tried to remember all the herbs that his mother would have used, but so much was forgotten. He was only eight flowerings old when they lost their parents.

Arr thought back as he sat watching Nor's funeral pyre engulfed in flames. It took Nor only five days to die. The last two he was delirious with fever. He talked of times long ago and called for their mother. Now Arr was alone, the last of the Henu.

He could not imagine living without Nor. Nor taught him all he knew; all that was important in the world. Nor was brother, father and mother to him. He sat silently, as the flames licked at the clear blue spring sky. When there was nothing left but a pile of ashes, he cradled his head in his hands and cried until he could cry no longer. Then he gathered a few things together and headed back to where it all started, to the trees by the lake.

The journey was shorter than he remembered it as a child, at Nor's heels. Then, it took what seemed like months to get to their new home. Now it took just eight days of dedicated hiking. Arr crested the small hills to the east of the forest about mid-morning. He somehow thought it would still look like that picture in his mind, all burnt and dead, but it was alive. The forest came back from its scorching. It was alive and green and beautiful again. He saw the lake to his right at the foot of the hills, still sparkling and crystal clear. As he made his way down into the valley, walking beneath the trees, he saw no signs that the Henu lived or died there. All was cleansed with the passage of time.

Since leaving the burnt forest his brother and he took to ground dwelling. Now, Arr had an uncontrollable urge to climb and climb high. His sandals were useless in the trees. He kicked them off and shinnied up the trunk using the natural handholds of knots and burls on its surface. He made a mental note to construct a pair of soft climbing boots as Nor taught him in the eventuality that they should return to the forest.

It was always Nor's plan to return home, but Arr was so reluctant that Nor put the deed off until a later time in the hope that his younger brother's memories might fade. In a way, this trip to the forest was really in memory of Nor.

When Arr climbed to the highest branch, in the largest tree he could find, he found that he was home. The smell of the forest, still damp from the morning dew, the sway of the branches, the rustle of the leaves in the gentle breeze, were all so familiar to him. It all seemed so right.

He wished fervently that he had not delayed his brother from this trip…

He wished they had come back years ago…

He wished he was not alone…

Arr spent several days camped by the lake. Each night he would climb a different tree and let the gentle sway of the branches in the evening breeze lull him to sleep. Before long he made the decision in which tree he was to build his home. The branches of one of the trees overlooking the lake were perfect. The tree lay open like a hand. In that palm he built his home. The wood from smaller trees made the walls. The reeds, still growing by the water's edge, made a waterproof roof. It was late spring by the time the house in the tree was completed.

2 Jake Harcourt - Mercenary

Jake Harcourt established orbit around the planet. He was a mercenary, the son of a mercenary. Jake had just come from ‘One Hell of a Battle,’ if you asked him. It had been on a small God forsaken planet in the Nubula System that was nothing more than a rock. The crunch came because the rock was almost solid galnon crystals. A very sought after item - worth your mother's weight in gold - and that's what Jake liked, the shiny stuff. Not that he didn't like the adventure of a good fight, but he found since he turned thirty-nine a few weeks ago some of the fun had gone out of the battles. Jake was finding more aches and pains after each confrontation. That's how he felt today, full of aches and even though he showered three times he still felt gritty from that dirty little planet. He wanted to see some green, relax for a few days and nurse his bad leg from that Arcanian pig sticker. He checked his father's log for the closest planet that was habitable, with a lot of green, where he could buy some fresh grub from the friendlies. His dad kept a detailed log of all the planets he visited and all the people he met in his forty odd years of mercenary work. The entry for this planet he was orbiting sounded like the ticket.

Met a trader today on Rigil Four. Name of Raa.

Nice robust chap with unusual bright, blue cat eyes.

Says his home is Sector 124, Section A10,

Star Line 43/68/15/44, in the Nigula System.

Sounds like a sweet place for R & R.

Forested, tree dwellers.

He says the welcome mat is always out.

Jake threw a few things in his pack. He tossed the pack in the planet pod for the trip down and called to Kay-o, a pet dar-dolf, something like a cross between a wolf and a bear. Jake picked up Kay-o as a prize in a game of chance, about two years ago. He had been trying to teach him manners ever since. The dar-dolf did not take well to discipline and he had very sharp teeth. However, even though he had a habit of chewing up Jake's best gloves every time he got a new pair, Kay-o was a loyal companion and a real scrapper in a fight. He'd saved Jake's bacon more than once.

Kay-o planted himself confidently in the pilot's seat as though he intended to fly the pod himself.

Come! Jake patted the passenger seat invitingly.

Kay-o settled down in a half lying position in the pilot's seat, the sheer bulk of his massive, hairy body spilling over the edges of the chair. Even in this simi-reclining position he was still tall enough to be able to see out the front viewport. Jake thought for sure he detected a slight glint in the dar-dolf's eyes.

Kay-o! Come! Jake commanded, in what he hoped was a more forceful tone. He followed the command with a tug on the dar-dolf's stout harness.

Kay-o's eyes narrowed to slits and he emitted a deep rumbling growl.

Jake removed one of his gloves from its place tucked under his belt and tossed it into the passenger seat. Kay-o obediently hopped over grabbing Jake's glove triumphantly in his paws. The mercenary thought he saw a sparkle of mischief in the beast's eyes as he tore into the leather of the new glove with his huge canines.

Enjoy it while you can, he muttered to Kay-o. I swear that's the last one you get. Jake took his own position in the pilot's seat and powered up the thrusters for the descent to the planet's surface.

When Jake got within scanner range he started looking for the settlement. There was none. Lots of green, but no people. His father's log was never wrong. Something must have happened. Jake decided to land and investigate. There was nothing he loved more than solving a good mystery.

He set the planet pod down on the shore of a crystal blue lake at the edge of a grove of trees. The planet might not be inhabited, but it was a lovely place for a good rest. He and Kay-o piled out of the pod to start their reconnaissance.

They found a tree dwelling almost immediately. There had been no effort made to conceal it. Jake was walking around the trunk of the tree wondering how to announce himself when everything happened at once.

He saw a young man, hardly more than a boy, step through the bushes at the edge of the stand of trees. He was tall and slender. He wore britches and a loose fitting tunic of tan, with knee high boots of a soft fawn color. The kid was holding a knife in one hand, a bunch of reeds in the other. He had been gathering, not hunting. The boy was startled to see someone at his home. He stood transfixed, rigid in surprise, at the edge of the clearing under the trees. All of these details plus his beautiful, blue cat eyes, that stared out of an otherwise human looking face, Jake took in the few brief seconds before Kay-o sprung out of nowhere to attack the boy. The dar-dolf's sheer power and weight took the boy by surprise. His knees buckled and he was knocked to the ground. Kay-o saw the knife as a weapon. He went for the boy's throat, his teeth sinking savagely into the kid's shoulder. The boy screamed in pain and took a valiant stab at the dar-dolf, the knife glancing off the chain-mail coat Kay-o wore. This action reinforced the dar-dolf's feelings that this alien being was hostile. Kay-o went in for the kill.

Le-go! Jake screamed. Le-go! Back! He hollered, as he tugged violently at Kay-o's harness. Down!

Jake's commands to Kay-o were interspersed with kicks and curses. Eventually, he had to physically pull the raging dar-dolf off the boy and leave him lying there bleeding while he secured Kay-o in the planet pod. The dar-dolf had gotten his taste of blood. He was all for finishing the job. Flushed with anger, Jake dragged the snarling beast back to the pod. He couldn't be too angry with Kay-o. On Titan III there was a similar situation, but the guy in the bushes was an armed Adruvian and Kay-o's actions then saved Jake's life. After all, Kay-o was only a dumb dar-dolf. Sometimes, he had a hard time distinguishing friend from foe.

By the time Jake made it back to the boy the lad was lying in a pool of blood, ashen colored and cool to the touch, but still alive. He had grabbed the first aid box from the planet pod. The mercenary went to work with that cool professionalism that only came from experience on the battlefield, many battlefields.

He'd seen a lot worse injuries. This kid looked strong and healthy enough. If an infection didn't set in from the dar-dolf's filthy bite, he'd be okay. Even if an infection did develop, Jake had some antibiotics he'd saved for an emergency and in his opinion half killing a friendly was an emergency. Jake kept expecting someone else to show up while he was dressing the kid's shoulder. He was working on an explanation so they wouldn't lynch him, but no one came. Either they were out gathering and hadn't heard the commotion, though Jake thought that unlikely, or there wasn't anyone but this boy here as his instruments had shown.

Once the kid's wounds were bandaged Jake decided to get him into the house in the tree. He had no difficulty slinging the unconscious lad over his shoulder. Jake's body weight was probably twice the boy's. And, he had another four to six inches of height on the boy, too. It was the climb up that hurt. His leg still bothered him when he stressed it.

He laid the boy on a pallet in the corner, covered him with a blanket of some unusual cloth and then started to look around.

It was a simple place, but more than adequate. There were rush mats on the floor and over the windows. These were pulled back for the morning air and light. There was a pit carved in the middle of the wood floor, lined with clay and used as a fireplace, and there were cushions beside it made of the same unusual material as the blanket. The utensils on the low floor table by the fire pit, one wooden bowl, one wooden cup, indicated that Jake's guess was right, this boy was alone.

Now that the emergency was over, Jake was starved. A reaction he often experienced after a crisis situation. He began to check the place for edibles. There were a group of storage baskets at the back of the room and he scrounged through them as quietly as possible in order not to disturb the slumbering boy. There was something that looked like a black potato, but smelled like an onion, something that looked like a cross between a carrot and a turnip, and some purple ball shaped objects that definitely were the potatoes of this planet. He juggled his assortment of vegetables in a loose embrace to the fire pit. Well, all he needed was some meat and he could make a decent stew. He checked to make sure the boy was still sleeping soundly, then descended to go hunt.

When Jake returned to the planet pod he found Kay-o had calmed down enough to let him out for a run. The beast was curled up in the pilot's seat, glove between his paws, snoozing.

At the edge of the lake, he washed the boy's blood from the dar-dolf's face, than commanded him to ‘Seek.’ This was a universal command. It could result in Kay-o flushing out rabbits, quail, the enemy, or another friendly. But, Jake didn't have much fear that another accident would occur. He was relatively sure the only inhabitant of the planet was safe up a tree.

What had happened here? By signs that Jake was very familiar with he could tell that there had been a battle maybe ten to fifteen years ago. He ran his hand over the tree trunks where they were blaster scorched. He scuffed his boot across the laser dimples in the ground from ship to ground firing. Had they all been killed by some invading force? As hardened as Jake was it made him shiver to think that Kay-o almost killed the last of a race. Earthlings were very destructive in the past. Many species came to an end at their hands. Now they were almost fanatics about the preservation of diminishing civilizations. Even though Jake was basically a hired gun the thought that he was almost a party to, and the cause of a whole culture's demise, made him sick to his stomach. He'd have to make sure the boy was well enough to take care of himself, before he moved on.

3 The Others

Arr was dreaming again. The same nightmare he always had, trees on fire, Henu screams, The Others disintegrating his people as they fled. However, this time when The Other looked his direction he looked very different, and then a ferocious beast appeared over him holding him down. He was desperately struggling to keep the beast from biting his face off. Arr woke up in a cold sweat with his head and heart pounding. At first he didn't know where he was. He ran trembling fingers through sweat dampened hair trying to get his bearings. His home with Nor had not been here. When he heard the breeze whispering through the trees it all came back to him and his heart slowed to a normal beat. He heard a movement by the fire pit and angled his head to look. There was a man squatting by the fire, stirring something in a pot. It was the man in his dream. He was the largest man Arr had ever seen, both tall and very broad across his shoulders. He was dressed in a black, tight fitting suit that looked like a second skin and he wore boots and a cap of the same color. His hair was brown with grey at the temples and his dark beard was flecked with grey and red. He wore a weapon on his right thigh and had one glove tucked in his belt.

Whatever he was cooking smelled familiar and yet different in some way. With the smell came the realization to Arr that he was very hungry. He had started gathering early, without a morning meal, wanting to repair the leak his roof developed during the previous evening's light spring rain. By the slant of the sun through the tree house window he could tell it was late afternoon.

The man rose stiffly from his squat and rubbed his left leg as though it pained him. It was at this very moment that Arr's stomach growled. It growled so loudly that the man looked up and grinned. Was that your stomach? I thought Kay-o had learned to climb trees.

The man spoke an odd tongue, but it, like the smell, was also somehow familiar. Nor told him some members of the trader family were very adept at learning new tongues quickly. He said their father spoke several. Perhaps Arr was remembering back to his father's stories and one that was about this race of beings.

The man was talking again as he spooned out some of the delicious smelling concoction in his pot.

I'm really sorry Kay-o took a piece out of you. I'd say he was sorry too, but he's a dar-dolf. They're never sorry!

He came over with a slight limp to his step and assisted Arr up into a sitting position against the wall. He handed him the bowl and went back to the fire to fill the cup for himself. All the while he rattled on in a tongue only now beginning to form words in Arr's head.

Jake ladled out some stew for himself, grabbed a cushion from beside the fire and turned to go back to sit with the boy. Even after what the kid went through he didn't seem afraid. Instead he sat there propped up against the wall looking at Jake with those curious blue cat eyes. Jake wondered if those kinds of eyes gave you a different outlook on the world.

Jake flopped down on the pillow on the floor, only wincing slightly when his leg connected with the hard wood.

The name's Jake, Jake Harcourt. He shifted himself into a more comfortable position. I really am sorry about Kay-o giving you such a fit, but he's trained as a Protect dar-dolf. He saw that knife you were carrying as a weapon.

He thought the boy was listening to him, but just not talking. It was hard to tell. The kid was so intent on shoveling in Jake's stew.

What's your name? Jake pointed a finger at the boy's chest.

There was no response.

Me… Jake… Jake pointed a finger at himself. You? He asked again pointing at the lad. The kid just buried his face deeper in his bowl. Well, listen to me. I sound like dialogue out of a B-Rated vid. Jake said, with a bemused smile.

Still no response. It was a bit unnerving. Jake talked even more when he was nervous than when he was calm, so that meant he was talking non-stop.

When he handed the boy his bowl he noticed what looked like a tattoo on the palm of his right hand. He started to comment on it, just to have something to talk about, but thought better. So far the only reaction to Jake that the boy had was to devour his stew.

Jake was telling him about the battle over the galnon crystals. He got to the reason for coming to this particular planet, when he quoted from memory his father's log entry about the trader Raa. The boy's head popped up from his stew.

Raa? My father was Raa!! He said very clearly.

Jake was more than surprised. He thought from the reactions he was getting that the kid might be deaf and certainly didn't speak English.

So, you do speak English. And he was the son of the trader Jake's father had met. Jake always seemed to be bumping into people his father knew.

Speak more English. Arr said in excitement.

Arr was listening to Jake's every word as he satisfied his hunger. He found, to his delight, that his mind processed the man named Jake's language as he spoke. He literally learned by ear. Once the word was spoken it was cataloged and there for instant retrieval. Learning like this was an exciting experience and he wondered why Nor did not tell him how wonderful it was.

Jake kept talking and Arr kept asking questions, sometimes stumbling over a sentence, as if he was missing a word and searching for the right one. Jake was beginning to catch on. As he asked questions himself, he realized that the kid only spoke words that he himself previously uttered. The boy had a mind like a computer processing the data as it came in, rearranging it to suit the situation and spitting it out again. It was like he was some kind of savant.

The next few days passed quickly for both Jake and Arr. Arr was desperate to hear and learn this new language of Jake's. As for the mercenary, he'd never had such a rapt audience. He talked endlessly about his adventures through space. He honestly had to admit that it was a relief when the kid fell asleep then he could rest his voice for awhile. During one of these rest periods, in the second day, Jake took Kay-o back up to the cruiser. Being left alone, the dar-dolf would probably trash the ship, but when Arr got well enough to get out of the tree house, Jake didn't want another episode like the last. He wanted an opportunity to conduct a controlled introduction between the two.

Arr steadily got better each day. He seemed to be free of any infection, which was a lucky stroke Jake thought. The kid's vocabulary also improved with every passing hour. Soon the two could carry on a full blown conversation without much need for sign language.

Arr was starved for companionship. He told Jake everything he could remember about the battle, the Henu and Nor. He told Jake some of Raa's stories, as Nor told him, and was delighted to find that Jake knew a couple of the characters from the tales.

Arr liked Jake the minute he set eyes on him. He was like Nor who told him all those fabulous stories when he was growing up. From what he could remember, and piece together from Nor's tales, Jake was very much like their father too. Nor told him that Raa was taller than all other Henu, he was very outgoing, and entertained all at the Henu gatherings by recounting his many travels as a trader among the aliens of the galaxy.

Jake felt protective and responsible for his new friend. He couldn't imagine himself facing a life alone on a planet no matter how beautiful and idyllic this one seemed to be. He admired Arr's quick mastery of English and wished he could do as well with Henu. At first, Arr was under the impression that if he could learn English just by listening Jake should be able to learn Henu the same way. He was disappointed when he found that acquiring a language so easily, seemed to be a Henu trait only, not indigenous to humans.

By the end of the week Jake felt it was time to get his ground legs back. He had begun to sway when he walked from being up a tree too long.

He's not down there. I put him back up on the ship. Jake reassured Arr once more.

Arr still looked slightly distrustful as he surveyed the ground below for signs of Kay-o.

I promise its safe. Jake shimmed down the tree and whistled shrilly for the dar-dolf. See… No Kay-o. Jake held his hands up, palms open as though he were a magician proving there was nothing up his sleeves.

With the absence of the dar-dolf proven Arr descended slowly of his own accord. When the kid got to the ground he made straight for the water. He pulled off his clothes at the edge and dove in swimming like a fish across the lake and back again. When he got back to where he had started he pulled up a reed with a bulb on the end, peeled the bulb and crushed it between his hands. The bulb had a milky substance in it that when it contacted the water and was rubbed between the hands created a kind of soapy froth. That's how Arr used it. He sudsed up his whole body standing at the water's edge, and then he dove back in for a rinse. When he came out to offer Jake a piece of the root Jake couldn't help but admire this unique life form.

He was a creature that spoke decent English after only one week of listening to a human. In the same time he had healed sufficiently enough from a dar-dolf bite to swim a lake probably a quarter of a mile across. He stood there offering Jake the bulb/soap. He really was a beautiful specimen. His whole body was covered with a fine hair that shone red/gold in the sun. There was not an ounce of fat on him. He was all muscle and those bright, blue cat eyes held both mystery and mischievousness in their depths. On top of all this he was just nice to be around. Jake had almost killed him yet even when Arr knew enough English to berate Jake, he didn't. He only asked what Kay-o was and why he had attacked him. The loss of this civilization was such a waste.

Jake took the makeshift soap, shucked off his clothes, and had a refreshing bath at the water's edge. Jake wasn't much of a swimmer, in fact he'd almost drowned once when he was a kid. To this day, he didn't like his water in any larger quantity then a bathtub full.

When they were both dried by the sun they put their clothes back on. Arr headed off to gather some goods for a meal and Jake tagged along. Every object they passed had to be named out loud by Jake for Arr's continuing language lesson.

They picked berries and dug roots for about a half hour. When Arr began to look tired Jake encouraged him to sit down in the shade of a tree.

The boy took what looked like an apple from his gathering sack, cut it in half and handed Jake part. As Jake took the fruit he once again noticed the tattoo in Arr's right palm and this time he felt comfortable enough with the boy to ask about it. With very little difficulty, for lack of the correct words, Jake got the full story.

My people are all matched at birth with a mate. The male and female are both tattooed with their lineage. Mine reads, 'Arr son of Raa, Mate to Mya.' There is a… Arr faltered, looking for a word that was missing. A gathering, but more. He cocked his head looking at Jake with those inquiring cat eyes.

A party? Jake supplied. Being around Arr now, as his vocabulary was expanding, was like playing a continual game of charades. Or a festival?

What is the difference? Arr asked.

A party is a number of people gathered together to celebrate something. A festival is usually an annual gathering or celebration. Jake explained, hoping he had gotten it right. He was learning that defining words correctly was somewhat difficult at times.

There is a festival at the time of flowers, Arr went on, now in possession of the needed word, that when you reach your eighteenth flowering, you are allowed to join in the… The kid paused again searching for the right word. When he couldn't come up with it he rose to his feet, grabbed an imaginary partner and danced sensually to a tune only he could hear in his head.

"A dance in the spring," Jake supplied. He was pleased with himself that he was getting so good at this game.

A festival in the spring, Arr went on, as he returned to his seat under the tree, that when you reach your eighteenth flowering, you are allowed to join in the dance.

Jake knew now that a flowering was a yearly count.

All the dance people wear masks. As they dance they look for the other's tattoo until they find a match. When the matching left hand of the female is found they remove their masks as a sign of acceptance of this mate. Then they go to the trees to build their home and start a family. Arr's eyes glowed with the remembered tales of his brother about the celebration and the joyous unions that came out of it. Then he looked down at the tattoo in his open palm. There was a Mya, daughter of Kel, Mate to Arr. When he looked up there were tears in his eyes. "She was younger than me by a year. I know which one she was.

"All children between two and four flowerings were kept by the lake. They were watched by females that had lost their mates. Mya was one of these children. I had turned four, so I was free to play with my brother. When The Others came, she was with the rest of the children by the lake. Three days later when The Others left they were dead like everyone else except Nor and me. Arr tossed the core to his apple into the bushes by the tree and rose to his feet. This would have been my spring to dance with Mya," he said poignantly. Without further conversation he turned and headed back to the house in the tree with Jake following in his footsteps.

4 Duty Calls

One day flowed easily into the next. Jake's leg was getting a good rest. Arr had prepared a poultice that soothed the ache in it considerably. The boy's shoulder was as good as well, ah… the recuperative powers of the young, Jake thought. The only thing left to show where Kay-o bit him was a thin line on his shoulder where the fine red/gold hair didn't grow anymore.

It had been three weeks, now. Jake knew he must make a trip up to the cruiser to check on Kay-o. Not only would the dar-dolf be lonely and need a good run, but Jake estimated his automatic feeder was probably low. If it ran out there would be no ship to come back to. A hungry dar-dolf was worse than all the destructive power of a Phase III Plasma Laser set on high.

Arr left the tree early as usual. Jake found him washing his hands at the water's edge. He was the cleanest critter he'd ever met.

I'm going up to my ship, Jake said, briskly.

The boy's reaction took Jake by surprise. The kid rose from his squat, turned and walked away, without a word. Jake watched him go with eyebrows raised. He pulled his cap off, smoothed his rumpled, dark hair and put the hat back on. This mannerism was a habit he had when he was baffled by something, as though smoothing his hair would make it easier to think.

Oh well, back in an hour or two, he mumbled to himself.

5 Deserted

Arr had been preparing himself for this. He knew Jake would move on. He'd heard Jake's stories. He knew what kind of life he led. Arr wished he'd had the courage to ask him if he could go with him. It would be so lonely here again. He thought back to the time after Nor died and before Jake came. He took to talking to himself, the trees, even the lake. He felt he would go crazy if left alone, but he could not ask Jake to take him. He had already decided that. Jake was a fighter. Arr didn't know anything of fighting. Jake could pilot a cruiser. Arr knew nothing of technology. Jake had traveled throughout the galaxies. Arr knew only this small piece of dirt. Arr could not burden Jake with such a useless, stupid being. Arr would go if asked, but he had not been asked.

Even though he only knew Jake a short time he had a desire to cry as he did by Nor's grave. Cry not only for the loss of friendship, but for what felt like family loss again. The young Henu had bonded with Jake. Now Jake was leaving.

Arr heard the blast of the planet pod's thrusters, turned and saw the small ship lift off. He collapsed at the edge of the grove of trees, watching it vanish into the sky. Arr sat staring with water rimmed eyes at where the planet pod had been. Jake was gone.

6 Dar-dolf Mayhem

The condition of the cruiser was worse than Jake could ever have imagined. The only thing left untouched was the metal hull of the ship. It took all the restraint he had to keep from drawing his blaster and dusting the beast. The big bozo was bouncing around like a puppy, he was so happy to see Jake. If Jake hadn’t planted his feet squarely the oaf would have pushed him over.

Jake spent the next four hours cleaning house. Kay-o followed him around like a shadow. Luckily most of the damage was repairable. All the seat cushions would need to be replaced. It would be a hard ride to the nearest Refitting Station. The dar-dolf had obviously thought they were edible when his food ran low. The only serious damage was to the communications system which appeared to be trashed beyond any repair Jake could muster. Kay-o must have picked the portion of the viewport containing the communications panel to sit and watch for his master's return.

Jake loaded the last of the garbage he'd cleaned up into the disintegrator. When Kay-o crawled in after it he was sorely tempted, but he pulled the big lug out before he latched the door and hit the switch. He tossed a few odd things in the planet pod and called to Kay-o to get in. They headed back down to the surface. It would be good to have a bath in the lake, Jake thought. He'd even settle for a cup of that herb stuff Arr fed him in place of coffee.

Jake brought the pod down within a few feet of where it had set before he left. He hopped out to go find Arr. He wanted to properly introduce his new friend to his wayward companion. He only got a few yards from the ship when Arr came running from the grove. The kid tackled him like he was a fumbled ball on the first yard line. When he pried himself loose he was surprised to see tears in Arr's eyes.

What? he asked.

Arr just shook his head and looked at the ground.

You thought I left you? Think again cat eyes. You and me, we're pals. What would I do without you to talk to? You're the best audience I've ever had.

Jake gave the kid an affectionate shove on the shoulder, turned and walked back toward the planet pod. Arr heard him say as he went, Come on, if you're leaving with us when we go you and Kay-o gotta make friends.

7 Red Raspberry Goo Chews

The dar-dolf had on a metal harness. The harness was attached to a chain. The chain was attached to a gun mount on the planet pod and the pod was rocking with each of Kay-o's lunges. Jake thought he had better get them acquainted fast before the damn beast broke a landing prod off the ship.

Jake knew he had one major advantage in the task. This particular dar-dolf would do anything for a treat. He was one of the biggest munch mouth's Jake had ever seen. It just so happened Kay-o didn’t find the stash aboard the cruiser of his favorite treat, Red Raspberry Goo Chews. These were a sickening sweet, stick to your teeth confection, which Jake happened to find repulsive himself though they were made for human consumption.

Jake gave Arr a handful of the candy. He placed the boy a few feet in front of the snarling dar-dolf.

Now, every time he growls at you just toss him a piece.

A bag and a half of Goo Chews and an hour later the dar-dolf was eating out of Arr's hand. Good thing the enemy didn't know the secret to Kay-o's heart.

Now remember, Kay-o is a working dar-dolf. He's not a pet. You go makin' him a pet and he'll become a pansy. You can exercise him, I'll show you how, but don't play with him. If he rough houses with you make sure you come out on top or he'll take to pushing you around. He has to know you're boss. You lose control of a dar-dolf and you've got trouble with a capital 'T'.

Yes Jake. Arr patted Kay-o on the head and slipped him another treat. Kay-o slobbered all over his hand then nuzzled his palm for more.

That's all, Arr said, as he showed his empty palms to the dar-dolf.

Jake released Kay-o and without any more Goo Chews to hold his attention he wandered off to wreak havoc on the countryside.

Jake figured it was about time to teach Arr how to use a weapon a little more lethal than a foraging knife. He went to the cockpit of the pod and brought out the extra blaster he'd brought down from the cruiser. He was a firm believer that a person should know a gun and its potential thoroughly before ever firing it. This credo had been ingrained in him by his father.

Jake proceeded to show Arr the peculiarities of a Class II Blaster. The Class II wasn't as powerful as a Class III, but it was a damn sight lighter and a lot easier to use. He demonstrated the three power settings on some innocent bushes, switched it back to low, and then handed it over to Arr.

The weapon felt warm in his hand. Arr held it tightly so he would not drop it. The gun was very heavy. Arr hadn't really understood Jake's introduction to the blaster. Things like laser power and radiant levels made little sense to his less than technical mind, but he was impressed by Jake's demonstration. After Jake set up a target a few yards away he gave Arr the okay to open fire.

The kid was a darn good shot. Sure, the first few blasts went wild. They had a tree limb almost fall on their heads. More than a few fish in the lake got boiled, but after he got the feel of it he was right on target at least three out of four tries. Must be those eyes helping him out, Jake thought. If he practiced every day for a month or so and if Jake taught him some evasive maneuvers, he'd be able to hold his own in a good skirmish. Course shooting at a tree stump was quite a bit different