The Great Game: Mehrak Dracu

By John Sheffield

With the aid of a few Yerboli and Darien females, Mariska Gabor and Gareth Owen have succeeded in taking back the sub-continent of Sambhar. Meanwhile, the supreme Siguldian leader, Sigismund Dracu the Thirteenth, sends General Azamat to Earth to obtain hydrogen bombs. Sigismund's cousin, Mehrak Dracu, takes

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Sheffield
• Release date: Aug 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088056943

John Sheffield

John Sheffield PhD is known worldwide because of his involvement in numerous multi-national fusion energy projects for the U.S. and Europe. In the 1970s, he was on the design team for the 16-nation, Joint European Torus project at Culham in England; in the 1990s, he served as a U.S. representative on committees that defined and then gave technical advice to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)-China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States. He served on the US-DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences Advisory Committee for over a decade, chairing it from 1996 to 2000. From 1988 to 1994, he was director of Fusion Energy at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. From 1995 to 2003, he was director for Energy Technology Programs at ORNL, and from 1997 also director of the Joint Institute for Energy and Environment at the University of Tennessee. There he remains as a Senior Fellow in what is now called the Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment.

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The Great Game: Mehrak Dracu

John Sheffield

I am deeply indebted to the people who read and gave me sound advice on improving this book. Vicki Kestranek and Carolyn Robbins, the literary critique group led by Buzz Bernard, Lynn Wesch’s and Jeremy Logan’s literary critique groups, and my late wife, Dace. I have benefited enormously from what I have learned as a member of the Atlanta Writers Club.

The wonderful cover art was created by Eerilyfair Design and Achmadp at Fiverr.

This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

The Battle for Mohen

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1.

Word arrives at the Darien-4 space station in the Asteroid Belt that the Siguldians have invaded Darien. The Siguldian forces are under the Dracon, Mehrak Dracu. They consist of Moroi warriors and dragons, supported by a larger number of Yerboli serfs. The peaceful Dariens need help. Shape-shifting humans, Gareth Owen and Mariska Gabor travel to the planet Darien in the Orion Nebula to mount a guerilla warfare attempt to oust the Siguldians. Mariska will take the lead because, on Darien, females are the hunters. The duo, with massive help from mainly Darien females and from Yerboli they have rescued, have made progress in freeing the sub-continent of Sambhar. During this time Mariska and Gareth have developed a loving relationship.

Mariska turned over in bed and bumped into a body. What? She opened her eyes and saw the back of Gareth’s head in the dim light that filtered past the shutters. She put her arms around him and hugged, remembering the previous night. Gareth’s lovemaking had been sensitive, and he had taken his time. She felt as if he were recapturing something and didn’t want it to end.

He turned toward her. I’m glad we did that, he said, nuzzling her neck.

And we can do it again, she replied reaching down over his flat stomach.

You’re on.

I would hope so. I like to be in control.

He chuckled. I noticed.

They stayed in bed until mid-morning when they had to meet with the local Darien leader, Nurmahal.

*      *      *

Following a vigorous debate, Mariska, Gareth, and the senior Dariens agreed that the best way to tackle the Siguldian forces on the main continent would be to open up a number of fronts. Unfortunately, this would mean that they would have to separate again.

*      *      *

It took forty days to train the new troops and manufacture sufficient laser weapons before they could leave Sambhar. Then they divided into three groups: an army led by Mariska; a second one led by Datia; and a small group consisting of Gareth, Serik and Alma. By now they had amassed eighty-three laser weapons. Gareth’s party took five and the remainder was divided between the two main armies.

Gareth was the first to leave the city of Sambhar.

Parashai, wherever you are, please look after him. Mariska turned away to hide her tears. It wasn’t just the romance she’d miss, she faced months without the companionship that had grown over the previous weeks.

I love you, she said.

Love you, too, Gareth replied and gave her one last hug as he boarded the truck to return to the boat in the port of Salna and the Yerbol crew. From there, they would sail south and east to make land on the main continent at the latitude of the Tirich Mir desert. This area was chosen because it was mostly hot and dry, and not favored by the Siguldians.

A day later, Mariska’s group left. She boarded a small bus with Uzgen, and thirty Darien warriors. Jaipora, Banda and the remainder of her army would follow over the next five days. She hoped the separate movements would not alert the Siguldians to the scale of their forces. It was clear that Sigulian satellites were monitoring Sambhar, and bombings had continued on a daily basis. They had not discovered the identity of a supposed Siguldian spy and as a precaution, only the troop leaders knew of their intentions. Her destination was Harihar, a port around five thousand kilodhanurs to the north and west; a journey that should take no more than five days at this time of year, she had been told. From there, they would trek west along the coast toward Mohen. Uzgen would accompany them, to help persuade any Yerboli they encountered to join their cause. Gareth had convinced her to take Naipur, because, despite warnings, the Darien had aggravated Serik’s brother, Ilyash, who was on board the ship.

Starting two days later, Datia would lead the second army in groups east toward Mohen. Nurmahal had located two Darien who spoke enough Siguldian to communicate to any Yerboli they might meet. Mariska had given Datia an electronic device with a recorded message from Serik that spoke about the agreement with the Darien Council—a calculated risk, given the consequences of the message falling into the hands of the Morois.

Mariska’s bus took a paved road around the lake to the west, used a ferry to cross the River Sargon—the bridge had been bombed—and headed north into a densely forested zone. At Harihar, they would enter the permanent ice-covered region, and use motorized sleds to follow a coast route around the pole to the main continent. She had suggested a more direct route over the pole, but Nurmahal explained that the center of the permanent ice was mountainous, and conditions would be too difficult for their sleds.

*      *      *

Gareth stood in the bow of the deep-sea fishing boat, part of a fleet that he and the Yerboli had taken from a port, south of Salna, eleven days earlier. They had spent a frustrating seven days in port before obtaining permission to board. A deal finally settled only when Nurmahal came and helped them. The metal boat was seventy-five dhanur in length, a hydrogen-powered engine, and one vertical, tubular-metal sail, similar to that on the Moroi’s warship. A Darien crew ran the ship as they and two similar boats headed for fishing grounds off the southwest coast of the main continent, a change from the boats’ normal northwest haunts. Gareth hoped that the ruse would work and that the Siguldians, seeing their original ship moored in the Salna inlet, would assume he was still there. He had told no one except Mariska of the strategy, which he’d worked out with Nurmahal.

The skipper had estimated that the approximately 16,000 kilodahnur trip to the grounds would take ten or twelve days. With favorable winds, they started to fish on the eleventh day. Gareth stood in the bow scanning the horizon. In the distance he could make out the peaks of the coastal mountain range above a misty shoreline. He preferred the bow, where the strong fishy smell from the holds was whipped away by the wind. More fish were on their way; the forward-looking sonar had detected a massive shoal ahead of them and the crew had lowered the nets. Gareth noticed a movement in the water. Crocodile-like heads on long necks appeared in front of the bow wave. Then they plunged, revealing, he estimated, twenty-foot-long bodies, each with four flippers and a fifteen-foot tail. He’d seen similar images before. Nagas, he muttered. Cousins of the Loch Ness Monster. The boat slowed abruptly. Gareth turned to see thecrew pulling the nets back into the boat.

He wandered over to the stern, trying to breathe through his mouth. Why are you doing that? he asked a crew member.

They’ll ruin the nets, the Darien replied. We’ll have to wait ‘til they’ve fed.

When they surface, I could shoot them with a laser.

The crewman stared at him. They haven’t attacked us. And what would you do with the bodies? They’re not good to eat.

We’re not the same, Gareth thought. We humans are accustomed to killing to gain an advantage or for the hell of it. They’re not vegetarians but they limit what they kill. Good point.

The sailor, who had been looking over Gareth’s shoulder, suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him face down on the deck.

What the—?

Siguldian patrol boat. He pointed to steps. Go below.

Gareth crawled to the stairwell and went down to find the Yerboli. They were in the communal area, drinking and playing a game with carved pieces of bone on a board. A game he had yet to fathom.

Serik glanced up and proffered a bottle. "Drink?

No thanks. We’ve spotted a Siguldian patrol boat, Gareth said.

The Yerboli put down the bottle. Where?

Port, er . . . left side.

I’ll go look. Serik hurried out. When he returned, he said, Small one. At most, one Moroi and three Yerboli. What do you want to do?

Gareth thought quickly. Stay hidden? No. Better to try and capture the boat. We need to capture it but we musn’t kill anyone in case they came through a portal. We can then use their ship to get to shore. Do you agree?

Serik turned to his colleagues, and they discussed the suggestion. After some argument, Serik said, Yes, and we should be able to get more of our people on our side. How do you want to handle it?

Good question. We have to wait and see whether the Moroi comes aboard or sends . . .

The captain rushed in. You need to get in the storage hold. Hide until they go away. His ears were laid back and he looked scared.

Gareth took his arm. Calm down. We’ll handle it.

No. I’m the captain. I must protect my crew.

If they find us, you will all be killed, Gareth said. Are you prepared to risk that? We can handle them. I have killed two Morois. My friends will take care of the Yerboli.

The captain sat. He rubbed his face and his ears relaxed.

I was told to do whatever you asked . . . but please understand . . . my crew.

Gareth patted his shoulder. We all understand. We’ll wait to see what he does. Position us so that he goes to one of the other boats first. If the Moroi doesn’t board us, bring the Yerboli to Serik on the far side of the bridge where they can’t be seen from the patrol boat. Gareth had a random thought, remembering a fight in the Roman Colosseum in a Great Game. Oh . . . and have small nets ready to use in case there’s a problem.

The captain stood. I’ll alert the crew. He ran out the door.

Serik you take the left. I’ll take the right.

Gareth watched through a porthole as the Siguldian vessel approached. It fired a warning shot to tell the fishing boats to heave to before coming alongside the nearest one. Gareth’s view was partially obscured, but as far as he