"The woman I am in love with..." They heard a bowl drop from just outside the door. Janti and Lataro both looked and saw Nalia frantically trying to pick up her mess. Lataro smiled. "...and whom I am going to marry."
"I see. Well good. You must leave as soon as possible," Janti said getting up. "If the overlords find you here they will kill us all."
"Who are the overlords?"
"You just rest. The sooner you rest, the sooner you leave," Janti said leaving the room.
I need to find out who are these overlords, Lataro thought as he laid back down.
A ship? Jonny said waking up to a thunderous roar. He had been sleeping for days, and his body was weak. The bite had left him so weak that he couldn't even get up. As he laid there, he heard talking. Harsh, grunt-like words. Jonny mustered as much strength as he could and got the phaser which was useless. He aimed it at the door.
"Captain Q'tar. A federation escape pod," Jonny heard from outside.
"Search for survivors Klang," another husky voice said.
"K'Pla."
The door suddenly burst open and, in the door way, a large Klingon stood. He immediately saw the phaser and leaped forward out of the way of the nonexistent phaser blast. Klang jumped up with his dagger in hand and put it at Jonny's throat. Instead of cutting Jonny, he knocked the phaser away. As the phaser flew to the other side of he pod, Jonny laid back down and drifted in and out of consciousness. The last thing he heard was, "No. He is just a boy. Look at him."
"But, Captain, this Human boy, he tried to kill me."
"Klang, there was no shot. If there had you would be dead now."
"Yes, Sir."
A few hours later, Jonny woke up in a Klingon sickbay. He felt his strength was back as he tried to get up, but the Klingon physician who attended him pushed him back down. "Lay still, boy. You are badly injured." She walked over to the control panel. "Captain. He is awake. You instructed me to inform you when he awoke."
[Very well. I will be down there momentarily.]
"Yes, Sir."
"Ma'am," Jonny whispered. "Where am I?"
"You are onboard the T'Pau, a Klingon Bird of Prey. I am a healer here to see to your welfare."
"How did I get here?"
"The T'Pau was passing by the Xylieus Star System when it picked your distress beacon. It was barely audible. The captain ordered an away team to investigate and here you are. How long were you on Xylieus VII?"
"I don't know. Almost two years."
"Two years?" A husky Klingon said in amazement as he entered the healer's quarters. "Were you alone?"
"Yes,"Jonny said.
"Captain Q'tar. He still needs some more rest. I recommend that..."
"Bah! Tell me young one. What is your name?" Q'tar said cutting her off.
"I am Jonathan Lataro. My family and I were on the Vixen when it was attacked and destroyed."
"And where is your family now?"
"Sir, my mother was killed as she got me to the escape pod. My father was onboard when the Vixen exploded."
"Ah. Died as warriors. How honorable! You say you were on that planet for two years by yourself. That is impressive, young Lataro. We will take you to nearest the Federation outpost and drop you off. You are a strong one. You have the fighting spirit," Q'tar said getting up and walking out.
For once he actually had time to recollect the events of the past two years. His parents' death now hit him, and he cried. The healer saw this and looked away. She understood how he must feel for she too was orphaned at a young age but had to survive on her own. Cry, young Lataro. Cry get it out, then you must never cry again.
I have finally been saved. No more being alone, he thought as he fell asleep. The venom was gone as was the loneliness.
Early the next day, Lataro was sleeping soundly in the bed that the Trelanian gave him, but now he was shaken roughly by Nalia. "Jon! Wake up! Jon! You must hide!"
Groggy, he squinted his eyes to the woman. "What? What is it?"
"The overlords! They are coming!" she said frighten. "Please hide." She frantically looked around, but there was no where he could hide in this little place. The dark, cool walls had nothing on them. There were no baskets to jump in, not a closet. "Here! Hide under the bed." Nalia lifted the bed up as Lataro rolled out of it. He wore nothing but a pair of thin nylon underpants, that complimented the uniform by not showing lines. As his feet hit the floor, the cool, dampness sent a shiver up his spine.
"Please. Get underneath!" Nalia said lifting the bed up over her head. Lataro crawled underneath and was covered by the bed. Then out of nowhere, his uniform, boots, and his gear was flung underneath and hit him in the face. He winced at the pain but understood the importance of being quiet. He positioned his gear in front of his face to block the clear site. Just as he did, he heard someone enter the dwelling.
"Nalia," an unfamiliar voice said. It was husky, raspy like...like Marsung's.
"Yes, Overlord," Nalia said, her voice shaking with fright.
"My lovely one. We are looking for a hideous creature about five thiles tall. It has dark hair and is pale. Have you seen it?" he said walking around. Lataro heard squishing sound as if the overlord was walking on sponges. Then he saw why. The footprints where it walked welled up with green water from his foot. They are 'swamp creatures', Lataro thought.
"No, Overlord. I have not seen anything like that. I am but a humble servant to the wishes of the overlords."
"That is good to hear my dear," Marsung said as he sat on the bed. It dipped on to Lataro's back causing him to exhale quickly. The ground was cold on his bare stomach and chest, but Lataro couldn't do anything. He couldn't even put on his clothes now with the overlord sitting on top of him. Jon was not going to risk revealing his presence. "May I have a drink, a P'Nash?"
"Of course. Your wish is my command," Nalia said bowing. She left the room and prepared his drink.
Almost as if Marsung knew Lataro was there somewhere he spoke into the air. "Creature. You are here somewhere, and I will find you. Why risk the lives of the simple peasants? For if I do find you, they die. If you come out, I will spare Nalia and the others."
"Overlord? Here is your drink. Did you say something?" Nalia said handing him a tall earthen cup. He drank it in one swig.
"Ahhh. My dear Nalia. You make the best P'Nash." Marsung got back up and walked up to her and gently brushed his slimy hand against her face leaving a trail of slime down it. "You are sure you haven't seen this creature?"
"Yes, my Lord," she responded repulsed by the feeling of the slime dripping from her cheek.
"You wouldn't be lying to me would you?" he said grabbing her by the face puckering her lips.
"No, Overlord," she said.
"You had better not be, because if you are..."
She pulled away. "I am not!"
"Of course."
Marsung squished his way out of the building and into the courtyard. Lataro quickly crawled out from underneath the bed and put on his uniform. He had intense experience doing so after all the numerous red alerts while he tried to sleep on the Virgo. In a moment he looked at Nalia who was balled against the wall, crying. "Nalia? You okay?"
She sniffed. "Yes. They are such horrid creatures, the overlords."
"Listen to me!" from the courtyard yelled Marsung. Lataro ran to the door jam and peeked around the corner.
"Nalia," Lataro whispered. "Come here!" Nalia came and looked around his shoulder and she gasped. Marsung had pulled a villager to the courtyard and had him down on his knees. The villager was pleading with Marsung, but he didn't hear.
"That is Go'mesh, the town elder," she said, noticing him right away. Go'mesh's wife stood in the crowd crying, "No! No! We don't know what you are talking about!"
"The hideous creature we look for is a threat to us all, and I know it is here. I don't know why you harbor it. It will only kill you all," Marsung yelled looking down at Go'mesh. With a lunge of his hand, Marsung tore out Go'mesh's heart and squeezed it, blood poured from both the open wound and the handheld heart. "One way or another." Marsung threw the heart to the ground and signaled for his troops to follow him as he walked away. Go'mesh's wife immediately ran to her husband's side and cried.
"NO!"
Janti looked toward Nalia's hut and met the gaze of Lataro. A look of contempt formed on his face as Lataro ducked back into the hut. "I am sorry."
"It is not me you need to apologize to," Nalia said, turning away.