Chapter 4: Secrets from sargasso

Sargasso.
It was hard to believe, looking at the area now, that it had once been the stronghold of a powerful evil, that vile acts of cruelty had been planned here. The stones and rubble of the Kaos stronghold were covered in a soft green curtain of moss, the odd Sargassoian flower blooming here or there. This was a dry part of Sargasso, the ground relatively firm underfoot, and a gentle breeze blew away the ever present smell of Sargasso, which tended to put people in mind of cabbages. It was almost pleasant, with the warm air and bright sunlight.
But to Shona, this was a very dark place indeed...
It had been Zoe's idea to scout around the place for clues. Shona understood the logic to this. It had been the last place Kayla had been sighted. It was highly likely she had left something behind that would point to her location, some item or note.
But it didn't make it easier.
Here had been the place where she had lost her childhood, tortured over and over again in the name of science. The very air seemed to scream silently, echoing the many cries of her youth. The weight of all the memories pressed down on her, nearly suffocating her....
"Shona?"
She shook her head, trying to dispel the waking nightmares.
"You OK? You kinda zoned there for a minute."
"Huh? Oh, y-yeah, I'm fine. Found anything?"
"Nothing yet. Wanna give me a hand with this bit?"
The Cragmite gestured to where a huge piece of rubble blocked her path. In one fluid motion, Shona picked it up and tossed it lightly aside, genetically modified muscles sliding over each other like greased bearings.
"Thanks." Zoe picked up a broken test tube. "I found what looks like her old lab. Nothing here though."
"Dammit!" Shona kicked angrily at a rusty metal slab, denting it considerably. "Now what? She could be torturing my brothers right now!" She slumped down on a rock, burying her face in her hands. "I used to yell at them all the time..."
Zoe placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We'll find them, Shona, don't worry."
They set off back to their ship, Shona still downcast. "But what do we do now? Our only lead was a dead end!"
"Pardon me fer pryin', but you two ladies look like yer in a bit of a bind..."
They turned. A tall alien was leaning against an old tree, regarding them calmly with his one remaining eye, the other covered by a patch.. One reason for his calmness may have been the impressively sized Bowie knife in his belt, and the muscles that rippled under his blue skin. A small red parrot perched on his shoulder, fixing them with its beady eyes. "I couldn't help but overhear yer conversation. You girls lookin' fer someone?"
"Who are you?" Shona demanded, dropping into a crouch, claws extended.
"No need fer that, Missy. I ain't gonna harm ya." His yellow eye went icy for a moment. " 'less you make the first move, a'course..."
Shona relaxed slightly. Even with her uncanny strength and reflexes, she could see this was not someone to tangle with lightly.
"Sorry. I'm a little...on edge."
"Fair 'nough. Look in yer eyes says you seen more'n yer fair share 'o strife. Folk 'round here just call me the smuggler. 's what I do best." He spotted Zoe, who was hanging back. She tended to, in the presence of other races. Many of them were still afraid of Cragmites, and fear bred anger. "Who's this now? A Cragmite? Word on th' grapevine is yer new leader ain't a bad sort." Zoe breathed out inwardly. The little red parrot flapped its wings.
"Awk! Cragmite! Better watch out! Awk! Danger!"
The smuggler raised a finger to the birds beak gently. "Hush now, ya feathery liddle terror. Ain't no call fer that. So what can I do fer you two?"
"Do you know a Blarg known as Doctor Kayla?" Shona bit back a snarl. "She has my family."
"Kayla...Kayla...Some'n 'bout that name seems familiar...Some kinda scientist, ain't she?"
Shona nodded grimly. "She did this to me." The smuggler let out a low whistle as she held out her hand, claws out.
"Well now, those are mighty impressive pig-stickers. I'm willin' to bet ya didn't want those?"
She shook her head.
"I suspect she plans to do the same to my brothers, and she has a deep grudge against my parents. They deleted her life's work."
"Somethin' 'bout yer story seems familiar, like I heard it somewhere..."
Shona decided to do a little name dropping. It couldn't hurt her chances...
"My father is Ratchet, that ring any bells?"
The smugglers eye widened slightly.
"Ratchet! Now that's a face I ain't seen in a while. Yeah, that's right. Read about all that in the papers after the Lombaxes came back. I heard he'd settled down somewhat. Well, much as a Lombax can settle down, any-ways..."
"So can you help us? Where is she?"
"Well, I'm sorry to say, girly, that that info is gonna cost ya. I apologize, but business is bu-URK!"
To the Smugglers sudden shock, he found himself yanked forward by the front of his vest, greeted to a close up of Shona's impressive fangs as she bristled with rage.
"Listen up, you glorified bandit!" she hissed. "You have ten seconds to tell me what I want to know, or I'm going to get very, very angry! Now WHERE IS SHE?!"
Shona had to grudgingly admit, she was impressed at the way he kept his cool, even in the face of her wrath.
"Believe me, miss, I've heard more threats than you've eaten hot meals. I ain't scared. Yer a tough little lady, but I've been tougher a lot longer than you. Ya might wanna back off now, less'n ya bite off more than ya can chew.."
"Try me..."
There was a squawk and a flutter of red wings. Shona didn't even wince as the smugglers pet sank its beak deep into her ear. "That's just making me angry..." Through the rising crimson mists of rage, she felt a soft touch on her arm. It took all her self control to turn and look at Zoe's worried face.
"Shona, listen. He's the only lead we have. If we make him angry, we have no chance of finding your brothers!"
For a while, Shona wrestled with herself, then finally, grudgingly, let go of him.
"Wise choice, l'il lady. Good thing yer friend has a cool head on her shoulders."
Zoe quickly pulled Shona aside.
"I know you don't like it, but paying his price is the only way we can find him. Sometimes you have to go along with things you don't like..."
For a moment, Shona stood, breathing heavily, fists clenching and unclenching spasmodically. She finally gave an angry snort and turned reluctantly to the Smuggler.
"Alright. I'll pay your damn price! Now what is it you want?"
"It ain't a big thing, quite small, actually. But getting' it ain't a picnic. All ah want is one Leviathan soul. Just one, and I'll tell ya where they are."
"Hmmm..." Shona put her head on one side as she thought. On the one hand, one Leviathan soul wasn't much, but on the other...Her father had told her stories about Leviathans. How they were huge and tough, loaded with muscle, fang and sinew, incinerating the unwary with crackling blue bio-energy. It would be tricky. But not impossible...
She held out a hand, claws carefully sheathed.
"Deal."
The smuggler shook her hand, still regarding her carefully.
"Pleasure doin' business with ya."
"So where can we find a Leviathan anyway?" asked Zoe.
" 'round these parts? Throw a brick..."
…
Not all Lombaxes were squeaky clean. Like all races, they had a dark side, hidden and dangerous. Even that had an underclass, the lowest of the low, people who when they looked up, would see high above them the dregs of society.
And they looked down on the Scar gang.
There was "Redd" Jamie, the leader, a tough female, ears reduced to tattered nubs and one eye perpetually running. There was weasel, scrawny, sneaky and a vicious killer with a knack for throwing knives. Lockjaw, who was the kind of person who, when asked the question "what is your name?" would just scrape through on the third try. And...Farrow...
Banned perpetually from Fastoon, they hid on Kreeli comet. They did surprisingly well considering their position in the underworld pecking order. In one certain aspect, they were very useful...
Redd was dozing, slumped over a rock. Like her squad mates, she was a lazy individual. The harsh ringing of her communicator snapped her awake. Hissing and swearing, she fumbled it open. Much to her surprise, the screen was blank, yet a voice still issued from it.
"Am I addressing the illustrious Scar gang?" The voice had an mechanical edge that indicated a voice changer was being used. Redd shrugged, scratching at a spot of mange on her neck.
"You've reached the Scar gang, any-ways. I wouldn't know about ill...that word you used. Whozit I'm talkin' to?"
"I...wish to remain private..."
Redd picked a scrap of some unmentionable morsel from a yellowing molar.
"Fair enough."
"I...require your aid."
She didn't bother asking what the problem was. The fact they'd gone to the Scar gang gave a pretty good indication of what the answer would be...
"Awright. Who ya want done?"
"Two people. They...present a threat to my plan. I require them...removed."
"Got bolts? We don't come cheap."
"This is what you will be paid in return for their deaths."
A number flashed on the screen. It was a very big number. Redd had never seen a number that large during her waking hours. She swallowed, throat suddenly dry.
"Yessir! Who are they?"
"This is the first one." A picture flashed on-screen, and Redd shuddered instinctively. A female Cragmite looked out at her from a photo, her smile exposing sharp fangs. "This is Zoe. She shouldn't be too much trouble. She is only sixteen, after all, and comes from a rather sheltered palace upbringing. She's strong, but no fighter."
"Okay. And the other one?"
"She may be an issue. This..." Another picture flashed up. "..is Shona." A young Lombax in punk style clothing scowled up at the assassin. "My associate would rather she was captured alive, but I don't really want to risk it. Shona is violent, fast, and incredibly strong. I want her dead, before she attempts to derail my plan. Doctor Kayla will have to live with it. I must warn you, Shona has issues, and a short temper to match. She won't go out easy."
"Money you're payin' us, I don't care if she breathes fire! We gotcha covered, boss. Those two are walkin' dead girls..."
"Excellent. I will keep you posted on their whereabouts. Good day."
The communicator switched off. For a while, Redd stood frozen, stunned by their good fortune. Then she snapped out of it quickly.
"Oi!" she yelled, dashing back to their filthy camp-site. "Stir yer stumps! We got business to do!"
…
"Ick..."
Zoe pulled a leg out of a bog. This area was a lot swampier than the one they had just left, damp, hot and abounding with insect life. Both girls were filthy, tired, and covered in bug bites. Yet oddly enough, despite the smugglers warnings, there seemed to be no Leviathans anywhere. The only things in sight were smaller creatures, who scuttled quickly out of the way. The Cragmite slumped down on a dry patch. "I'm exhausted, Shona. Can we rest?"
"We don't have time to rest, Zoe! We need that information!"
Zoe muttered something under her breath, but got up and continued anyway. The sun was high over head, beating down relentlessly. Zoe was grateful for that, at least. Cragmites were a cold blooded race. Shona crouched down, examining a mark on the ground.
"Weird scrape mark here. Looks pretty big, could be a Leviathan. Judging by the direction, I'd say it was heading-"
"Right behind you..."
She looked up. Zoe's purple-grey skin had gone pale. A gust of foul smelling air washed over her as the creature behind her snorted. Slowly, unwillingly, she turned and looked up. And up. And up.  All Leviathan are big, but this one loomed. Even in her shock, she could see this one was different. There were more fangs, more claws, more eyes. Feelers sprouted from its surface, waving this way and that. It hovered in the air, squinting down the length of its dripping snout at her as it tried to bring her into focus. Zoe began slowly reaching for the pistol in her belt.
"OK, Shona..." she said softly. "Don't make any...sudden...moves..."
"HE-YAAAAAH!!"
Shona launched herself at it, shrieking like a banshee. Blood pounded in her ears like war drums. In the background, she was dimly aware of Zoe screaming something, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was the fight. She had been very angry lately, angry at life, angry at what had been done to her, angry at the taunts she heard at school. She was wound like a spring. At the sight of the huge creature, she unwound all at once.
There was a part of her that had always been like this. A part she tried to keep chained. It whispered in her ear whenever she fought, it tried to take her, to get her to strike out, and to go on striking long after it was no longer necessary. It was the part that gloried in blood lust. She called it the Beast. Even as she slashed deep into the Leviathans skin, she tried to rein it in, knowing that if it took her, she was lost.
The Leviathan roared and bucked, throwing her around like a rag doll. She clung on grimly, seeking the neck. If she could slice there, a quick death for the beast would be assured.
On the ground, Zoe desperately tried to aim her pistol with shaking hands. She'd never expected it to be so big. Yet even as fear threatened to root her to the spot, she couldn't help but notice something was wrong with the beast. Half the time it didn't seem to be going after Shona at all. It seemed to be writhing to a deeper agony, hissing with a pain that went far beyond Shona's claws. It looked wrong, too, like it had been taken apart, added to, and then inexpertly put back together.
The Leviathan roared, streams of blue energy crackling from its open maw. Shona hissed in agony as one earthed itself in her hand, scorching it severely.
The Beast inside her roared, howling for blood. Shona ignored it as best she could, slashing deep into its thick hide. The Leviathan was bleeding heavily, yet it still fought her, orbs of its bio-energy flying in all directions. It bucked like a wild horse, Shona forced to cling on for dear life as she was thrown in all directions. Below her, she could see Zoe trying to get a clear shot, but it was lashing around so violently that half the time Zoe ran the risk of hitting her friend.
Timing her leap expertly, Shona landed claws first on its neck, seeking the vein running under it. Instinctively, the Leviathan bucked and thrashed, taking Shona by surprise and throwing her off. She landed heavily on her back, the wind being driven from her body.
Zoe ran forward, pistol raised, only to be clipped by the Leviathans tail, sending her crashing to the ground in a tangle of legs. It turned its attention to Shona, spasmodic twitches shuddering across its body as it advanced, intent on revenge. Shona raised her head and hissed weakly, still fighting for breath yet defiant to the last. Azure lightening crackled from its jaws as it took a deep breath, ready to turn her into a small patch of cinders on the ground. Shona closed her eyes...
And nothing happened.
She looked up. The Leviathan hung frozen, blinking in confusion.  For a second it looked...almost relieved. Then its whole body relaxed and it crashed to the ground, steam rising from a hole in the back of its head. Zoe lowered her pistol and staggered upright. It had been a lucky shot, the only chance she had. And she'd taken it.
Swaying slightly, she limped over to where Shona lay, gently pulling her to her feet.
"You OK?"
"I've...been better...just need to...catch my breath..." She sat down on the nearest thing, which happened to be the Leviathans tail. She healed fast, and already she felt much better. Her hand still hurt, but it looked worse than it was. Something on the Leviathan caught her eye, immediately focusing her attention. She ignored the grisly sounds of Zoe obtaining the Leviathan soul behind her, mind suddenly frozen as her fingers gently brushed the mark on the beasts skin. Pity for the creature flooded through her, a wave of fellow feeling. Perhaps its death had been the kindest thing for it...
Zoe straightened up, the glowing soul in her hands.
"Well, that was unpleasant...Still, we got what we wanted, right? Shona?" She saw the look of Shona's face. "Is everything alright?"
"Look..." the Lombax replied softly. Zoe followed her gaze. On the Leviathans skin, a black mark stood out. Dark and stylized, it almost looked like...
"A...brand?"
Shona stood silent, head bowed and face like thunder. When she spoke, her voice was so soft, Zoe could barely hear it.
"What I'm about to show you...No-one else hears about it, right? Not even dad and mama know. I'm trusting you to keep this a secret, OK?"
Confused, Zoe nodded.
"Alright, I won't tell anyone. What is it?"
In response, Shona turned and pulled up her shirt slightly, exposing her lower back. Zoe gasped in horror. Contrasting starkly against the gold fur, an identical black mark stood out.
"Did...did she...?"
"It's a genetic brand, a mark encoded right into the DNA. All her experiments have them. It marks them as her...property...I'll never be able to get rid of it. It'll be a reminder of what she did. All my life..."
"Oh, Shona..."
Shona pulled her shirt back down.
"This creature is clearly one of her test subjects."
"But why is it here? If she's not on the planet, why leave it on Sargasso?"
Shona shrugged.
"Who knows? Maybe she just needed somewhere to dump it.  Poor thing, it's not its fault. No wonder it looked like it was in pain..."
Zoe looked pensive.
"If she can do that to a Leviathan, what else can she do? There's heaps of creatures out there that are far more dangerous. She could have put them everywhere!"
"We'll figure out what to do about that later. Right now, we need to get this to the Smuggler..."
…
"Well, well, well..."
The Smuggler held up his new acquisition, examining it critically.
"Very good, very high quality." A quick movement of his hands, and the soul disappeared into his clothing. "You girls did a good job."
"Can the sweet talk, where is she?"
"A'right, hold yer horses, sweet-cheeks. You came through on your end, I'll come through on mine. 'ccording ter rumour, the doc is holed up in a base on Zaurik. 'member, ya didn't hear that from me..."
He turned on his heel and stalked off, his parrots words fading into the distance.
"Awk! Dead girls walking! Dead girls walking!"
"So now what?" asked Zoe. Shona jumped into Epsilon, powering up his engines.
"I take back what's mine..."