Page 12 of Koha’vek (Cyborg Guardians Spinoff)

Raven

The region was sparsely populated, so I wasn’t expecting any trouble I couldn’t handle unless I came upon a similar situation as I found in Brislow.

Most of the towns in the region were actually hamlets with fewer than a couple of hundred residents.

The rest were mostly deserted. I flew my sky cycle for hours, over mountain after mountain and through the valleys between, seeing nothing unusual.

Then I came over a ridge to an isolated valley with no ancient roads leading to it or through it.

Pine-covered slopes parted into an open basin surrounded by steep-sided mountains.

I slowed my cycle and then stopped to hover over the region for a closer look.

My onboard scanner picked up faint energy readings that I identified as Mesaarkan.

They were too weak to indicate a base, but strong enough to warrant further investigation.

From my vantage point, I couldn't see any activity, even though my internal scans indicated otherwise.

I scouted briefly for a place to land and took my sky cycle to the ground amid a small stand of pines.

I dismounted and moved on foot, my boots silent on the mossy trail.

As I crested a low rise, my CPU pinged an anomaly.

It was a cloaked perimeter sensor, old Mesaarkan technology, half-buried under the dense underbrush.

Considering how close I had come before finding it, I was certain whoever had put it there already knew of my presence. I raised my visor and stepped into the clearing.

Five figures emerged from the trees, their weapons visible but holstered. My muscles tensed instinctively. Mesaarkans. Although I knew I could probably take them out, I still risked ending up badly damaged.

I recognize them instantly, as I had been trained to do since before I was awakened. Physically, we were closely matched in size. While I wore nanite armor, their scales served as a more natural armor, and it moved more fluidly.

Their body language showed no aggression in their stands, only caution. A sixth figure emerged from between two of the aliens. This Mesaarkan was older, marked with facial scars and a burn across one shoulder.

“We were wondering when someone like you would come,” he said.

“You’ve been expecting cyborgs?”

“No,” the male said. “We were hoping for one who might listen.”

Behind them, a human woman stepped into view. Early thirties. Unafraid. Her hand rested lightly on the elder’s arm.

I raised an eyebrow, a bit skeptical. “You’re not prisoners?” I questioned.

“No,” the woman said simply. “I am Sara, and this is Veklan. We’re mates.”

That got my attention, and I thought of Koha’vek. Until I met him, I’d always thought of Mesaarkan’s as enemies. That human females would accept them as mates had always been unfathomable.

“We are deserters,” the elder added. “Some fled before the war ended. Some stayed to protect what mattered. We’ve kept to ourselves. But now we want more than survival. We want peace. Legal peace. ”

“I assume, since you deserted, that your return to Mesaark would land you in prison. You want asylum.”

“Yes.”

“And you want me to ask for it.”

The elder nodded. “We cannot go to the Enclave command. We need someone they trust.”

At first, I could only stare at them as I contemplated their request. In one respect, I would be going against everything I was made for.

On the other hand, these Mesaarkans were victims too.

They had been forced into a war long after it should have ended.

Clearly, they had respect for humanity. They cared for their human mates, and it seemed their human mates cared for them in return.

That’s when I realized : by helping these Mesaarkans, I would also be supporting the humans I was trained to protect. “All right. I will take your request to the enclave and cyborg command. I can’t make any promises.”

“You came and you listened,” the woman said. “We already have more than we had yesterday.”

“Could you show me around? I’d like to see who and what I will be representing,” I asked.

The elder dipped his head in assent and turned, retreating the way they had come, expecting me to follow, which I did.

As we entered the basin where they had built their community, it became clear why they had remained undiscovered for so long.

They had built most of their dwellings into the sides of the hills surrounding the basin, so they blended in with the surroundings.

They were essentially underground homes.

They had cultivated their vegetables among the wildflowers and grasses, so that they did not resemble cultivated gardens.

A few horses and various other livestock roamed freely in the vicinity, with shelter built under a grass-covered hill. As they showed me around their little village, I saw at least a dozen other human women living among them. They peeked out of their doorways as we passed by.

The more I saw, the more I realized these Mesaarkans were not hurting anyone.

They were simply trying to build lives for themselves in the wake of a war that should have ended decades before it did.

Arresting and exiling them from Earth would be harming humans whom I had sworn to protect.

Yet, I knew that many would not see it that way, and I might be endangering my status by speaking for them.

There was a time when I didn’t see things this way, especially after we helped take down the Mesaarkan base in Montana.

What one Mesaarkan had done to my friend Steele’s mate made me seriously doubt their species had any redeeming qualities.

Now, after learning about Koha’vek and his mate, and meeting these asylum-seeking Mesaarkans, I began to see things in a different light.

Admittedly, more humans were hampering our efforts to rebuild communities than the number of Mesaarkans who were taking refuge in our wilderness.

I’d seen it quite clearly on my first day in Brislow.

After what Koha’vek did for Hannah and me when I went to rescue her from Jenkins, I felt like I owed them the chance to live in peace.

Before I left, I passed out the few com tablets I had with me so that I could easily contact them when I had news. Or they could reach out if they needed help. I saved one for Koha’vek so that he could contact them or me if he needed anything.

As I left, I considered that my life might have just gotten a bit more difficult. I just couldn’t help feeling that they deserved my protection as much as the people of Brislow did and still do.

Before I left, I turned to Veklan and said, “I can’t make any promises, but I will present your case and get back to you when I have news. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact me if you require any supplies or medication. I’ll stop by again next time I’m down this way.”

I decided to stop and see Koha’vek on my way back to the ranch.

I owed him a thanks at the very least, and I wanted to tell him about the Mesaarkan colony I’d found.

I didn’t bother to land in a remote location and walk in as I had in the past. I landed my sky cycle in the meadow beside his cabin.

I found him in his front yard splitting wood.

“You were at that mansion in Wexley the night I got Hannah out.”

Koha’vek didn’t say anything, but he didn’t look surprised either.

“I thought I imagined things at first when I found a couple of guards unconscious before I even got there. Clean and quiet, there were no scorch marks, and I doubt anyone heard a sound.” I glanced sideways, wondering why he had done it. “Hannah saw you, then said it was nothing.

Koha’vek picked up another log, set it on the bigger one, and raised the splitting maul, breaking the log apart with one blow .

“I just wanted to say thanks. I appreciated the help, and I got to Hannah before anyone really hurt her.

Silence hung between us, and I wasn’t sure Koha’vek would respond. Then he said quietly, “Jenkins hurt Ava and many other people from what she told me. I couldn’t let him hurt anyone else, especially not a female.”

I nodded, completely understanding. “My friend, Steele Nova, found his genetic mate held prisoner at the Mesaarkan base in Montana by one of your officers, Gar’hako.”

Koha’vek met my gaze, the dark emotion burning in his eyes. “I hope he killed him.”

“He did. Unfortunately, his death came far too easily for the suffering he caused Zara. But he won’t hurt anyone else.”

“Thank you for telling me. Were you able to rescue most of the humans, too?”

I nodded. “We did, except for a few, who were too far gone to help.”

“I am glad for the ones you were able to save. That eases some of my guilt for leaving them behind.”

I looked at Koha’vek, considering whether I should tell him what Velkan said.