“But, no one can go to Ahtona. It’s much too far! I don’t understand,” said Jorh.
“The Ehoran is a powerful ship. You should know, you created its Zarfha engine. You know how fast that vessel can travel. It is a long journey, but they can make it.”
“But, such a trek will take too long, even for the Ehoran!? No one has ever been kept in Time-Frost more than a few months! How can they hope to reach Ahtona?” asked the young Mahhzee in disbelief.
“I’m not sure, but I believe they can. After all, no one knows how long one can stay in Time-Frost. Regardless, the Ehoran is gone. But that’s not all…” Garnak paused, looking at the small group hesitantly.
“What is it…? Oh no! Kahalla!” said the young Jorh, who had just read Garnak’s thoughts before the others. He was in shock. They all were. Without Kahalla, the pool of life, no Kahnu could ever be born again, even if they managed to escape the planet’s destruction.
“Garnak, is it really true? Are you sure they took the pool of Kahalla?” asked Jorh, incredulous.
“I’m afraid so, my friend.”
“Then, we must go after them.”
“After the Elders? How?” asked his sister.
“This ship,” replied Jorh pointing at the white vessel floating next to them.
“But this Aruk isn’t fast enough to catch up to the Ehoran. It’s a Moon-Traveler. It’s not even capable of reaching interstellar space. No ship on Kahnu can catch up to the Ehoran,” said Serm.
“Yes, I know. At least not like this. That’s why we must leave immediately for Kesra.
“Kesra? Why Kesra?” asked Mahhzee.
“Your brother is right,” said Garnak.“ You need to get Kesra’s Gohhan and Kahjuna’s white light. With them, you will be able to catch up to the Ehoran. You must stop the Elders and bring back what was stolen from us, before they are out of reach! I have already made arrangements. To save time, Silargh will take another Aruk and go straight to Kahjuna. Once his group has retrieved the white light, they’ll come meet you on Kesra, where you’ll combine the two and go after the Elders. You cannot save Kahnu, but with Kahalla, you and those with you can survive. I know fifty individuals isn’t much to rebuild our civilization, but it will have to be enough.”
“Fifty? Restart our civilization? Garnak, I don’t understand. What are you saying?”
“What I am saying, Mahhzee, is that we cannot save Kahnu and its people. There is no time. But what you can do is save as many as two moon travelers can carry; twenty-six passengers each. I know it sounds tragically small, but with the pool of Kahalla, you will be able to survive, even if it’s on another world.”
“Two ships? I don’t understand. We must have at least a dozen more here alone,” said a confused Gahneo.
“I wish it was so, but the council had them all destroyed before they left. It’s obvious they didn’t want anyone to follow.”
“But why? Why would they do such a thing?” Mahhzee was truly getting upset and distraught.
“I believe they are following the words of Ferrhem, trying to fulfill the prophecy of Ehoran. Now I’m beginning to understand why they wanted the ship named after him. You all know the words as well as I do.”
“But that’s only a story, an old legend. How can the Elders be so merciless and leave fifty thousand of us to die for a tale? Gihhez has gone mad!”
“I agree with you on that, Mahhzee. Like you, most of us in this room do not believe in the legend, but I’m afraid some Elders have become blinded by their faith. You must reclaim the Ehoran and its precious cargo. Without it, saving fifty or fifty thousand won’t matter. I truly wish you could take everyone with you. But that’s impossible. And even if you had more ships, that would still not be enough to save but a fraction of our population. This Aruk and Silargh’s are the only ones left now. I know it’s not much, but they will have to do. There is no time to waste. You must leave tonight. Those who have been selected to join you are already on their way.”
“Garnak, my mother?” she asked.
“She is on the list. Most of your direct family relatives are.
Garnak quickly turned to Jorh.
“Listen, only the four of you can know about this. That is why I asked you to come down here to tell you. We cannot start a panic, or a mad mob may ensue. If anything happens to one of those ships, you know as well as I do, no one will survive. We cannot take that chance.”
“Jorh, this ship was never meant to travel such distances. Do you really think we can catch up to the Elders?” asked the young Gahneo.
“Yes. I believe Garnak is correct. But we need the lights. The Elders’ ship is fast, but it will not reach full speed for another few months, and they won’t expect anyone to follow, so with a bit of luck, we have a chance.”
“But you need to act quickly,” remarked the Keeper. “The survival of our species depends on it.”
Even if facial expressions on the aliens’ faces were not easily discernable for the human group, the gloomy feeling around the group was obvious.
“I know it feels hopeless right now, but you’ll have to find another world to call home. It will be your decision to make. But I would suggest Jashi-Da.” The human observers instantly knew he was speaking of Europa, Jupiter’s moon. “The facilities there will provide shelter and a place to regroup. The poles of Kahjuna would be a good choice as well, but there are many dangers on that wild planet. Either way, you must stop the Ehoran. It’s your first priority and only chance.”
“But… Garnak…”
“I know, Mahhzee. Trust me, I know. But if you don’t, everyone will perish. I wish there was more we could do here, but we are running out of time. If it’s only fifty that can be saved, then so be it. But even that will be in vain if you don’t get the Kahalla back.”
“Garnak is right. We have no choice.” Jorh turned his attention on Garnak. “So, where are the others?”
“They will be here soon. Most were chosen by the Guardians. You know many of them personally. Donjeh will join you too. I’m sure you’ll want to—” Garnak paused a moment, as if distracted by a thought.
“Donjeh?” asked Jorh.
He was silent a bit longer, then turned to Mahhzee.
“Mahhzee, you are now the official pilot. Jeggah walked the cliffs of Garhnoj tonight. I was hoping he would not, but… I guess he was unable to face the Elders’ betrayal. He was the best pilot we had. You are the next logical choice. You have more experience flying this size ship than anyone else.”
“Me? But I…”
“You’ll be fine. Jorh will be able to assist you when needed. Jorh, I don’t think anyone will have any issue if I leave you in charge. Someone will need to guide them all, someone they can trust and look up to. I know you will be great at it.” He paused again and looked up as if distracted by a distant sound. “Good, Donjeh is on his way with the others. He knows the way to the cave on Kesra. I know you all have reservations about him, but I assure you, you can trust him. He may be eccentric and often obsessive about his work, but he knows more than any of us about the ‘Lights.’ And he was right about Gihhez and the council. He will be a great asset to your venture. Now, it is time to say goodbye, my friends.”