Warrior of Darkness

Chapter 16

Smoke rose from the shoulder cannons of Rito and Myx. They had used all their rockets on the advancing army and did little damage in decreasing the growing numbers. Rito took his spear out of the ground and went down the slope to engage the army. Myx removed his helmet and was gang tackled by about ten of the serum-induced army from the west where Sal’van said he would cover. Rito saw his brother go down and ran back to aid him.


Lance was far up front picking off the closest members of the army. Josh fifteen feet behind aiming to his left. Brian was leaning against a tree ten feet from Josh aiming to his right.

The army kept advancing.


Sal’van watched the Ooman Lance engrossed in his targets and began to sneak up on him. Josh and Brian were not looking at Sal’van as he moved directly behind Lance.
Josh looked up. “Lance!” He screamed and began running down the slope at Sal’van who raised his blade to slam it down in Lance’s skull. Lance moved at the last moment and Sal’van’s blade struck the ground. Josh slammed into Sal’van and his weight carried them down the slope past the army.

They rolled down into a thick forest of trees. Sal’van got up first and roared at Josh who slowly rose to his feet. His knees did not want to bend but he stood and backed away as Sal’van ran at him.

Jack hissed as he slid down the rocky incline bringing pebbles down with him as he faced Shadow.

“Where is Alia?” His human voice was barely above a whisper.

Shadow stood there waiting for him to make a move.

“You can not defeat me Alien.”

Shadow circled the lizard like creature. Jack roared and ran at Shadow the back half of his body swaying as he came at the Yautja. Shadow growled and avoided the claw swiping but not the sudden turn and the tails knocking him into the rock face. Shadow ducked the spearing from the tail and Jack came running at him teeth bared. Shadow turned slightly and grabbed him in a headlock. Jack dug his claws into Shadow’s back but could not get a grip on the leathery skin. Shadow swung him around, threw him into the rock, and began pounding on the body of the Jack creature.


Rito stuck his spear into one of the men on Myx. Another went flying into the air from a kick from Myx. The ten-inch blades on Myx’s wrists slid out and the other problems were quickly solved.

“Where is Sal’van?” Myx growled at Rito.

They looked over at Lance and Brian and saw that they were being overwhelmed and ran to assist them.


Josh threw rocks at Sal’van as he backed into the forest. The Yautja avoided them, growled at him, and began swinging wildly at him. Josh ducked and moved back into the thicker trees so Sal’van couldn’t swing at him with as much power.

Josh picked up a branch and began shoving it in Sal’van’s face. Sal’van swatted it away. Josh moved between two trees and fell down. Sal’van chuckled and moved through the same two trees but got struck. Sal’van tried to force his way through which only wedged him in tighter. Josh smiled at him, stood, and walked towards Sal’van.

Brian punched two of the creatures as they tried to bite him. Lance was forced back from his position and ended up beside Brian. They kept firing, as the army got closer.


A spear was imbedded in the chest of one and then Myx ran in with his blades and dispatched the rest.

Rito helped Brian stand. “Where is Joshua?”

Lance pointed at the forest. They heard a roar of pain.

Jack howled in pain as the Yautja continued to pound on his body. Shadow delivered a massive blow to Jack’s skeleton face and the creature went down and tried to crawl away. Shadow picked him up and slammed him over a rock shattering his spine. Jack slid to the ground and began to shake and grow and his spine realigned its self.

Shadow grunted and the Jack stood on two feet now and looked more like a hard meat. Jack whipped around trying to knock Shadow into the wall but the Yautja moved back, grabbed the tails, and swung Jack back into the wall. The smaller teeth of the Jack creature shot out and grabbed onto Shadows arm. However, he could not bite through the skin. Their eyes met and Jack knew he was going to die if he didn’t get away.

He shoved Shadow back and tried to climb up the hillside. Shadow rammed his shoulder into the creatures back and he slid back down. Shadow picked the Jack creature up by the neck and began to squeeze. The creature squirmed and tried to slam both of his speared tails into Shadow’s skin but could not.

“It does not matter what you do to me I can regenerate.”

Twelve-inch wrist blades slid out along Shadows left wrist. “Not if you are in pieces.”

Jack roared in pain at the first stab.

Josh struck Sal’van in the face repeatedly causing the Yautja to roar with pain. For an Ooman he hit very hard. Sal’van struggled trying to free himself from the trees. Josh punch to the stomach made him grunt with pain. Josh grabbed a handful of dreads, wrapped them around Sal’van’s neck, and began pulling as hard as he could. The Yautja gagged.

Josh leaned back with all his body weight trying to kill this retarded bastard, as Lance liked to call him. The dreads broke and Josh fell to the ground. Sal’van was not moving but he was still breathing. Josh lay on the ground breathing hard from exhaustion and pain in his bones. He could hear Lance yelling for him.

He crawled out of the forest of trees to cheering from Lance, Brian, and the two Yautjas.
Alec began beeping again.

“Josh you have to climb up Myx has the sticky wire.”

Josh tried to but his knees would not bend enough. Those at the top of the slope could see the army coming towards them.

“Josh!”

Josh pulled himself up a little only to slide back down. False came over to the slope after snapping the neck of his last attacker and prepared to go down but one of his army beat him to it.

Josh looked up to see Eli cocking his head as if he was looking at him.

“Hey buddy I need a lift.”

Eli gently wrapped his tail around Josh and carried him high in the air as he easily scaled the slope. He set Josh down before Brian.

“I can’t bend them.” Brain kneeled down before him.

Myx gave Rito a spool of the wire, they put them in a slot in their wristbands, and it started to spray the wire from tree to tree creating a net.

“It will not hold them for very long.” Myx clicked. “Their numbers are too great.”

Lance began to reload his weapons. The army began to stretch the sticky wire as the numbers began to swell.

Josh pulled out Cal’s gun preparing to fire from his seated position.

“Alec acquire targets.”

They could hear the hydraulics working. Rito grabbed his spear.

“This is not how I want to die Sarge.” Lance said.

Josh smiled. “I made a promise to Cal and I’m going to keep it.”

Pieces of Jack littered the ground from the slicing and hacking of the Yautja. The creature let out a pitiful moan as it looked up at The Yautja from the ground. Blood oozed from various wounds on his body and it tried to claw at Shadow with the one hand it still possessed. Shadow picked up his spear.

The army broke through trampling some of its own members in doing so. They heard a squeal as they were preparing to fire on the rapidly advancing army. A sea of black suddenly flooded the battlefield. Flying body parts and blood filled the air as False’s army made their way to the battle. False roared.

“Where’s that retarded one?”

Josh smiled up at Lance. “He’s hanging around down there some where.”

Brian and Lance carried Josh back up towards Alec. While False, Rito and Myx went down to fight.


Shadow looked down at the whimpering creature. “If you are dead then you can not control them and they will stop.”

Jack eyes opened wide as Shadow raised the spear and slammed it into his skull.

The army stopped advancing. They stopped fighting and just looked around wondering where how they got there. False called his army back and they moved away from the disoriented humans.

“Sit down everyone its okay.” Brian and Lance went down to get the men to sit in a circle.

Shadow came up the slope. Rito gave him something and threw it down onto Jack’s body and it blazed with fire.

Josh was leaning against Alec when Shadow approached him. He clicked at him.

Josh smiled “I am not hurt.” Shadow slapped him on the shoulder. Josh groaned at the force.

Alia came out and Shadow gathered her in his arms even though Jack’s blood and bone covered his body.

Lance came up the slope. “False and his army will lead them back to the village.”

Josh nodded and grimaced as he tried to stand. Lance helped him.

“Brian can you drive?”

Brian nodded.


The two doctors left at the compound were inoculated first and then any medical personnel in the army that False had led back. They then began helping Alia inject the settlers and army with the serum.


“I don’t know how you’ve been walking this long Sarge.” One of the army doctors shook his head looking at Josh’s x-ray.

Josh smiled. “Prayer and will.”

“It doesn’t look good Josh. You don’t have much longer before it gets into your blood and kills you.”

Josh nodded.

Sal’van was brought back by some of False’s army. He roared with anger looking for Josh. Lance and Brian drew their weapons.

“Sit down and shut up or I’ll go get Josh and he can kick your ass again.” Lance said.

Sal’van snarled at him but sat down.

Josh came hobbling out of the medical tent towards the others. “Damn evil just won’t die will it?” Josh said looking at Sal’van.

Lance and Brian chuckled.

“How are you?” Shadow clicked.

“Fine.”

Lance and Brian looked at each other then back at Josh. “I have the chip why can you understand him.”

“I pay attention.”

“Well that and he has a photographic memory.” One of the army general’s said as he approached.

Lance and Brian stood at attention. The General held Josh up. “You okay son.”

“I will be.”

The black fighter of the Ambassador landed in the open field.

“We appreciate everything you did here and want to apologize for any hostilities that occurred. We are forever grateful to you and your clan.” He held out his hand to Shadow.

The Yautja’s hand swallowed the General’s as he shook it. Shadow nodded at Lance and Brian.

He looked at Josh. “You are a great warrior.”

“Not as great as you are.”

Shadow nodded and he and his clan headed for the ship.

Standing out on the field stood a man staring at the leaving party.

Lance looked up at the man. “Hey Shadow it’s your buddy when we first met.”

The man pulled out a gun and fired at Shadow. He shielded Alia but the bullet never reached him. Josh lay on the ground before him.

Lance let out a scream, drew his weapon, and began firing. Brian joined him. The man suddenly had numerous red triangles on his body and Alec let loose a barrage of armor piercing bullets into the man. The shoulder cannons fired and when the smoke cleared, nothing remained but the left shoe of the man.

Shadow kneeled down to Josh lifting him from the ground.

“My job hmmm... is to get everyone home.”

Shadow pulled him closer. “That is what I do.” He picked up the Sergeant and ran inside the ship. Lance and Brain followed and the black fighter lifted off the ground.


Josh fell into light and darkness hearing the frantic voices of Alia and Brian trying to save him from the gun shot to the stomach. He could see Lance with his head down but his body was shaking.

The darkness prevailed as Brian gave him something to take the pain away. The light extinguished on the life he knew and a fire began on a new one. However, that is another story.

Next Joshua’s Journey