The leader of the Makay lunged for Rick. Fury and rage looked to boil through the group of creatures that all started to chatter the same thing that the translator screamed in his ears as “Kill! Kill! Kill!” He fired his ray pistol, cutting the leader in half. The other monkey-like Makay started screeching and hooting as the leader died. They jumped up and down, throwing down their spears, surging forward with only their hands out. Rick could see small glinting claws sliding out of their fingers like cat claws.

Rick grabbed the throttle and twisted hard. There was a moment his stomach dropped when the sledge didn’t move. He twisted harder, his heart in his throat. Then, the sledge inched forward, a high and piercing screech of metal on stone as the sledge inched forward faster and faster. The feral Makay drew closer and closer. Sweat started to seep onto his brow as the sledge jerked forward again and again. In a blink of an eye, Rick and the sledge shot forward, plowing into several of the insane Makay. He glanced in the side mirrors and saw them running toward him, some hurling spears awkwardly, as if they didn’t know how to throw them. Most were climbing the buildings and running on four legs along the second story bridges coming toward him. Rick turned his head forward. Had he not, he would have missed the barrier rising up before him. He yanked his steering handles hard to the right, and the sledge skidded into the barrier before streaking past the wailing creatures that had shown up in droves. The barrier he’d sideswiped was made of a dark stone, what could have been crates made of wood from who-knows-where, and even discarded Ranger cargo pods. Still, Rick hadn’t slammed headlong into the barrier and was able to shoot away from the trap and the creatures.

Rick looked at the gauge, thankful the fuel was nuclear fusion and wasn’t in need of refueling. Though the banging around was not too worrisome, the sledge wasn’t designed to take that kind of abuse for long. He then saw a large, open square coming up and saw something he didn’t think he’d see for another week.

A throne bearing a Golgoro woman sat in the middle of the square. She smiled as she lounged on the intricate metal throne. She was nearly naked, except for a few gauzy clothes that revealed more than hid her form. She was a pale, red-skinned woman with milky white hair. The square thronged with more monkey-creatures, chittering and hooting as the sledge came into the square. He stopped it, turning behind him to see the creatures closing the gap and moving closer.

He pulled out his pistol, aiming it at the woman. “Stop it. Turn off your mind-control beams, or I’ll shoot,” he shouted.

“The Golgoro mind-control beams aren’t affecting them. They worship me as their Goddess without the need for beams. She smiled as she spoke, a lustful look on her face. Rick was glad that the helmet’s audio filters helped to stop the vocal trickery that could seduce someone not prepared.

“How is that—”

Rick didn’t get any further. Something slammed into his back. He was punched and kicked and stomped on by many of the monkey-creatures. They screeched and hooted, and Rick eventually struck his head against the side of his helmet one too many times. Ears ringing, he dropped to the ground as the creatures swarmed him.

* * *

Rick Tavish found himself face-to-face with the pale haired, red-skinned woman from Golgoro. He was strapped down, the suit still on him, and the helmet protected his mind from any possible rays of mind control, since the little creatures hadn’t been able to find a way to tug off the helm. It was covered in a thin film of body oils and some musk that permeated the seams of his suit.

“What is the meaning of this?” Rick shouted. He was tied to the throne, kneeling, and had to look up at the pale woman. His mind was foggy, but his suit was trying to mend him as best it could. “I’m a Space Ranger, what—”

“Beloved, so good for you to come to see me.”

“What?” He asked, shaking his head as he came out of the fog. The HUD stated he had a concussion, and he realized he would need to stay conscious. He then felt a small bite in his arm followed by a rush of vitamins and a serum to wake him up. Well, at least the suit still works. “What are you talking about? How can I be your beloved?”

She moved closer, hips moving in a seductive sway that caused Rick’s heart to race, even without the stims from the suit. She gave him a broad white smile. “I have seen it. You and I will be wed one day. And I came to the city you call Lotus to wait for you.” A pale hand stretched out to touch his shoulder while she leaned down to expose more and more of her curvaceous form under the loose wrapping of gauzy fabric that clung to her skin.

“And these creatures?” Rick asked, indicating the monkey-creatures. Around forty of them chittered away, some swinging and moving around them. All of them had their big, round eyes focused on the pale, red-skinned woman.

“A woman has her hobbies,” she said with a cold and sadistic smile. “You don’t approve?” she asked with a frown.

“Of course I don’t. They’re sentient creatures, and you’ve subverted their will. It’s wicked. You are under arrest by the authority of the Coalition of Known Worlds. You will—”

She let out a throaty laugh. There was a part of him that enjoyed the sound of it. But he pushed it away. “The Makay are—”

“The Makay are barely intelligent. They still believe in gods,” she said with a sigh. “It is better to take on those roles and guide them, use them for our own aims.” She let out a sigh as she knelt to look Rick in the eye. Her eyes were sea-foam green with slitted black pupils like a cat. “Come with me, beloved. You will see it is for the best. I am Al’Kara, of the Golgoro.”

The scheme was a simple one that Rick had learned about. The Golgoro, with their strange mind powers, could subvert large groups of people. The saurians, led by Thrane, were immune to their powers. It was the reason the two species warred on Mars. Though the Science Corp believed the Golgoro were an alien race from beyond the Known Worlds.

“What are you doing here so far from your kingdom?”

“I had to leave, beloved. That is all you need to know for now.” She shook her head. “If only this helmet was off, you would—”

“Be your little toy,” Rick said. “Hence I will never take it off while you are close.”

The Golgoro woman looked hurt, genuinely hurt, by his words. She’s a snake. Don’t trust that face. Though, she was comely.

She opened her mouth to say something but instead barked out an order in some strange tongue, her eyes going beyond Rick’s head.

His suit translated it to “Incoming!” a moment before a blast knocked him against the bonds. The cords cut into his suit and his own flesh beneath, and he let out a grunt of pain. He turned to see a skimmer, the kind used by the Golgoro and the Green Martians, flying over him. Three of the four-armed brutes landed, swinging their long broadswords and axes against the small, furred Makay.

The Makay squealed and shrieked, attacking the Green Martians en masse. The Golgoro went to her throne and sat upon it. She grasped the arms of the throne, and a buzz rose, infiltrating the suit’s protection and making Rick’s head pulse with pain.

“Beloved, they are here to kill me. You must save me. You are a Space Ranger,” she said from behind him.

“I can’t do anything while—”

He stopped as most of his bonds were cut by something. He turned to see no blade in her hand. Is she a psi-blade? That would explain why she’s not part of the Kingdom. A bolt from one of the saurians made Rick forget about the woman for a moment.

Rick snapped free of his last few bonds, snatching up the Tellic ray pistol. He brought it to bear on the lead saurian, who hissed and reared up to its seven-foot height. It screeched in the strange language of the Green Martians before trying to run him through with a blade. Rick’s ray pistol was faster. It collapsed, and he felt Al’Kara wrap around him.

“I told you you would be my beloved,” she whispered. Her hands wandered over his suit. “You are such a brave man to—”

“I am not. I’m simply saving you from a threat. You’re still under arrest.”

“Of course, beloved.”

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along behind him as they ran from the Green Martian raid. The Makay would be slaughtered. He needed to save as many of the smaller creatures as he could.

At the entryway to the building, he stopped and shouted out in the Common Martian tongue, “Challenge!” This should work. It has to work. I have to save as many as possible.

The quiet was abrupt and stunning.

“Beloved, that is—”

“I’ll be fine,” he said, holding his hand up.

The Green Martian smirked and tossed Rick a thick-headed long axe. “Challenge accepted,” the brute said and charged.

Rick barely had time to grab it and swing. He was not well-versed in these cumbersome weapons and tripped. It saved him from being skewed by the sword of the saurian. On the next attack, Rick brought up the long haft to block the blow. Yet, he had forgotten about the four limbs of the Green Martians, and while the top two held the sword, locking the haft of his axe in place to block, the smaller arms struck out and punched Rick hard in the chest.

In his weakened state from the earlier blow to the head, the additional blows hit hard enough to cause Rick’s arms to buckle. The sword’s pommel came down hard onto the joining of Rick’s shoulder and his helm. The suit absorbed enough of the blow to not cause death, but he was knocked unconscious.