Fighter In the Sands

By F B Files

Rachel's first off world vacation started off well, but before long, things went wrong. In fact things went about as wrong as they possibly could. She was kidnapped, sold, and used as a political pawn in a game of revenge. Along the way, she stumbles across the one thing that can help her: a fighter in the sands.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312668966

Book preview

Fighter In the Sands

Fighter In the Sands

F B Files

2014

Copyright © 2014 by Fred Files

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2014

ISBN 978-1-312-66896-6

FB Files

3113 Coventry Place Dr

King, NC  27021

Chapter 1

You are on flight 401 from Miller’s Moon Station to Flat Sands city on Duncan IV.  Please remember there is a travel advisory against any foreigners traveling to Duncan IV, so please be mindful and safe during your stay, the announcement said as the ship began its descent to the planet below.

By now, Rachel was well aware of the travel advisory.  She had heard it countless times on the news, from her travel agent, her parents, even the security guards who double checked her travel ticket.  Just because a few people disappeared while visiting Duncan IV, didn’t mean that she would.  She was not about to let some scare tactics change her travel plans.  Besides she had heard enough good things about the planet to make it well worth the risk.

The cityscapes were supposed to be breathtaking, and the locals extra friendly towards foreigners.  She had heard many stories about people getting lucky with the locals and how they were particularly gifted in the area of sex… not that she had planned the trip just for a chance to have sex, but if she met someone and everything worked out right she planned to put the local talent to use.

Rachel herself was a tall young woman with green eyes, and long brown hair that had enough curl to it to make styling it somewhere in-between interesting and impossible.  She dressed in a way that accented her natural curves, even though the travel advisory suggested less revealing outfits.  She was on her vacation now, and she wanted to be noticed.

The planet also offered recreational activities unlike those offered anywhere else, such as sand surfing and wind tubing. She had no interest in the wind tubing, but she wanted to try most of the other activities while she was vacationing there if she could.  She was also fascinated by the stories she had read about how political decisions were reached via gladiatorial combat.  She was very interested in seeing one of those fights.

When the shuttle landed, she exited, and immediately went down to the baggage claim area to retrieve her luggage which had come down on its own shuttle with the rest of the cargo.  She had packed a few clothes in her carry on case just in case something happened to the rest of her luggage.  Nonetheless, being reunited with her personal items was number one on her agenda, number two, get to the hotel and then she FINNALLY she could get started on her vacation!

The hallways of the airport were lined with pictures and paintings of the local landscape during a sunset or sunrise, as well as different cities.  Some of the cities pictured were domed and seemed to be floating in the air, while others stood out majestically from the sand.  There were also maps of Flat Sands, the city-state she had landed in, as well as pictures of the city-states resident Sand Fighters.  There were no planetary maps, as the nature of the planet meant that everything moved around on a regular basis, including city locations.  Travel between cities was accomplished by following navigational beacons.

As she had been moving thru the airport collecting everything, Rachel also noticed several armed soldiers wearing Terra Sphere Navy uniforms stationed thru out the building. She pushed down her worries and continued on her way.

She felt a strange sense of exhilaration as she stepped outside the airport, taking her first steps on an alien world.  The ground felt different in a way she couldn’t quite describe.  Maybe it was the texture of the ground, or the gravity could be slightly different from what she was use to.

The air smelled unusual, and felt very dry; the sun shone brightly overhead in a yellowish sky through large supports that arched over the city.  If the panels stored within those supports were fully extended, the city would be completely enclosed in a huge dome.  She understood that each city-state on Duncan IV had a different look and design to it, but they were all enclosed for two thirds of the year.  It was hot, but not as hot as she had expected it to be.

A small electric cart pulled up in front of her, Taxi was written on the side of it in yellow and black.  A crusty looking old man sat in the driver’s seat,

Does the pretty lady need a lift? he asked.

Yes please, she said, while piling her luggage into the back of the cart, I’m staying at the Gold Hotel, please.

Certainly, he answered.  Flat Sands City was one of the larger city-states on Duncan IV, but even it only had a few hotels, and Gold Hotel had the better reputation between the two.

While the airport and most of its facilities looked like they were scarcely used, the taxi and the city streets didn’t.  By contrast, the streets and other buildings were heavily used and looked virtually worn out.

Is there any chance that I will be able to see a sand fight while I am here? Rachel asked the driver.

Only if you are staying year round, he said while the taxi was driving past a construction crew that was working to repair the street, You can’t have a fight during the low season.

Oh, she said, disappointed, even though she already knew that was going to be the answer.

You can watch some reruns of old fights at the old pub on East Street, the crusty old man offered, You are interested in the fights?

Yes, I have always been fascinated by them, I wonder if they are like the old gladiator fights of Rome, she said.

I don’t know anything about Rome, but we have three fighters, the best one is Town, but he hasn’t won much lately.  Next best would be Ruin, but he is traveling to the other cities this year.  Luke died last year… Oh right… there is also Pytor.

So people die in the fights?

Of course, it doesn’t happen all that often, but it does happen, he said, Our fighter is good, but, if he doesn’t start winning soon, our city will be really hurting.

Why is that?

The fights decide policy between the city states.  Come to think of it, Town hasn’t lost any big policy fights, but he has lost plenty of fights for minor policy changes.  Still, it is just a matter of time, he said, Here is your hotel.

Rachel looked out at the hotel, with its continuing theme of armed soldiers on patrol, and a seldom used appearance.  The hotel looked exactly like it did in