Colonies of U'u'kata

Chapter 17 - A Stack of Crates

"Fuck," he hissed softly through his teeth. He took another breath and pulled again. It didn't budge but he could barely see that there was a large crate behind it. Luckily, the numbers were visible and didn't match.

Moving around the pile, he pulled another crate that barely moved enough for him to peer behind it, and groaned. It was crate 9-43, and there was no way in hell he could fully get to it. Even if he did, it looked too large to move on his own.

He continued on, carefully climbing up the pile and checking numbers until he found crate 3-876. It was smaller, barely larger than a guitar case, albeit considerably heavier than a guitar.

Gripping the handholds on the sides, he licked his lips and gave it a tug. It slipped out faster than he thought it would and the crate slightly atop it unbalanced and he watched in slow motion as it fell toward him.

"Shit!" he huffed, ducking his head and throwing an arm over it just before the crate would have knocked his brains out. It slammed painfully into his forearm and tumbled, one corner digging into his back as it fell. Somehow, he managed to hang on with his other hand. Barely.

Ezra groaned as pain swelled in his arm and back, but he gritted his teeth and fumbled to get a grip on the smaller container once more. He tossed it to the ground and leaped down, the tarp slapping him in the face just before he landed on the balls of his feet with a wince. He was still struggling to get used to this planet's gravity, despite having grown up in a gravity well. The landing had made his knees twinge but he didn't have time to make sure his knees were okay. The falling crate had sounded way too loud.

Hefting the container up onto his shoulder, scampered out from underneath the large tarp and tucked himself into the deep shadow of some kind of cart just as a group of Uu'k'asht made their way around a tent.

"...because I heard something," one of them was saying as they approached.

"You always think you heard something," another scoffed.

Around them floated spheres of light that reflected eerily off their metallic eyes and Ezra swallowed hard, watching as they glanced around. One looked under the tarp.

"One of the crates fell," he said.

"I told them they were being sloppy about stacking em," one of the huge males grumbled.

Ezra slowly eased his way beneath the cart.

"There's footprints in here. I think..."

Shit, shit, shit!

"What do you mean, you think?"

"I mean... there's definitely footprints but they're bleedin' tiny."

With a gulp, Ezra moved out to the other side of the crate and looked desperately for the next shadow. If his footprints were spotted, it might be a matter of seconds before they follow them to where he was now. Terrified, he wanted to drop the container and run, but he knew he'd be spotted instantly if he did. So, he swallowed hard against the gibbering flight reaction of his lizard brain, crouched, and slowly moved toward the shadow of a nearby tent, hoping all the while that they didn't suddenly turn around because there wasn't much cover between them and him.

Just as he ducked into the shadow, he heard a voice say, "Look. There's some footprints here too."

Ezra glanced around desperately. There were only four lines of tents between him and the slope to the treeline and no visible Uu'k'asht.

"The tracks lead this way!"

Gripping the container, Ezra sprinted.

He passed one tent, then another. Pivoting, he zig-zagged between the last couple tents before making his mad dash up the slope. In seconds, his heart was thumping hard, his legs burning.

"Intruder!" someone bellowed from somewhere behind him.

Lights strobed, casting his shadow before him in stark relief. The trees were only a few steps away and he knew the long, powerful legs of the Uu'k'asht could easily eat the distance between them.

It didn't matter. He wouldn't stop. Couldn't stop. His lungs were burning by the time he entered the trees and the camp behind him was up in a frenzy of shouts and alarms.

Finally, Ezra looked back, and slammed into something so hard he rebounded off and sprawled on his back, head thumping hard on the ground and leaving lights and birdies dancing in his vision.

"Now, what have we here?" a deep, cold voice rumbled from directly above him.

Ezra blinked several times and squinted up into the darkness.

A massive shadow loomed over him, metallic eyes glinting as he crouched, looking at Ezra.

"A little thief? A little alien thief. Aren't you a cute one..."

Licking his lips, eyes darting, Ezra propped himself up on his elbows and focused on now pissing his pants as the Uu'k'asht reached for him, gripping the front of his jacket and lifting him. His head swam and he gripped the massive fist, trying to claw his nails through the thick hide.

"Stop fighting. It will hurt worse if you fight," the Uu'k'asht said with an evil chuckle.

"Fuck you!" Ezra spat with a defiant snarl as he kicked out, feet connecting with the Uu'k'asht's thick chest. The massive creature laughed and backhanded him so hard his head snapped to the right and darkness took him.    

***Thank you for reading! New Chapters every Sunday, Holidays, and sometimes because I feel like it***

PD: 3/16/2025