Our reserves alarmingly low; we decided to stop at the next planet. It was there that we met Yarah, warrior princess. She was fighting along her rebel army to liberate her people from the oppression of a tyrant. The tyrant had overthrown the former king and established a reign of terror. His law was enforced by an army of clones, which he controlled from the highest tower of his black fortress. During the coop many civilians were enslaved or killed. Only a handful of people escaped. A child at the time, Yarah grew up with hate for her enemy that fueled her to wage guerrilla war. Over the years, she had managed to free and unite a large number of people.
Yarah and her followers established their headquarters in a huge cave located in the largest desert on their planet. All electronic devises tweaked out in the area because of the interference generated by the magnetic sandstorms. A grand serenity prevailed. The camp was set up like a village, with houses, shops and even a clinic. The calm of daytime was a sharp contrast to the nocturnal dances. Almost tribal, combining music, chants and martial techniques, the dances doubled as training for the rebels. The first night, my second in command was completely mesmerized by the dance and lost control of his movements. The extreme activity rendered him useless the next day. Worried about his safety and afraid I, myself, may too succumb to the charm of the mysterious training sessions, I decided to cut our stay short. I said good-bye to our host and wished them courage in their fight.
We took off before night fell, conscious that the chants and hypnotic rhythms of the rebel princess would be with us forever.
To be continued on Thursday, November 3
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