Riptide Rising

Chapter Four

Kapp could recall several moments in his life that shaped him: when he first cleared Earth’s gravity in his second year of training, when he graduated the Naval Academy and stepped forward as an officer for the first time, when he first boarded the Alpha, and now.

Once the chants of the surrounding crowd faded, Kapp was shuttled away by several armed Aqualin and brought to a smaller cave illuminated with yellow seaweed. There he was instructed to remove all of his clothing and to dress in the kilt, or ankara as they had called it. They took all of his other clothing. Kapp wished they had at least left his boots, but he guessed he did not have much use for them underwater. The ankara had layers of armored pleats that settled heavily on his legs. He was grateful that it was heavy enough not to float, and kept him covered.

His Aqualin handlers gave him disapproving looks as they returned to the arena. They refused to speak to him, but the way they held their weapons and their menacing glances assured him there would be no getting out of this.

Kapp adjusted the heavy pleats of the ankara as he swam onto the raised platform. The weight was reassuring, but he still felt exposed. Thousands of Aqualin hovered in the water around the arena. Some bared their sharp teeth in what might have been smiles, or snarls. Others clashed weapons together in rhythmic bursts.

Were they excited? Kapp thought, Or just bloodthirsty? Both.

Now he stood on the raised platform, surrounded. Caltuth glared at him from across the platform and Qualia stood between them.

“The contest of Dha’aerda is about to commence!” She shouted, arms raised to the crowd, spear held aloft.

A roar of cheers erupted from them, echoing off of the cave walls and inside of Kapp’s brain. Hearing “Dha’aerda” was the first time Kapp had heard a word he did not know. It seemed this telepathic way of understanding could only go so far with translation.

“Prove you are not a lesser life form. Prove that you can fight!” Qualia said, gesturing to Kapp.

“FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” The crowd cheered raucously.

“Are you ready, Xanderkapp?” she asked, pointing her spear at him.

“You can refer to me as just Kapp, please. How do I win this?”

“You must maim your opponent before you are unable to continue.”

Well, that was somehow worse and not as bad as Kapp had thought.

“Caltuth,” she said with barely hidden contempt, “signal when ready.”

Caltuth sized Kapp up, likely sensing how uncomfortable and exposed he felt in just an ankara, surrounded by so many onlookers.

“BEGIN!” Caltuth shouted, and swam at him like a lightning bolt.

Before Kapp could react, Caltuth slammed into his midsection like a cannonball, knocking the breath from his lungs. His bare back slid across the platform, scraping against jagged rocks. Struggling to catch his breath, and simultaneously gasping from the pain, he looked up at the now grinning Caltuth who glowered down at him.

“You are weak and unworthy of a voice!” Caltuth shouted at him.

He threw his arms in the air and used his tail to propel himself down toward Kapp, with the heels of his webbed feet on a collision course to crush Kapp’s skull.

Kapp quickly rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the vicious attack. He scrambled upright, chest heaving, his body still reeling from the last blow. Caltuth was circling, savoring his advantage. Kapp feinted left, then surged forward, aiming for Caltuth’s legs in a last-ditch takedown attempt. On his approach, Caltuth spun and slammed his muscular tail into Kapp’s chest, again sending him tumbling across the platform.

Kapp was angry now. Angry and hurting from the lacerations on his back, and the large bruise growing on his chest, he extended his arms and legs into a guard position and watched with intense concentration as Caltuth approached.

Caltuth approached him slower this time, savoring the sight of what he thought to be a defenseless foe. He reached down to grab Kapp by the throat.

Kapp saw his chance. He grabbed Caltuth’s wrist with one hand and reaching up, pulled his elbow across him with the other. He threw his leg up onto Caltuth’s shoulder, locking his arm into place. Pivoting his body and throwing his leg across Caltuth’s face, he flipped him over and put him in an arm bar.

“I guess they don’t teach Jiu-Jitsu underwater,” he gasped, struggling as Caltuth writhed in agony.

Kapp tightened his grip, muscles straining. Caltuth thrash beneath him, his tail sending ripples through the water. He wasn’t giving up. Of course he wasn’t. Kapp’s breath came in sharp bursts. This wasn’t a sparring session. There was no tapping out. This was real. If he hesitated, Caltuth wouldn’t.

With the burned in image of Caltuth’s heels coming down to crush his skull flashing through his mind, he grimaced and yanked back. A sickening crack echoed through the water as Caltuth’s arm was broken.

“Yield Caltuth, you are maimed!” Kapp shouted, releasing his hold and floating above Caltuth.

Kapp looked around at the shocked faces of the crowd. They could not believe that this small outsider could have injured one of their own kind. He looked back at Caltuth who glared up at him angrily.

“I do not yield,” he announced, each word menacing and slow.

He swept his tail along the platform and spun, sending loose sand flying into Kapp’s unprotected eyes.

As Kapp rubbed his eyes, trying to work the sand out of them, he felt Caltuth grab his ankle and swim upward, hoisting him upside down from the platform. Caltuth slammed Kapp into the ground with his uninjured arm, his head connecting solidly with the platform. The last thing Kapp remembered was the roars of the crowd as everything faded to black.

________________________________________________

Aboard the Nokken warship, Nephrops, the leader known as Nykkjen the Inviolable paced back and forth angrily.

There was little light aboard, besides what starlight filtered through the large forward-facing windows. The dim interior of Nephrops was a stark contrast to the Aqualin ship. The walls pulsed with organic tubing, crude machinery fused with living tissue. The ship was filled with water, but it was brackish and murky.

Nykkjen watched angrily as the pod containing the survivor had been intercepted by the Aqualin ship. His rage threatened to billow over, but he contained it before his fury led him to damage the helm. Anktan stood at his side, now wearing an eye patch to cover where the pitiful creature aboard the big ship had stabbed her.

“That one will not be bringing help. Azule and his followers will make sure of that,” she said.

Nykkjen turned and grabbed Anktan by the throat with his claw. Her helmet attempted to extend but was halted by the pressure he put upon her. Nykkjen was far more powerful than all other Nokken and commanded them through strength. He brought his face within an inch of Anktan’s.

“I can see that. I’m surprised that you can see anything, one-eye,” his deep voice quivered with rage as he squoze his claw tighter on her throat, drawing blood.

The blood floated between them in the already polluted water.

“Our water supply dwindles. I leave you to survive as your insides will only further contaminate this ship. Know this, if you speak Azule’s name again, I will jettison you into the nearest star.”

The forward-facing helm chamber in which they stood was filled with all members of the raid party. They watched in fear as their leader showed his quick temper. Nykkjen dropped Anktan, who now sported a thin cut on her throat in addition to her eye patch.

“We will watch the outsiders ship. They will eventually send another to investigate. When they do, we will take their water and leave another survivor. This time there will be no mistakes. They will bring war and supplies to us. We will take their projectile weaponry and blow a hole in the Aqualin ship. All of their water will be ours.”

The room shook with the powerful cheers of the raiding party. Nykkjen the Inviolable would continue to provide for them, and for all of their eggs waiting for them on their home planet.

_________________________________________________

Kapp woke up with a pounding headache. His back and chest hurt with every breath, but at least he was alive. He was on his back in a cave staring at the ceiling. The white roof of the cave had small holes in it from which the yellow glowing seaweed hung. It was always shocking to remember he was under water. He wasn’t quite laying on the cave floor, but more floating just over it.

Kapp went to move his legs so he could sit up and examine his surroundings when he realized he couldn’t. His legs were not moving. He tried again, harder this time, his pulse spiking. Here he was on this alien ship, in a culture where he had to fight just to prove he could speak, and now he was paralyzed. An intense feeling of anxiety washed over him. He willed himself to remain calm, but his training meant nothing when his body refused to respond. His chest was heavy and he began to hyperventilate, much to his bruised ribs’ dismay. His vision began to blur as unbridled panic settled in.

“Peace, Xanderkapp. Eat this.” Qualia’s voice came to him as she entered his field of vision. She held out a small, red cake.

Kapp went to reach for it and realized his arms also refused to obey. A tear floated up from his face as he continued to be dismayed over the situation. Qualia shoved the cake in his mouth, and he began to chew. A horrible taste reminiscent of rotting grass filled his mouth. He attempted to spit out the cake, but Qualia held his mouth closed and pinched his nose until he swallowed.

Slowly, Kapp felt control come back to his limbs. The shock from the ordeal began to fade. Kapp could not believe it. He had been completely paralyzed. Qualia came in and shoved the nasty tasting cake down his throat, and now he was fine.

“What was that?” he asked Qualia. “I couldn’t move! I hurt everywhere, I was… paralyzed,” his voice cracked as he worked to regain control of his emotions.

“The red kelp which we grow has healing properties. So long as someone's heart is still beating, it can fully restore them.”

Kapp flexed his fingers, then his toes. “That was… terrifying.”

Qualia tilted her head. “Your kind does not have such healing methods?”

“Not like that. We use medicine, surgeries… treatments that take time.” He rubbed his arms, still shaken. “We can’t just… eat something and be fine.”

Qualia regarded him with a stony expression. “Then it is no wonder you fear injury so much.”

“So… that means that Caltuth is swimming with both arms again, correct?”

“Yes I supposed he is.” She could not hide her grimace at the thought. “Xanderka–”

“Stop. Please, just Kapp.”

“Very well, Kapp.” She emphasized the word, “You have won your right to a voice. Congratulations.”

“I have?” Kapp pictured the speed that Caltuth moved. He couldn’t imagine ever beating an Aqualin in combat underwater.

“Beating an Aqualin would not be a fair measure of your ability. Your task was to maim him before you lost. You completed this task, and therefore proved your worthiness.” Qualia seemed to read his mind. “The kelp does not replace sleep, even though you currently feel invigorated. Rest, Kapp. In the morning you will need to utilize that newly won voice.”

“Wait, what’s the deal with Caltuth?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s clear you and your father don’t care for him. Why is he in a position of power?”

“Caltuth is my older brother. He should be heir to our Father, Lord Azule.”

“So why isn’t he?”

“My father does not believe Caltuth to be capable of leading our people. He is a skilled navigator, and so father instead bestowed him the title of Star-Reader.”

“How does Caltuth feel about this?”

Qualia hesitated. “At first? Furious. He challenged my father’s decision outright.” She exhaled, a flicker of doubt crossing her face. “Now, he claims he’s accepted it.”

Kapp caught the slight shift in her expression. “You don’t believe him.”

“I believe he has learned patience,” she said carefully. “But acceptance? No.”

“So, as Azule’s daughter, that makes you the heir?”

“Yes. Someday I will lead my people. It is a mantle I am happy to wait patiently for.”

Kapp frowned. “So, what was he like growing up?”

Qualia exhaled slowly. “Cruel. And cowardly. My father realized Caltuth would lead us to ruin. He’ll fight someone smaller and weaker like you, but any opponent who might truly challenge him? He’ll turn to politics, using them to avoid battle. This is not our way.”

Kapp bit back a response. He couldn’t help but feel the sting of her “smaller and weaker” remark. “Your society seems straightforward. Fight, be strong, and you thrive. I envy that, in a way. Where I come from, political maneuvering is valued above all else.”

Qualia wrinkled her nose at that. “You seem to have some sense of honor, so you can’t all be bad.” She swam a few paces back toward the cave’s entrance. “Rest now, Kapp. You’ve earned it.”

With that, she quickly turned and swam from the cave, leaving Kapp to wonder at the harsh but intriguing place he now found himself in.

Chapter Five

Kapp awoke from his sleep with a start. Sleeping in the barren, dimly lit cave felt odd. He was accustomed, of course, to a bed, or even the floor. But here he slept just floating in the water. The Aqualin lived simply, avoiding decoration in favor of stark practicality. His “room” was a small cave with a narrow, curved opening, offering nothing by way of comfort beyond privacy and the faint glow of yellow seaweed clinging to the walls.

His restless sleep had been filled with fractured memories of the massacre on Alpha. He drifted in and out of nightmares, each one playing some twisted variation of the horrors he had witnessed. Captain Krell’s death replayed over and over. He was unable to let go of the moment.

Kapp exhaled sharply

“Go away. Xanderkapp sleeps.” Splunk’s voice sounded like it was trying to speak with a level of authority it certainly did not possess.

“Splunk can’t tell us what to do,” a young male voice replied.

“We just want to see him!” another young voice chimed in, this one female.

“Yeah, he’s been sleeping forever!”

“You can’t make us do anything, Splunk. We’re going in!”

Kapp kept his eyes shut and pretended to sleep, wanting to observe the intruders before revealing he was awake. Through slitted eyelids, he caught sight of two figures slipping into his cave.

“He’s so gross-looking,” the boy whispered.

“He’s not gross! I think he’s interesting,” argued the girl.

They swam closer, inspecting him like a zoo animal.

“He looks so soft. I can’t believe he hurt Uncle Caltuth.”

“I dare you to poke him,” the girl said.

“I don’t want to poke him! You poke him.”

“How about no one pokes the ‘gross, soft guy,’ alright?” Kapp said, opening his eyes.

Both children yelped and darted backward, eyes wide with horror at being caught.

Now that he could see them clearly, Kapp took in their bright purple and orange coloring — more vibrant than the fully grown Aqualin. Their head fins and back scales were far less pronounced, rising only slightly. The girl stood just a few inches shorter than Kapp, while the boy was a head shorter than her.

“And what do they call you, little monsters?” he asked.

“We are not monsters! I am Tovin!” the boy declared, puffing out his chest in a clear attempt to appear bigger. Despite his youth, his muscles were already well defined.

“And I am Nixie!” the girl added with a grin.

“I see. And you’re here to… poke me?”

“No, silly! Mother sent us to check on you,” Nixie said, swimming a little closer.

“Right. Caltuth is your uncle, so that makes you Qualia’s children.”

Tovin swam up and grabbed Kapp’s arm, squeezing his bicep.

“That’s us! Your arms are so skinny. Whoa! Are those your fins?” He pointed to Kapp’s armpit hair with a mixture of fascination and disgust.

“I don’t have fins, little pests. Where’s your mother?”

The children ignored his question, continuing to prod at him like a specimen under examination. Splunk entered the cave and climbed to his place on Kapp’s shoulder.

“Splunk, next time just wake me up, and I’ll swim away before they get in. Do you know where Qualia is?”

“NIXIE! TOVIN!”

Qualia’s sharp voice cut through the cave like a blade.

Both children immediately darted behind Kapp, using him as a shield.

“We were just—”

“OUT!” she demanded, pointing to the cave entrance.

They darted away like startled fish.

“Bye, Kapp! Let’s play soon!” Nixie called over her shoulder as she disappeared.

“Cute kids,” Kapp said, watching them go.

Qualia exhaled, her irritation already fading. “They’re trouble. But someday, they’ll be formidable warriors. Come, the Shoal is waiting.”

“The last time the Shoal was waiting, I woke up paralyzed.”

“This time, you have a voice. And they wish to hear it.”

“Oh, well, great then.” Kapp said, rolling his eyes.

Kapp followed her through the sprawling, sunken landscape. Splunk clung to his shoulder, shifting restlessly. The faint glow of bioluminescent seaweed illuminated the path ahead, casting a pale, yellowish light over the barren surroundings. The canyon walls rose steeply on either side, jagged and unyielding, their surface smooth from years of constant water flow. Schools of small, transparent fish darted between them, their bodies flickering like tiny stars in the darkness. It was a place of function, where only the necessary was kept and every movement in the water was deliberate.

Midway through their journey, Splunk suddenly tensed. “Hear something.”

Kapp slowed. “What do you mean?”

The little creature flexed and moved anxiously. “Splunk must go.”

“Go where?”

Splunk let go of Kapp’s shoulder and hovered in the water, shifting uneasily. “Splunk hears danger. Will be back.”

With that, it began to swim away toward a small crack in the cliff.

“Well, be careful I guess,” Kapp muttered.

Kapp frowned and turned to Qualia. “Do you have any idea what that was about?”

She shook her head. “Do not concern yourself with the movement of lesser creatures. The Shoal is waiting. Let us not keep them.”

They finally arrived at the raised platform where Azule, Caltuth, and two other Aqualin females stood. The platform, made of solid rock, was untouched by time — its surface unadorned but solid. The audience gathered around was much smaller than the last time Kapp had been here, when he’d been thrown into combat against Caltuth, but many still lingered eager to hear from the outsider.

Qualia bowed to Azule, and Kapp quickly copied her.

“Rise, Kapp,” Azule said, smiling as he gestured for him to stand. “I was quite surprised by your performance at the Dha’aerda.”

Kapp noted Caltuth standing behind Azule, his expression dark with anger.

“Thank you, Lord Azule. Caltuth, you are stronger and faster than I ever could have imagined.” Kapp spoke flatteringly, hoping to ease some of the tension.

He didn’t want Caltuth as an enemy. Growing up, he’d often found himself in fights, his mouth usually getting him into trouble before his fists had to get him out. But he had a habit of trying to make friends with former opponents. Some of his closest friendships had started with a well-placed punch. He hoped he could mimic that situation here.

“You are slipperier than I expected, Xanderkapp,” Caltuth growled. “I would not let you surprise me again.”

“You will never need to,” Azule said, waving a hand dismissively. “Kapp has proven himself. Now, tell us, Kapp. How did you end up on that small ship?”

Kapp took a deep breath before answering, knowing the weight of his words. “The Alpha was a long-range exploration vessel assigned to chart and analyze uninhabited planets for potential colonization. I was part of the navigation crew, responsible for plotting courses, monitoring planetary conditions, and ensuring safe travel through uncharted regions of space. Our mission was to survey and report back any habitable worlds, gathering data on atmospheres, resources, and potential threats.”

He paused, scanning the faces of the Aqualin around him. “We were never meant to engage in combat, but then the Nokken came. They didn’t give us a chance to escape or surrender. They tore through us without mercy. I only made it to the escape pod because they allowed me to. Their leader told me, ‘This is a challenge. Bring your weapons and ships. Attempt to destroy us. War is coming. We are the Nokken.’ I wasn’t sure what any of that meant, but I think I understand now.”

Azule exhaled deeply. “And what is it you have come to understand?”

“First, answer me this: Do you have projectile weapons of any kind?”

Azule’s expression twisted in confusion. “What do you mean by projectile weapons?”

Kapp hesitated. It was difficult to explain the kinds of weapons humans had at their disposal without making them sound monstrous. “Weapons that can be used from a distance. From land, from air, even from space.”

Murmurs spread through the gathered Aqualin, their faces etched with disapproval.

“You fight from a distance?” Qualia said, disgust in her voice. “How is that fair to your opponent? That is not combat, that is murder. Combat is a test of skill and strength. A warrior should see their enemy’s eyes when they strike the killing blow. Who is it that you fight?”

Kapp clenched his jaw. This was difficult to explain. “Well, each other, I suppose. Not all humans are good.”

Before he could respond, realization dawned on Azule’s face. “You believe the Nokken are trying to obtain such weapons?”

“If they did,” one of the females said, stepping forward, “and they could engage us from a distance…”

“They would kill us all.” Caltuth’s voice cut through the chamber. “It’s better we just kill this human creature now. That way, we keep these weapons away.”

Kapp held up his hands. “Hey, whoa. I have no intention of bringing weapons here. I get how bad that would be. But what do the Nokken even want from you?”

“Our most precious resource — our water,” said one of the females on the platform as she moved closer. She had a serene voice that echoed with comfort in Kapp’s mind. “The Nokken are a plague. They move from system to system depleting them of water. They pollute it when they use it. Filtering through their dastardly bodies causes the water to become so sick that they can’t even use it again.”

This female was the spitting image of Qualia, though her skin color was far more faded.

“When they attacked us they weren’t in the water. Qualia also came onto the beach when I landed. Do you have to be in water?” Kapp asked, not understanding.

“Our physiology is similar to the Nokken. We cannot be out of water for a full wakefulness cycle. Regular atmosphere is not dense enough to support us forever.”

“Lady Cerule, do you really think it’s wise to tell this outsider ways to hurt us?” Caltuth said accusingly.

“Just mother will do, Son. Don’t be so formal. I believe this outsider, as you call him, to have good intentions. The only beings that seem to be openly hostile are you and the Nokken. Do not let your pridefulness blind you.” Cerule spoke the words reproachfully, as if speaking to an unruly child.

“Your faith in someone we do not know is making you blind!” spat Caltuth.

“That is enough! Caltuth, leave us. Now!” Azule shouted gruffly. The authority in his voice almost made Kapp cower.

Caltuth spun and quickly swam away.

“I must apologize. You have given us no reason to fear or doubt you. Caltuth means well, he just can’t see past his own ego at times,” Cerule continued. “The Nokken arrived on our planet a quarter of a lifetime ago. They had large machines with which they stole our water. We fought them for as long as we could, but soon we saw that the damage they had done was irreversible. Not only were they stealing our water, but their presence was polluting the rest of it. We had to evacuate on the Home Ship.”

“How many of you survived?” Kapp said in awe and sadness from the story.

“One sixteenth of the population. Many more have died in the clashes since. Our population dwindles. I fear greatly for our future. We cannot fight the Nokken forever, not like this”

A shrill, whistling alarm pierced the water, the sound reverberating through the cavern. On the platform, a small control panel flashed red, casting an ominous glow. Instantly, the Aqualin sprang into action, swimming with purpose.

“What’s going on?” Kapp asked, watching Qualia as she turned to leave.

“The Nokken are attacking something. We must take to our ships and intervene. Come with me, Kapp.”

She shot forward, cutting through the water with astonishing speed. Kapp struggled to keep up as she swam out of the main cave, down a canyon, and into a side passage crowded with Aqualin heading in the same direction. As he rounded the corner, his breath caught.

Hundreds of small ships were lined up along the canyon floor. They resembled deep-sea submarines, but each had large, wing-like white blades extending from either side, giving them a sleek, almost predatory appearance.

Ahead of him, Qualia had already climbed into one of the vessels. She maneuvered it toward him, the top hatch open.

“Climb in. You fly with me,” she ordered.

Kapp hesitated only a moment before pulling himself through the hatch. The ship’s interior was as stark and functional as everything else Aqualin. Two seats, seemingly carved from the same pale stone as the caves, faced forward. The top half of the vessel was entirely transparent, allowing an unobstructed view of the chaos outside as Aqualin scrambled into their ships.

Qualia reached up, sealing the hatch with a firm twist, then gestured for him to sit. In front of each seat was a small wheel with two levers on either side — basic but unfamiliar controls.

“Let’s go hunt some Nokken,” she said, gripping the wheel and pulling a lever.

The ship lurched forward, accelerating rapidly as they shot out of the canyon and up through the water. Kapp clenched his jaw as they neared the surface, the shift in pressure tingling against his skin.

Then they breached the surface.

The world outside changed in an instant. They kept climbing, heading straight for the towering dome of the Home Ship.

Kapp’s eyes widened. The dome was approaching fast — too fast.

He braced himself, closing his eyes as impact seemed inevitable.

What have I gotten myself into?