RETURN TO KARRIN

[Amazee Dayzee]

I really did enjoy how this chapter has come out! Your work continues to be impeccable!

[Welsh Halfwit]

NINETEEN

Karrin spun slowly around its’ sun and, if it were capable of it, would have wondered about the thin, growing, number of satellites it had gained in the last couple of years. They were supplied by weapons manufacturers from the United Security Council worlds who were taking the chance to run their experiments without having to follow all the Council safety rules. There were three high energy beam stations from Fawren, two multi-missile systems from Raicarra, complete with internal missile replication systems that actually turned the energy generated from the launch into power for the replication system. With the stations provided by other organisations, there were thirteen weapons satellites currently protecting the world from assault. It wasn’t enough, with huge areas still unprotected, but it was better than it had been. The orbital shipyard was just about in working order again and the Karrineans were working with Fawren, Raicarra, Monta and the others to develop ships for their own defence. The first would be rolling off the production line in weeks. President Gerek, elected into his second term, had used the technologies to begin the rebuilding of his wrecked colony and the exports, although unpopular due to the work in mining the precious metals and ores, was returning financial stability to the area.


It was this that the cargo freighters were to take back to U.S.C. space. Mined minerals and stones replacing the much needed seeds they were paying for. The population was still running at a food deficit although no longer at the famine level the Rodomont had encountered on its first time here. It had taken time to work out what seeds and foodstuffs could work in Karrin’s starved soil, without a weather control system to help irrigation. After the shuttles took the cargo pods down to ground level, more ships would take them across the planet. Postain understood the procedure and the need for it but he couldn’t say he was overly fond of it. Every single seed they were bringing was an invasive threat to the native ecology. To prevent the ecological catastrophe of needing to import insects to pollinate, they’d chosen plants that naturally did it themselves if needed, which was almost as bad. He wondered what the control station would think about the Jestavanian troops he was bringing in. So he made his way down to the security cells to see them for himself.


He stopped in front of Jak in the Office and told the Cervidian to bring the Cadan to the interview room. He stepped into the room and checked the restraint loop was still fully functional before Jak and a feline guard brought the Jestavanian in and cuffed him to the loop before leaving the room. “Wanted a word in private,” Postain told him. “Captain to Cadan.”

The mottled face glared back at him, then pulled the restrained wrist up to prove an example. “More like guard and prisoner, don’t you think?”

“Don’t worry,” Postain replied cautiously, “you’re not staying. Once we get settled in we’re sending you down to be dealt with by the Karrineans.” Postain shifted slightly. “I’ll argue for you to be sent back to the main worlds.”

The Cadan looked confused. “Why would you do that?” He frowned. “What do you want, Alien? Your kind have already contaminated Karrin with your…”

“Food,” Postain interrupted. “Trade. Enterprise. All things they’d been lacking since your war cut them off from you.” Postain put his elbows on the table. “There’s no hiding the fact that, without our intervention, Karrin would soon be a dead world.”

The Cadan looked furious and seethed over his new words, even as they formed and were discarded in his head. He growled and turned his head away. “Conceded,” he admitted bitterly. “But you’re taking the world away from its roots! Alien technology! Alien foods and cultures! You are invasive.”

“And you,” Postain replied, “are destructive. I can’t argue that we’re not being invasive. But we couldn’t provide the things that your people were never going to. We had to provide our own. Who’s got the upper hand in your war, by the way?”

The Cadan grinned slightly. “We have but you knew I’d say that. The legitimate government forces, by the way. The ones who used to be happy you’d arrived. Then we see you taking our people away from us. I was ordered to stop the ambassadors from more worlds when we knew they were leaving for your space.” He looked at Postain with anger. “Losing Karrin was bad enough. Losing more..?”

“The Council will welcome them,” Postain replied, “but not endorse them. There’s little profit in antagonising your people. And that’s why I plan to be arguing for clemency for your people. Your ship will be turned over to the Karrineans and they’ll probably add it to their protection force – I understand it’ll be the second ship in their force if they do? As for your crew?” Postain shrugged. “Can’t say. If I were the Karrineans? I’d offer them places in the local militia. Would many accept?”

“I doubt it,” the Cadan hissed. “Some might but most have things they want revenge for. This is still the fight of our lives, Captain. Your intrusion is just a distraction. No matter your intentions.”

“My intentions, Cadan, are to get this mission done and return home with as few dead as I can get away with.” He leaned on his elbows to bring his face closer to the Cadan. “And I’ll kill anyone who tries to stop me or hurt my people. You hear that?”

“I hear it and I respect it,” the opposition replied, averting his gaze slightly, like Kohlich sometimes still did when appreciating Postain’s seniority. To Postain’s surprise, a grey and black arm came across the table and offered an out stretched hand. “I understand this is how you people seal agreements?”

Postain took the hand and gripped it tight as it attempted to break his handbones in return This was a shake of respect but also intent. There was strength in the arm and passion and honour – to the best of Postain’s knowledge. The two grinned and levered themselves over the table to keep the grip tight and shaking. Postain could see the strain in the Jestavanian’s eye and the smile on his teeth as the pressure increased until something had to break…


The Cadan stood up, smiling now. “You are a challenge, Captain,” he admitted. “Not many can hold me.” He pulled the hand back as Postain lessened the grip.

“Likewise,” Postain admitted, calling Jak in to take the prisoner back to the cell. After they’d left, Postain waved his hand in the air and put it under his other armpit.


And the convoy arrived.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Pretty sure Postain didn't expect anyone at all to really hurt or almost break the bones in his hand. That was really funny.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Oh, and don't worry. They have events for the kids whilst they're around the planet. There WILL be events...

TWENTY

Frank watched quietly as the first of his cargo containers was loosened from the ship and the colonial carrier shuttle took the strain, locking on with its magnetic grapple to draw the container in onto its underbelly carrying section. It was, he thought, going to increase the weight of the smaller craft exponentially but these ships were designed to handle it, their structures re-enforced with the toughest metals known. They were, still, taking it slowly as they crossed past the shuttle from the Rodomont as it headed down towards the alien planet. Kelvan hadn’t gone that way, of course. He’d been teleported down. The shuttle was just for the official greeting party.


Further down the ship, Talitha looked out on the scene from one of the portals and sniffed as she sensed someone walking up on her. “Come to see the scene, Cassius,” she greeted, before turning to look at him. She laughed. He had a flower in his teeth. A Panderan Starlazer,” she said appreciatively. “Where’d you get that?”

“Personal selection,” he said, taking it from his mouth with a hand and offering it to her. “Offering for a lady,” he told her gallantly.

She grinned and, placing a hand on her heart, took it from him and sniffed. “And it’s fresh,” she said, feeling she’d know a fake scent at this range. “How..?”

He offered a hand to her. “I’ll show you,” he said. She took the hand and he escorted her down, through the ship, to where the central refrigeration unit was working. “It’s not what I do for work here,” he admitted, “but it’s a hobby. Around here,” he said, opening a nearby door, “the refrigeration unit makes a lot of condensation.” He pointed up to a collection unit on the wall, about halfway up. A tube ran from the unit into the next room and she gaped as it turned out to be a small garden under the lighting. One of the lights was brighter than the others and Talitha guessed it was acting as a small scale sun, something for Starlazers, Chaffaners, Woldeenars and Roses to reach for from their pots and microbushes. She looked around at him and he laughed openly, guessing what she was going to ask. “It doesn’t take that much energy,” he told her, pointing up to the container of water on the wall and moving his hand to the sprinkler rose. “These all need the same sort of hydration,” he advised, “and lighting.” He slipped an arm around her back as he pointed. “The thin soil has a collection net underneath it to recycle the used water so as little as possible is wasted. Frank allows it because sometimes even we like a nice place to visit. And we can sometimes sell clippings…”

“...Which I can’t know about because it’s illegal without the correct import licence,” Talitha observed, having decided never to mention it. Why was his arm around her back? She gently pushed it off.

“...which I didn’t just say,” Cassius continued, having noted how gently she’d pushed the hand off. “But it’s nice to have a place.”

“You need a bench,” Talitha offered.

“A… bench,” Cassius replied.

“For your seductions,” she replied, stroking his cheek with a hand before heading out.


The shuttle landed at the landing zone and Postain looked out on a small crowd that consisted of Karrineans he knew and several he didn’t. The President was there again, ready to greet him and looking proud as he was surrounded by a handful of guards that Postain didn’t remember him needing before. Postain took hold of the toy starship that had, somehow, become the expected arrival gift and lowered the ramp to the usual slight pomp of the not as improvised as last time band as they struck up their version of the Unified Security Council anthem. It always struck him as overblown and bombastic but, when delivered by a group who’d felt free to do it in their own way, with odd instruments, it sounded almost fun. The Captain and his selected staff stepped out into a cool spring afternoon as the President stepped to the lectern and welcomed the people who’d saved the colony back. Again, a child stepped forward – at the insistence of her mother – and exchanged flowers for a toy that she wasn’t going to hand over to her mother for whatever reason as the big alien had given it to HER. Postain straightened up. “I stand welcomed, Mr President,” he stated. “I greet you in friendship on behalf of the Unified Security Council.”

“And we thank you,” he replied as he stepped away from the lectern and over to Postain. He offered a hand, which Postain took, and whispered into his ear.


To one side, Kelly stepped forward, seeing someone she knew. They embraced and greeted each other in the same way Kohlich had greeted his companion at the station. “Doctan Tyla,” she said happily. “Great to see you.”

The Doctan still had her arms around her Raitchian counterpart, taking in her scent and she noted the slight added Jestavanianism of it. “And you, Kelly,” she admitted, releasing her warm companion. “How’s things with Kohlich and you?”

“Still wonderful,” Kelly told her quietly, “he’s a deputy Chief Engineer now.”

She laughed, knowing Kelly was deliberately misinterpreting her question. “And I’m head of Medicine for the colony,” she said. Kelly congratulated her before they joined the group heading to the cars as the first of the cargo shuttles was glimpsed against the sun.


The Captain sat in the presidential vehicle as Gerek gave the usual instructions to his driver and engaged the privacy guard. “I understand you have some other gifts for us,” he queried, stopping Postain from asking the question he really wanted to ask.

“We encountered a Star Council – or rebel, I’m not sure which – ship attacking the last U.S.C. vessel that left here. We… disagreed with them over the event.”

“Yes,” Gerek mused, “I did note some of the local dignitaries from some of the nearer Star worlds sort of… vanished about the same time, hmm?” He was clearly amused from the tone.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that, sir,” Postain shuffled. “But we do have twenty prisoners and a ship for your defences. Might I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“What did you mean by ‘ let’s get in the car’ earlier?”

Now it was Gerek’s turn to look a little uncomfortable. “Not everyone is that happy your people are here,” he admitted. “The irony is that, before your people helped, they were in no condition to protest about anything. But now they want the U.S.C. influence curtailed. Karrin for the Karrineans. That sort of thing.”

Postain sighed. “Only to be expected, I suppose.”

“They’ve not turned violent yet,” Gerek assured him, “but…”

“No sense in not being careful.” Postain considered it and spoke again. “And there’s a bigger problem,” he confided. “A MUCH bigger problem...”

[Amazee Dayzee]

Can Hawle be involved in these events then because that would really be fun. Especially if they involve him getting covered in some sort of gunge (not just pies and cakes). XD

Anyway I do like what you did with the chapter!

[Welsh Halfwit]

TWENTY-ONE

Willa shivered in the morning breeze as the wind, a concept she wasn’t entirely familiar with, whispered along the platform, through the children’s fur and out the other side. He accepted the jacket Kelvan offered and put it around her shoulders. “Don’t you need it,” she asked.

“I’m more used to this than you are,” Kelvan replied, doing his best to keep his shivers internal. “I did warn you that natural weather could be bright AND cold without weather control.”

“I had NO idea,” she shivered and smiled at him. “I also don’t know why they couldn’t teleport us to the caves. Why we have to use this train thing.” She chuckled. “Suppose I’m stupid but I didn’t realise anyone still used them!”

“It’s easier than using shuttles to get to all the stations,” Kelvan told her. “From the loaders I saw as we arrived, it’s probably some of our stuff being loaded on for the farms. Plus, you can see the scenery as we go by?”

“Who… who wants to do that?”

Kelvan looked at her in mock surprise. “Spoken like someone who lives life at velocity three! Us slowbies know to look around.”

“Plus there’s a natural scattering field in the atmosphere around the caves,” Enzo chipped in, moving by with his girlfriend and not quite showing off the denim jacket Martin had given him. “No-one can teleport in and shuttle sensors are useless, as Mr Jalda told us yesterday.” He cocked his head at Kelvan in amusement. “What was distracting you then?”

Kelvan reached forward and, with a grin, tweaked his best friend’s nose. The train pulled in and gave a blast of hydraulics almost straight into Willa’s headfur, making her call out before laughing as the others did.


Senny pushed her fighter into space, just beyond the planets’ defence zone and banked to avoid the laser light – simulation - fire from Alpha seven as the Celican came in at an oblique angle, out of the sun as trained by Senny herself. Three others were behind seven, and Senny had to twist again as they extrapolated her position when avoiding seven and adjusted again. The Castoran could take more gravitational pressure than they could due to her waterbourne nature – or she assumed that was what it was to do with – and took the pressure of a tight turn to get out of their firing solution. She barely made it. Where, she wondered, were the others? Ah, there. Coming over the top of the Pollock. It must have been Silcox’s idea. He led the five in Beta wing and was quite a capable officer. If she’d gone the other way, he’d have had her cold. He’d have been on her before she’d be able to get to the limited protection of the freighters. Which was why she’d not chosen that. She’d gone towards one of the defence stations instead. She hoped they’d work out the tactic here. Use the defence stations to the best of your abilities. She knew they’d arranged for these things to be off for the morning but the other pilots didn’t and their reactions were interesting. Most of them pulled away and off, avoiding as best they were able. Six, however, seemed to have it figured and kept firing, clipping Senny with a simulated shot amongst the fifteen bolts. Senny heard something sound in her helmet, indicating the shot was a crippler and the simulation was over. She turned her helmet communicator on. “Nice shot, Swalli,” she told the Mican. “Looks like you… Swalli, break away! Get out of the firing solution!” She looked with alarm at the readings from the defence platform. She must have hit it with a laser light shot and that must have been enough to make it think it was being attacked. It was coming online and targetting… “Senny to Rodomont,” she yelled, “get station 13 taken offline! Quick!”


Within five seconds, Maldak was calling the Militia defence control and putting them on with Xarra. “Those stations were supposed to be offline,” Xarra shouted at the Karrinean on the screen.

<“I appreciate that,”> the Karrinean said, <“but it’s an automated system designed to respond to any attack quickly. We’re trying to get the shutdown codes logged now. It will take a moment...”>

“That thing’s going to be firing in a moment,” Xarra stormed. “If you think we’re going to stand by and let that happen, you have another think coming. Maldak, tell Senny to take the gloves off! That’s a missile station so they need to destroy any launched projectiles If the platform goes up, so be it!”

<“That is Karrinean property...”> the defence controller told her angrily.

“...Which is about to be battle tested,” Xarra interrupted. “We’ll let the station fire first,” she promised before tapping the line closed. “Who wants to make the line about playing poker against me,” she asked the people on the bridge. “Aww, c’mon,” she implored when no one rose to the bait.

Bartleby turned towards her. “Remind me never to play poker against you, boss,” the Lappinean said gallantly.

“THANK you, Helana,” Xarra said, expressing her gratitude with a flourish.


The children sat around a small section of tables as the attendant came down, serving drinks and snacks that had been pre-arranged and, more importantly pre-paid for as Willa looked out of the window and didn’t understand that she was understanding what Kelvan meant about ‘slowing down and enjoying the view’ whilst Ella was telling Kelvan about how she’d first gotten to know Enzo. The Cagro kid listened intently as the Raitchian girl talked of the time he’d stopped her falling in the safety zone during a battle and how nervous Enzo had been around her in the weeks up to that and, she added quietly, how it was fun to see it repeating itself. Kelvan would have blushed if he’d been able. “I wasn’t that bad,” Enzo protested.

“You were fizzing like bottled pop,” Ella laughed, taking a can of a local soda for herself and a breakfast sandwich as the boys selected goodies for themselves and Willa.

Kelvan nudged her to get her attention and she turned, her pupils sliding naturally wider as they adjusted for the slightly lower light in the carriage. “I, uh, guessed what you’d like,” he said hesitantly, indicating the table.

“Based on what you like, hmm?” she asked with playful curiosity, picking up the can as someone down the way opened theirs into someone elses’ face, drawing a splutter and a reprimand from Mr Jalda. So she decided not to do that.

“Uh, no… No… I, er, mean…”

“You’d better try this first then,” she told him, cracking the drink open and gesturing for him to come closer. “To see if you think I’ll like it.”


And she poured a little into his mouth as the train travelled over a silver grey bridge into the plains of Kesslar. He swallowed and decided he didn’t like it.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Good to know that he tried it and wanted to see what it was like. Better that he didn't spit it out when he realized he DIDN'T like it. Great chapter!

[Welsh Halfwit]

TWENTY-TWO


Postain read the reports the paperlike files the Police had stored with the President to keep him in the loop and was thankful the translator lenses were working properly. They realigned the Jestavanian script and symbols into something that passed for Council general text without the full feeling of the meaning. It gave hints as to this growing organisation hiding in the shadows throughout the colony. They referred to the influence of others eroding their individuality and culture. They wanted their own food stuffs back and this had been bolstered by the slight amount of produce the few ships from the Star Council had brought, winning hearts and minds like, and they used this quote, the aliens had targetted stomachs and muscles. But the Police were investigating and infiltrating certain groups. He sighed and sat up straight. “It’s not happy reading,” he told the President and his Justice secretary.

“There are always those who aren’t happy to have something when others have more,” the secretary said. “What are the chances that an armed cruiser, needing repairs, just happens to have supplies of Ketar grain and Wellflower? The Star Council is playing games. So are the division, which is what we’re calling the splinter force these days. But they get the chance to spread their message to those on the surface who’ll believe their talk as it’s so deeply ingrained in the psyche. The correlation of species, so to speak.”

Postain grunted. “I’ll need to tell the ships to be on alert,” he told them.


“So,” Doctan Tyla said, gesturing to her left so Kelly could see several banks of machines that she did and didn’t recognise, “here’s where a lot of the technology you’ve provided comes to be experimented on. That,” she added, tapping a large piece the Raitchian didn’t recognise, “is a trazermonitor. It registers fluid build ups in the lymphatic systems. We’ve been working on making it a better system with input from Monta and Fawstina tech – the smaller units on either side. They’ve upped the efficiency of the reader thirty percent. Saved about a hundred lives in the last year.”

“Worthwhile, then,” Kelly said, before saying ‘heya’ to a ‘lost’ youth, who’d somehow managed to wander three floors on his journey from the toilet to the Children’s ward.

“Heard we had a Raitchian here from the Rodomont, did you,” Tyla said, kneeling to the youngster.

Kelly couldn’t help notice the slightly longer than usual muzzle the child had, leading to something akin to an overbite and his top half was a good inch past his lower as he said ‘yes’ with an audible lisp. She crouched so he could come in closer. He put his nose tip to hers and breathed as one of the greetings Kohlich had taught her. Apparently it was a greeting the kids grew out of, signifying affection with an adult. He gripped her in a hug for a moment before releasing her and heading off back to the ward. Kelly watched him go. “What’s with his muzzle,” she asked.

“One in a hundred thousand gets born with a muzzle defect,” Tyla said sadly. “Until recently, the treatment was expensive. More than most. Now, though? Tech’s increased enough that the cost is down. Social funds can afford to send us children for muzzle adjustment. We put them out, then remove the top section of the muzzle, shorten it, readjust it and reattach via micro surgery.”

“Sounds painful.”

Tyla cringed. “It is. But it’s needed. Pain for weeks but it grows at the same speed as the other half, meaning top set and bottom set match and he won’t have trouble eating or drinking in his teens.”

“I didn’t know we’d sent you anything capable of doing that,”

Tyla looked at her archly. “We WERE capable of doing surgery before you arrived, you know?” Then she shook her head happily. “But your people’s help has reduced the costs involved.” They stepped into the next ward, half full and served by nurses.


Hadrian and Simone Jak had gotten themselves in with the youngest children from the school as they were invited to tour the gardens of the former President’s palace, which had been used by the U.S.\C. Diplomats for the last two years and he wondered why he wasn’t enjoying it as much as Simone clearly was. Perhaps it was the selection of armed guards who were hiding around the place? Every now and again he’d catch sight of one of them around the outside of his vision as the local guide, a slightly dumpy Karrinean female of above average age and a wit inclined shine in her eye, told the group of the yellow and emerald green plants they were standing next to. He could see Simone hanging on her every word, tapping notes into her padd with a pointer and photographing the plants. All at the same time. Hadrian just wanted to know when they were getting to the Cafe. He noted the youngster from the cargo freighter making a break for freedom and put his hand out to stop him. “We can’t lose you,” he told Talzar as the Celican cub hit his palm with his nose. “Your dad wouldn’t like it.”

“But it’s so boring,” the child stormed, earning himself a look from Simone.

“But plants are very important,” Hadrian said gently. “Without them growing, there wouldn’t be much life.”

“Still boring,” Talzar groused, kicking a stone.

“Wanna see it from up here,” Hadrian asked, pointing to his shoulders.

The boy’s nose twitched, whiskers working up and down as he considered it. “Yeah, ‘K.,” he said eventually.

“I’ll get you up there,” Simone said, putting her hands around his sides, under his arms, and lifting him up so he could flip his legs around the neck of the male Cervidian and holding on to the fake antlers.

“Way high up here,” the boy said, sounding still bored. And smelling a bit stale.


The older group assembled close to the caves they were to visit. The area wasn’t arid, with an underground river hydrating the thin grasslands and the group linked themselves via thin ropes as their guide instructed them before activating their small headlamps and heading into the caves.


Senny opened fire first, flipping over to the real cannons as the weapons station spat its first missile out.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Saying that a ship spat its first missile out kind of doesn't sound like its gonna be powerful enough to get a good hit. But that is just me. Nice work!

[Welsh Halfwit]

And the events I mentioned begin...

TWENTY-THREE

Kelvan tried not to shiver in the thin jumper he’d had to buy at the concession stand before they’d allow him down into the caves and Willa had apologised for not being in the room when this had been brought up so she could have given him his jacket back. He’d ummed and erred and, hesitantly, told her it was good that she’d not been there as she looked better in it than he did and it wasn’t really that much and it bore the legend ‘I’ve been down in the caves’ in Galactic standard. She asked about that and he’d told her it was for the tourist trade apparently.

They’d gone in, holding the handrails, and stopped at the first cavern, where the guide told them about the formation of the golden cavern from local scringestone and Jethryk, which was the light reflecting green elements in the walls that sparkled under the headlamps the children were wearing. Enzo crouched to pick up a small piece of the green and the guide laughed to say it was OK when the Raitchian asked if he could keep it. “There’s a lot of it around here,” the guide breezed, “small samples are permitted. IF you don’t pull them free,” he added quickly as a couple of the group headed to the wall. Kelvan had seen it before, of course. He’d been underground on several worlds and rocks were mainly just rocks. His legs were feeing heavy. Probably the effect of being underground – or even planetside – for the first time in six months.

“Nice colours” Willa said, attracting his attention and almost dazzling her with his headlamp. She didn’t have hers on, of course, her eyes adjusting to their nocturnal version in the half light generated by darkness and fifteen light beams.

“Seen better,” he half grumped. His brain whirred and clicked until he added “but n...never with such nice, um, company.”

He couldn’t see Enzo rolling his eyes at the line.


Senny couldn’t credit it. Three missiles had slipped through the fighter fire and had needed targetting by the Pollock to stop them hitting the cargo ships. She’d have to apologise for that later. As it was, she’d broken the team into two and she was leading the team targetting the missiles as Alpha two through six targetted the launcher itself, pockmarking it with fire. Raicarra had done well on the armour for this one, she reckoned as she demanded an update on shutdown from Maldak. The Quokkan told her ground control was going as fast as they could and Xarra was shouting at them now. Senny jinked aside as a missile came in too close. Her allotted wingman targetted it and devastated it with fire as soon as it was safe. It was important to remember that those who were behind dealt with what had got past so the others didn’t need to turn their backs on the main threat. She fired again as the missiles began to stop coming. A trio more and theu were done. Silence sat across the airwaves. After a moment, Senny spoke. “I think that was a good test,” she said, relief evident in her tone.

<“For us or for the platform,”> Hedwick asked from Alpha 4.

“Both, Heddy. We’d have won, though.” She was slightly impressed by the resilience of the platform though. “Set a course for the barn and prepare for ribbing from the Pollock’s fighter pilots.”

<“Can I...”> Swalli asked.

“No, you’re NOT allowed to hit them, Swalli,” Senny instructed the feisty Mican. “Especially not where YOU hit people!”

She could swear she could hear the male pilots cross their legs.


The garden visitors had been permitted into the main building now, where, in an internal garden, plants from other worlds were being studied for potential perils to Karrin and benefits. Plants Simone knew as Lysinnian Racers and Jewel Polstatas, so named because of their blue, translucent, leaves with the structure of aluminium, grew alongside native plants with the view to seeing if they could cross pollinate and how each plant affected the soil when together. It was, they stressed, important work.

Almost as important to Hadrian as making sure the Celican boy didn’t escape his grip. But he couldn’t relax. Not because he had the legs of a mini predator around his neck No. Something was tingling in the corner of his mind, sparkling in the corner of his eye. Perhaps he was just getting paranoid in his ol… in his middle age. Perhaps not. “Simone,” he asked as they headed to the cafeteria, “can you take this?” So saying, he lifted the bot from his shoulders to hers. “I need to visit the toilet. Back now.”

“Um, right,” Simone said as the boy looked in vain for something he could use to control the doe. “But… the toilets are that way,” she said, indicating the clearly marked bathrooms.


“Nothing from the relay we dropped off,” Xarra asked Maldak as she waited for the update from Postain on the surface. She’d not spoken to him since he went down as it wasn’t entirely prudent to interrupt a senior Officer when they were having a meeting with a president. The assumption was that he’d contact them if needed and any updates of importance to the president would be relayed direct to the Captain anyhow. So she dealt with the minutia.

“Nothing as of yet,” the Quokkan remarked. “At this range it might be a bit ‘hit and hope’.”

“Any warning’s better than none, Dear Cherry.”

Maldak winced. She’d gotten that nickname a few months back, when trying the ‘flip a fruit’ gag in the Starwheel. It had gone straight into her eye and made her a small time legend. She was about to respond when Postain called and asked to speak to Xarra in his office.


She listened to him talk over the comms from the Presidential Office and mused simply. “Are our people in danger,” she asked.

<“The Karrineans say not but I’d rather we were careful. Double the inspections on shipments up from the planet and restrict movements on the planet. No parties beyond the needed down on the ground.”>

“And the ones on the ground now,” Xarra asked.

<“Bring them back up,”>


The Karrinean staff member in the embassy readied himself. He knew there was, probably, no way out for him after this but he’d had his concerns about the way things were going and he was constantly ignored until the guys had come to tell him they were thinking the same thing and they could do something about it and he could help them and he could strike a blow and he didn’t need to harm the children, just the adults with them and he pulled his weapon and…

...got hit in the back of the head by Hadrian Jak before he could step into the clear. The punch was of sufficient power to knock him spark out and Hadrian found himself surrounded by armed guards before he pointed down. “Is he authorised to pull that weapon on schoolkids,” he asked.


Kelvan’s ears pricked up. Something was sounding through the caverns as they got closer to the underground river. Something… “Look out,” he called as part of the roof fell in on them.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Hope they won't get trapped in the cavern. When they start to collapse like that it usually isn't a good sign.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Again, explosions lead to a no chat episode.

TWENTY-FOUR


Kelvan coughed silently, his ears filled with bells He had no sense of anything beyond bewilderment right now. His nose was full of dust and smoke and blood and his eyes were jammed tight. He could feel someone soft and yielding with his hand but he wasn’t quite sure what it was . Did he have something on his head? He tested to see if the light was on. Something lit the dust in his eyes as a dim blur knelt next to him. He wondered what it was until the figure lifted Kelvan’s hands and put them to its face. Smooth, Porcine type skin, headfur, a silly little n… oh, it must be Robert, the class Human. He blinked repeatedly to try and get the muck from his eyes. They stung and the added water helped clean things and he could make out the boy’s face. He seemed to be mouthing something. The translators weren’t working due to the overloaded ears but he’d read Frank’s lips often enough to work out the boy was asking if he was OK. Kelvan sent test messages down to his legs and tail. Yeah. All seemed AOK. He said yes, knowing Roberts’ inferior ears might not have been so deafened by the collapse and pulled himself up to his knees. As Robert checked on others, Kelvan pulled himself around, painfully, to treat Willa.


She blinked up at him, her face still in shock as he tried to get her to focus on him. Remembering the training Raspberry had given him so he ran his hands gently but firmly over her body to check for wounds and bits that went in too far. She reacted and slapped his hand as it moved over her thigh. She looked him straight in the eye and tried asking him what had happened. But he couldn’t understand her. He’d not learned feline. He sat her up and felt the wet smear of blood to the back of her head. She scowled slightly at the feeling and he asked her if she could move, trying to focus her eyes on him. He didn’t want to look around. He was almost certain he’d lost some new friends today. The sense of smell was returning, his breathing having expelled some of the dust and dirt from the nasal canals. He was rather wishing it hadn’t. He could almost make out what she was saying. He could certainly see the tears in her eyes so he told her to be brave and gave her a hug that she returned and forced himself to stand up. He could see Enzo and Ella moving about so he just greeted them and headed for some of the ones who weren’t moving easily or at all. He did the checks Raspberry had taught him but wasn’t sure of getting it right. In the case of Mr Jalda, he was hopeful he’d gotten it wrong. In some cases, he knew he hadn’t. Sevencases, he reasoned. He felt like being sick. In fact he was going to be. He retched behind a rock, trying not to notice it mingling with the red from the victim.


Xarra paced the bridge as she waited for responses from the ground teams in response to the recall and fretted. Jak had reported in that he’d stopped an attack on the group in the gardens. Cobalt was, apparently, safe in the hospital but there had been nothing from the caves group. Bartleby had reminded her that direct contact was unlikely due to the scattering effect so the Mican had ordered Bartleby to get onto the satellites and take an actual look and the Lappinean had taken most of the last moment to work out which satellite was in range and tap into its scanners.


The ground looked almost peaceful to the camera, with the exception of the Karrinean running to one of the communication cabinets they’d had to install for the tourists to call out of. Another was running, with a small box, towards the cave mouth and Xarra ordered Bartleby to zoom in on the cave mouth. Bartleby bit back the response that the satellite wasn’t a zooming microscope and focussed tightly on the entryway. The image wasn’t as sharp as it could have been, masking the spilling dust with dustiness and fizz as Maldak told Xarra that she was listening in at the other end of the call. And they needed to call the Captain. Immediately.


Eight gone, Kelvan noted, including Mr Jalda and the guide. Six more injured. There was crying and moaning and people moaning and some pulling at the rockfall that was blocking the way back and… He ran across to the Canine called Harrik, trying to dig through the fallen and pulled him back before another fall came down on his head. He looked up and pointed. The roof clearly wasn’t stable, he mouthed, noting the still stunned effect on his face. The bewilderment in his eyes. He still couldn’t hear well and Harrik had been closer to it. He pointed towards the middle of the small cavern and, sensing the message wasn’t getting through, pulled the Canine behind him. He could feel the boy struggling until a sudden jerk flowed down his arm from where Willa had slapped the boy across the muzzle. She pointed up to the ceiling and imitated a rockfall on his head, shouting at his stupidity before pointing to where a Lappinean lay under rubble, unmoving. Finally she pointed back to the entrance and swept her hands across each other and back again the tell him ‘no way’! Kelvan had to admire her diplomacy.


Senny was going. She wasn’t allowing any discussion. She was going with Harmony and she was going NOW. Harmony had raised concerns about the scattering field but her mate had simply replied that only affected things over one hundred feet and she could easily handle that. They got to the shuttle bay to find Doctor Flakk and a nurse waiting for them. The Wolven just told them he WAS going and had almost had to break Doctor Jul to stop him coming so don’t argue. Senny had decided she wasn’t going to bother. She didn’t want to be mauled by the guy she’d need to save her life after being mauled. So he was in. Kerri zipped in with a sensor kit before anyone could stop her and strapped herself in before anyone could order her out and looked innocently at them as they thought of things to say. Two more engineers appeared with equipment and Senny sighed, readjusting for the weight as she took up the pilot’s seat. Flakk took the co-pilots seat and reminded her he’d had to fly several missions back in his militia days. None of which he could tell her about. Senny cleared the departure with control and took the shuttle from the hangar, shifting it down towards the planets’ surface, some two hundred miles from the caves.


Enzo and Ella checked the guides’ pockets for maps or padds or anything that could lead the children to a new exit. They’d allowed Kelvan to make a few decisions as he seemed to have his head on straight as one Celican had said. He’d assigned a couple to gathering together any food people had brought and water. Three more groups, all containing at least one who had lower light vision had been asked to scout ahead slightly to see if there was another way out as they couldn’t rely on rescue any time soon. Willa and some of the others were doing their best to do triage or just bandage open wounds. He looked up. It seemed pretty stable. It had been a bomb, he knew that. Well, a bomb or some sort of natural blast and, frankly, there was nothing here that could have caused a natural blast. But what did worry him was the sound he could hear when he stood closer to the exit he’d sent three teams through. One of the teams came back, a Celican vixen called Holliper and a Mican male called Hally.


They said they’d found the river, the way they went. And there had been another fall, blocking it off. Kelvan wondered if that could end up flooding this cavern...

[Amazee Dayzee]

Not having any dialogue in a chapter like this just hammers home how serious the situation is and that they all have to focus on getting out of the situation! I was on the edge of my seat for most of this!

[Welsh Halfwit]

There is power in Harmony...

TWENTY-FIVE

Frank headed back from the tiny bridge, with Charlie following him. “I want to go with you,” she said. “I need to be down there so…”

Frank turned and took his wife by the shoulders. “I know you want to be there, love. But there’s not much can be done. Cassius has the caving experience and I’ve been down one or two myself. We need you here, love. Take charge. Watch over Talitha. We’ll bring him back. I promise.”

“But I…”

“He’ll know. And I know you’ll be watching.” Frank stepped into the teleport room and asked his bride to send him down to where Cassius was waiting with his climbing picks and anti gravity belts.

She swallowed hard and returned to the bridge, where she took the command chair, Raspberry overseeing the release of the second cargo container. Osser kept her eyes on the screen. “I, er, hope he’s fine,” the Feline said.

“If he’s not,” Charlie replied, “there’ll be hell to pay.”


Frank arrived on the ground near to where Cassius had arrived. In fact on the exact spot the muscled Mican had arrived, which was why he’d taken several steps forward to be loading his equipment onto the response shuttle the Karrineans were sending. The Mican tossed a belt over to his Human Captain. “Have these been checked recently,” he asked, putting it around his waist and attaching it to his trouser loops.

“Three months ago,” Cassius told him straight. “Battery has about thirty minute charge.”

Frank grimaced. “Remind me to buy new batteries,” he stated, sitting in the shuttle.

Cassius didn’t think it the right time to mention he’d reminded him about that last month and sat next to the guy he knew.


Senny’s shuttle swept across the plain, following the train line, for the most part, as her passengers talked through what they were planning to do. “We need to find a way in there,” Flakk told them, not phrasing it as a question. “No matter how tight it is. If we have an entry point, I can go in and assess the situation. Appleby… The TELEPATHIC Appleby can lock on to the sur...children and get a sitrep from them…”

“Won’t be pleasant but it’s what I’m here for,” Harmony agreed.

“And direct them to us if possible. Levan and I’ll go down any entrance we find. If they get too tight, Levan can go through with supplies.”

“Andthenwhat,” Kerri gabbled.

“You use the teleport bands,” Senny told them, after a few seconds of silence indicated no-one had an answer. Why do you think we brought THIS shuttle?” She thumbed over her shoulder at one of the two cubicles at the back. One was labelled ‘W.C’ and the other ‘T.P.’


Kelvan looked up. The others had come back without any real tales of success as he felt the water rising. One of the headsets had flickered and died in the edge of his vision. But Marrick had mooted a decent idea so they’d gone down to the first chamber that split into two directions. It was cooler down here. Wetter in the air as the river continued to struggle against the half constructed dam. Or was that all in his mind? Just to be sure, they’d made the pile of burnable things from the pockets of everyone just inside the tunnel that didn’t head to the river and the dour Celican knelt over it, bashing together two heads of rock to produce sparks. There was a small group behind them, including Willa, who handed Kelvan something. He blinked at it. A piece of stalactite with a shirt wrapped tight around it. Her shirt, he guessed as he noted she’d closed his jacket for the first time. And she’d used that alcohol they’d found in Mr Jalda’s pocket that they would never admit finding in his pocket if anyone asked. The Celican growled as the latest attempt refused to strike and, as though scared by the sound, a small flame started flickering from the pile of rubbish. Kelvan wondered who’d thought to bring five paper planes from the schoolroom? A quiet hero, possibly? “Let’s test this out,” he said as the flames grew steadily. He lowered the ersatz torch into the flame until it took and he lifted it up, adding the light to the cavern and making the rocks sparkle. The flame twisted and flickered and Kelvan watched. “Where there’s a wind,” he said, grinning to Marrick as the boy looked up at him.

“There’s a way,” Marrick finished grimly, nodding. “You leading on?”

“Suppose I’d better,” Kelvan agreed as the group moved on, some helping those who couldn’t do it themselves. Enzo and Ella were both carrying friends on their shoulders, trying not to gag at the wrapped wounds on their passengers legs. It wasn’t going to be easy but they were going to do it. They followed Kelvan on his way up the slope.


The shuttle settled down in the landing zone and Senny let the group out, Flakk leading to take control of the people already there as Harmony looked out on the Karrineans assembled and fretting before sauntering out to join the team. “I’m Harmony Appleby,” she stated to the officer who’d thought he was in charge until Flakk had told him he wasn’t. She offered a hand, which he accepted.

“What is it you do,” he asked.

Appleby grinned. She always liked this bit. “Well,” she said, I’m the one going to make contact with the trapped people. I’m a telepath, see, Andix. And, judging from what you’ve seen, I agree it’s an attack.”

He gaped at her, questions swirling in his mind before he closed them down. He’d heard rumours the aliens had a handful of telepaths. “That,” he grimaced as he pulled his hand back, “was a very intrusive demonstration,”

“I needed to prove the point quickly,” she admitted. “Before Flakk figures out what I already know.”

“What’s that?”

“That he’s walking past the Karrinean who set the bombs. He’s running through it in his memory now.”

“We can’t arrest him on a telepathic say so. Telepaths have no legitimacy in our courts.”

“No,” she admitted, “but I bet he knows any routes that are still safe..?” She raised her voice to attract the foul mooded medics’ attention. “Means we need him alive, Doctor!”

She nodded to the target as Flakk’s eyes snapped to target and he rugby tackled the running Jestavanian.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Hopefully it wasn't TOO rough of a rugby tackle that Flakk gave him. Yeah you do need him alive but they would be more open to helping if you don't manhandle them. LOL Great chapter!

[Welsh Halfwit]

TWENTY-SIX


Harmony stepped towards the cave face as the Karrineans took the suspect away from the restrained Doctor Flakk. Behind her, Kerri hurried up with a map that was almost as big as she was and laid it out on the ground. “Don’t they have three dimensional maps,” she asked.

“Notinportablemode,” her friend told her, gabbling at full speed as she knew Harmony could understand her. “Needacomputerspecialist tomarrythetwosystems.”

Harmony put her hands on her hips. “And why’s that not been done in the last year?”

Kerri smirked up at her, her lip showing a smile her heart didn’t feel. “Notapriority.”

Harmony nodded sadly, understanding the situation. She knew this was going to be hard. All she had now were two dimensional maps of the levels to guide her to guide them. She asked one of the few local guides available to mark the exits on the map. The female knelt and put in two marks on the ground level and indicated the group had last been seen two levels down in the caves. This was REALLY going to be hard, Harmony thought as Senny tossed her something she was just beginning to think she’d left at home. The Erminian grinned. “Read my mind, Senny.”

“I KNEW you’d forget it, Harm,” the Castoran replied as Harmony hooked the telepathic amplifier over her left ear. “Right,” Senny called loudly, “she needs silence for this so shut your holes a moment!”

“Say that louder and you could cause a cave in,” Harmony reprimanded lightly as Kerri showed the map and the marks to Flakk. She pointed at one and the Doctor nodded, keeping quiet as if he were hunting. Harmony sat on the ground and reached out. Looking… Looking…


Enzo was feeling tired. They were definitely heading upwards, his knees could feel it and he whistled to keep his cargo awake. “I’m still here,” the Lappinean Doe said. “Just about.” She shifted the leg slightly and winced. “Still can’t move the leg,” she complained. “You sure you can’t take the shard out,”

“Summat taught me by Martin,” Enzo replied. “Uh, Doctor Jul,” he added, in case she didn’t know who ‘Martin’ was. “Unless you can close the wound, leave what’s in there in there. It’s not good but it’s plugging the wound it made.”

“Ow…”

“Keep your spirits up, Maddie,” He knew that would keep her awake. She was fond of the full length version of her name, Madelyne, and resisted attempts to shorten it.

She leaned over, bending so she was practically face to face, shining her light directly at his mouth and chin. “I’ll let that pass for now, Enzollic,” she smiled, before painfully pulling herself up again.

<“Should I tell Ella about those thoughts,”> a new voice that Enzo thought he knew cut in.

It wasn’t totally clear but it was enough to make him jump. “Did… Did you hear that?” he asked, getting nervous looks from those around him and one or two whimpers from those who thought the roof was coming down.

“There’s nothing,” Ella said quickly, glancing about.

“No it’s… something else,” Enzo replied. Something… speaking in my head.”

<“Put it together, Enzo Carvalho,”> the voice chided. <“I’m a telepath...”>

“It’s Mrs Appleby,” Enzo called out.


Kelvan sensed the relief of the group and wondered what was so special about this person so he asked Willa. “She’s a telepath,” Willa told him. “And an Agent.” She shrugged. “Some other things too but they’re not important right now. It does mean there’s help above.” She took his hand and smiled broadly as he smiled awkwardly at her. She wanted to reach up and kiss him in relief but, with all the others watching, it might not be the best time. She was just about to say something when, with everyone watching the conduit called Enzo, Kelvan swiftly gave her a kiss on the mouth before pulling back away and looking embarrassed.

“Uh,” he said awkwardly. “Sorry…”

“For what,” Willa answered confidently.


“OK,” Enzo relayed, “Mrs Appleby says she thinks we’re on the course to meet with Doctor Flakk and Mrs Levan from what I described…” He ignored someone questioning his sense of direction and continued. “...they’re coming in with medical kits and teleport boosters. Mrs Appleby… the Other Mrs Appleby brought them down in the escape shuttle so they don’t have a signal problem in the atmosphere. She says we need to take the left passage in the next cavern.”

Kelvan led the way and ran his lamp across the gem lit space. He couldn’t see a second exit. There was one but there was no way it could have been called ‘to the left. “Are you sure…” he started, before Willa pointed to an exit about ten feet up in the left wall. “Oh. Right.” He swallowed. How were they going to get up there?


It was quite easy really. There were handholds. Kelvan and the Equinna female climbed with the worst of the wounded over their shoulders as Enzo brought back a Mican who’d stopped breathing in the passage at the top. Kelvan huffed as he shrugged his passenger into waiting hands.


Frank led the group out of the rescue shuttle and headed for the IOC agent he could see just standing there and, seemingly, doing nothing. Senny stepped between them. “Where do you think you’re going,” she asked.

“My boy’s down there,” he replied hotly, “and I want to know what’s going on!”

Senny held her hands up. “A rescue team armed with teleport boosters has gone in,” she told the heated human. “Harmony there is in contact with the children and directing them to intercept.”

Frank flashed a look between Harmony and Senny and back again. “How can she be..?”

“Telepath,” Senny interrupted. “Which one’s yours?”

“Kelvan. He’s a Raitchian…” Frank still couldn’t quite credit this. He still couldn’t quite trust…

“Ah. Harmony’s mentioned him. Seems he’s kinda taken leadership of the group.” Frank smiled, a little mollified. Kelvan would, he assumed. “They’re deferring to his experience,” Senny added.

“Good job they don’t know he’s only ever been in one cave as long as I’ve known him. Cassius and myself are the cavers in the crew. We’ll be ready to assist.”


“How’s Pillar,” Kelvan asked Enzo as the Mican Pillar lay flat on the passage floor.

“We need help,” Enzo said as his light battery died, joining five of the others in extinction. “His side is all soft.” Enzo swallowed. “I hope Flakk gets here soon.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

This is definitely a really fraught chapter you have posted! Can't wait for the next part!

[Welsh Halfwit]

TWENTY-SEVEN


It was tighter now, the passage barely wider and higher than a decent sized adult on their knees but the youngsters weren’t thinking on how this made the route more exclusive. It just made them feel more trapped. Three of them had to be pushed through their claustrophobia, which hadn’t been so bad in the caverns but was making them just a little frozen right now and Kelvan had one attached to the other end of his rope, pulling her through smoothly whilst trying to encourage her with his words. It wasn’t exactly huge here but it was better and he wanted her through as a handful of others were waiting to come through. “C’mon,” he huffed, gritting his teeth as he strained to pull her through. “You’re… doing great.”

“I...I’m trapped,” the voice said, almost crying.

“No, you’re not,” Kelvan urged. “I just came through and I’m bigger and uglier than you. You got this Kassandra. An’ I’ve got you.”

Behind him, Enzo was saying nothing. He was trying to get an update on Flakk from Harmony but she wasn’t exactly being forthcoming. <“What do you think I am,”> she told him, <“a multi-channel walkie-talkie?”>

Kelvan wondered why Enzo was chuckling as he pulled Kassandra free, the Canine practically falling on him with relief and licking his face before getting off him. “We’ll need to move back,” he told them before calling for the next to come through. He replied to whoever it was who called and stayed where he was whilst Enzo helped Kassandra back. A Mican came through and Kelvan wondered about the absurdity of it. “You sure you’re up to it,” he asked the male.

He shrugged. “She’s my girlfriend.”

Kelvan shook his head. “Gotta love multi-culturalism.” He took the rope and, with the Mican pulled. His girlfriend wasn’t able to use her hands and knees to crawl through the opening. She was too tall for that so the pair of them joined their strength and pulled the Equinna through the passage a few feet at a time. They tried to go backwards but there wasn’t much to grip on. Their booted feet slipped in the dust with minimal traction as the Equinna wriggled her way forward like a snake “I’m… booking… weights after… this,” Kelvan strained, gritting his teeth against the effort with strength enough that he snapped off sections of his upper teeth by pure effort. This was…


… a lot easier now a third pair of hands had joined the hauling. Big hands. Strong hands. Wolf hands that increased their pulling exponentially. “So I hear you’re Kelvan,” Flakk said, not out of breath as Dori came through without much effort.

“Y...yes, sir,” Kelvan said, defaulting to politeness.

“Good. You’ve done well. Back into the cavern with you. And her.” He leaned towards the passage. “This is Doctor Flakk,” he said. “Come on at your best speed.”


“Flakk and Levan have found them,” Harmony told the assembled adults, drawing a large sigh from Frank, who was obviously worried about Kelvan, and Cassius, who, although worried about Kelvan, had also been looking forward to going underground. “He’ll get them into the cavern and triage there, then have them tp’ed to…” She pointed to where Senny was completing the last bit of work on a technical pad device she and the two engineers had brought from the shuttle. “...that teleport pad for the nurse to deal with the wounded. It’s a…”

Frank pointed a finger. “DON’T say it!”

“Right,” Harmony nodded, realising she’d almost jinxed it.


Postain stormed around the President’s security office as he waited on updates on interrogations and updates from the caves. The Karrineans were doing all they could, considering the irregular nature of the events but at least Jak had caught that one… Postain had the words for him but tried not to think them when in a President’s palace. The one Jak had caught had, technically, been on U.S.C. property so, even though they’d have to hand him over to the Karrinean authorities before long, Yarkin was extracting all the information they’d need to strike back. He just wished she’d call. Or someone would from the…

“One of my people’s just reported in from the caves,” Security minister Greeve told him, interrupting his thoughts. “I’m afraid the toll is seven, including five of your children.”

Postain visibly sagged as though deflated. It only lasted a moment though. “When this is done,” he growled, “the U.S.C. wants in on the investigation. NO arguments,” he stipulated, sensing the minister was about to argue. “Those are OUR children dead out there,” he stormed, before seeming to lose control of the direction of thoughts. “My… my people…”

“You’ll be involved,” the Minister stated. “I understand you have an investigator amongst your number for one thing?”


The first of the youngsters arrived on the pad. They were sending the worst of the wounded first. A Lappinean girl and a Canine male. Frank didn’t know either of them. And a thought had struck him. He sidled up to Cassius. “Do me a favour, would you,” he said, keeping his voice low.

“Sure, Frank,” the Mican replied. “What’s up?”

“My paranoia. Look at this lot. All the medics, engineers and the like.”

“Aye?”

“You know what Henry Postlethwaite used to call a set up like this?”

“No?”

“The secondary target. Go check for devices.”

“If I find any?”

“Analyse, deactivate or raise the alarm. Your choice.” He patted the Mican on the shoulder and the figure headed off to have a look at the medical shuttle that hadarrived slightly after them as the Nurse called Frank over. The Lappinean girl with the broken leg sniffed up at him. “Cap...Captain Carby,” she questioned.

“That’s me, yeah. You OK?”

She sniffed again. A watery smile appeared. “I..will be. Thanks to Enzo and… and your son. He…” She sobbed again. “He helped us, um… keep it together…”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Frank said warmly. “Now, you take whatever medicine the nurse gives you, OK?” He took her hand as she agreed reluctantly and gave it a squeeze for thank you before releasing it. The last of the group was arriving now and… “Kelvan,” he called, running forward as his boy and a Feline female appeared. He swept the boy up into his arms and gave him the happiest of hugs, kissing his cheek as he swung him around.

Kelvan laughed, and not with total embarrassment as he spun around. Willa watched with the cutest face possible as Frank slowed the spin, Kelvan’s heart beating hard. He made a choice. “Heh, calm down dad,” he said, returning the cheek kiss and hug. “You’ll embarrass me in front of Willa.” He nodded to the smiling girl. “My girlfriend.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

The end of the chapter was really adorable! I love the way that it came out!

[Welsh Halfwit]

TWENTY-EIGHT

Frank listened as the relay station sent his words along to the ground station and up to the ship, where Charlie was on the other end. It took thirty seconds delay each way and, frankly, it was beginning to irritate him. “Yes,” he repeated, “he’s OK. Enzo’s OK too.” He smiled, wrinkling his moustache at the reaction he knew this was going to get. “Their girlfriends are both fine too.” He waited, counting down, until he pulled the receiver away from his inconveniently positioned ear as Charlie’s voice could be heard clearly through the crackle. “Yes,” he said eventually, “yes. You can run your eye over her later, now they’re going to get checked out at the main colony hospital. We’re going with, love. I’ll call you from there.” He waited until she’d almost got ready to hang up before he added ‘after I find out why she’s only wearing his jacket’ and hung up.

“You think she heard that,” Cassius said, standing almost too close as the Human turned around. He was carrying a smallbox with some of his tools in it. He gently placed the box on a flat rock. “Found something on the base of the police rescue shuttle,” he stated, indicating the box. “Near the fuel feed.”

“The Police shuttle,” Frank replied, wondering where the Police were. A local pair had shown up but there had been no rescue shu… His eyebrows went up in a way that had always fascinated Cassius. “Do you mean the Rescue shuttle WE were in?”

“That’s the one, Frank.” He stopped to look around at the gathered Karrineans. “Means there’s one of these people more hostile to us than most.”

“I take it it’s in there,” Frank guessed, pointing at the kit. Cassius opened it to reveal a small device with a glowing tip that Frank really wished he’d not seen. “That box IS Duralineum, isn’t it?” He seemed to recall Cassius telling him it was made of the extremely resilient material. He’d made reference that everyone seemed to have their expensive and rare item aboard ship – Charlie’s buttons, his box, Hayseeds spatula for example. He’d asked what he had in exasperation. Cassius had simply replied ‘the ship’.

“Yeah, this is the stuff.” Cassius closed the box. “How do we work out who planted it?”


Yarkin was ready. She’d brought three of her other security officers as Jak kinda stood out on operations like this but, with enough clothing on, Felines and Brockians could pass as Jestavanians – well, she could when wearing glasses, a scarf and other things that indicated you were a tropic dweller visiting the polar regions but the others were close enough that they were engaged in the usual conversation the guards had had with Kohlich over distant origin for months. Right now they were watching a house in the suburbs of the colonial capital.


Forbury was directing a surveillance drone through a remote control to the interest of the Jestavanians, who’d rarely seen a device so small. It didn’t need much for computing space as the recording was done at the handset. It was just a microphone and camera with a tiny engine. “Don’t let it get too close,” one of the Karrineans had told her.

“Why not,” she asked the one who seemed to be wanting to ask her out.

He nodded ‘no’. “We don’t have any insects look like that,” he effused.


The bug settled on a case, high up in the room Jaks prisoner had told them about and turned about on its axis (and six legs) to take in the room as a couple of Karrineans rushed around, obviously making plans to leave in case of being raided. The audio picked up their heated conversations about Falva being a blasted idiot and being so flipping stupid as to target children and Forbury reasoned the language filters must be switched on in her translation engrams. She wondered what they were really saying as the Karrinean commander orchestrated his troops, mostly Karrineans with children for ‘some reason’, into place and Yarkin joined them with Officer Yenta for the pile in by the side door, Forbury hanging back with her guard to watch the bug.


Forbury heard someone call out ‘spotter’, referring to one of the other nearby homes and the team rushed their entrance as the group inside, now three in number, drew weapons that she called in to the others. “You’re quite efficient,” the Karrinean told her, watching the screen as the combined team entered, The three inside took cover one of them a few seconds too late, as Forbury kept a wary eye on her guards’ weapon. It was holstered, she reasoned, but unsecured. Ready for a quick draw? She made a note to ready hers as… His hand went for the weapon and she pushed herself aside, out of the shot as it fizzed through the air and impacted a Karrinean who’d come out of a house firing. The guards bolt hit him centre mass, the more than solid impact throwing him over in a death roll as the first of his shots half blinded Forbury with a closeness the told of hitting. So did the burning and smelling. It had hit the guard in the thigh and he was falling over. The Brockian caught him and put him gently to the ground as she called ‘officer down’ into her comm. “We need an ambulance!”


Willa sat up in the bed she’d been made to lie on in the ambulance shuttle and complained that it really wasn’t that bad. “Just a minor bump,” she said, talking of the small bleeder she’d had at the beginning of the incident.

“We’ll be the judge of that,” the medic told her kindly, allowing the alien to sit up as he couldn’t be bothered to push her back down. She was only one of the charges right now anyhow, in a shuttle occupied by the walking wounded a Jestavanian medical pilot and medic and a Human who’d insisted in coming along as a chaperone. The Alien’s Doctor was in the other shuttle, watching over the worst couple.

“Let them do their job, Willa,” Frank said, sitting down beside her. “Although I begin to see what Kelvan sees in you.” A wry smile and a wink piqued her curiosity and twitched her whiskers. “You’re as determined as he is!”

She chuckled and coughed. “Have… Have my parents been told?”

Frank nodded and remembering what he’d just done by looking at the shocked expression on the Karrinean face, spoke. “Yes. Xarra told everyone. They’ll be there when we get to the hospital.”

“So… so will..?” She looked up and he could see the crumpling going on inside the girl as she imagined the faces on the parents of those who wouldn’t be coming back from this day out. He lacked the words so he did what he could, enveloping her in a hug as she cried onto his shoulder, letting the pain out.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I think after this they need to stop doing events for kids. Especially if it ends up as bad as this one did.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Well, no-one expects a bombing campaign.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Is capital punishment a thing in this universe? I can't remember. Whoever did this needs to pay with their lives.

[Harry Johnathan]

Well, no-one expects a bombing campaign.

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[Welsh Halfwit]

Kohlich gets centre stage...

TWENTY-NINE

Greedan looked up from the sensor scanner and blinked as he looked at the resolution and sharpness displays. He adjusted them downwards and cursed himself for not remembering his eyes were sharper now. He’d almost hurt his optics, looking at something so sharp it was like lasers in the sun. He’d almost sneezed, something he didn’t think would go over too well. The feed showed the southern pole of Karrin, with heat traces and refraction rates showing the minerals and peoples in a twenty mile radius. He thought to himself that there was a good seam of Jethryk some fifty metres down, about five miles away from where the Karrineans had made their camp. He turned on the holographic keyboard with his gauntleted hand and made the notation as to locations before he moved the ground penetration sensors to another location. He tutted and cursed himself again as he almost missed a thin blue line of Iron in his haste to move. His mind wasn’t on it, he knew that. He looked up from the sensor again and used his free hand to pick up a sealed soda cup with a straw attachment. He sipped some of the Bakkaberry torte flavoured smoothie and glanced over to where Darren was poring over the reports. “Darren,” he asked.

Darren Levan looked over to his new subordinate. “Yeah, Greedan?”

“Why are we doing this?” Greedan raised his hands in frustration, realised he was still wearing the response gauntlet, took it off and raised his hands again. “I mean there’s more important things we could be doing, yeah? Kids in trouble and all that?”

“There’s nothing we can do about them except hope, Greedan,” Darren told him heavily. “There’s some sort of refractive element in the atmosphere – or, more likely, in the surrounding mountains that casts off scans and renders them totally inaccurate.” He put his feet to the floor as Greedan sipped his drink again. “It’s probably a smog effect stops it dissipating. That was where polluted air was kept close to the ground by…”

“...weather systems higher up,” Greedan acknowledged, appreciating the simile which made some sense, although they’d never be able to prove it.

“Exactly,” Darren said, pointing a finger happily at someone who seemed to possess much the same personality as he did. Perhaps it was the fact they weren’t entirely Celican, just like him? “Anyhow, the Karrineans don’t have any satellites scanning their polar region but they’re looking for new sources of minerals so we’re giving them a hand.”

Greedan kept his own counsel at that. He’d raised the futility of digging out their own minerals from their own planet and how that just used up natural resources to the chief of the Science department and Tavin had told him to shut up and reminded him, rather forcibly, that the Karrineans didn’t have much of a space bourne capability yet and, even though she hadn’t asked him if he’d understood how stupid he’d been to put his opinion forward, he’d felt like she had. He’d had to keep his temper but Darren had helped, warning him she was like that with him half the time.


Maldak listened in to the emergency reports from the surface. She couldn’t help herself. It was crushing her but she felt a duty to do it. Markus Waller. Utina Kettering. Willow Daystrom, Inrik Sayle… oh, gods. It had been less than a year since Lieutenant Sayle’s parents had died and his younger brother had come to the ship. Gella Yeevan. Patric Deene. Teela Novan. Kavin Jalda…

“Stop it, Martina,” Xarra said, dragging the Quokkans’ attention from the morbid enterprise. The quokkan glanced around uneasily. “I know what you’re doing,” the Mican informed her, the haunted look on her face telling Maldak that she’d been doing exactly the same thing. “It won’t help. I promise you. The only thing we can do for now is our job. Focus on that.”

“But… seven children…”

“I know,” Xarra said with a sigh. “The ones who survived will need us. To talk to. To confide in. To convince them that life goes on.” Xarra stepped across to the station and looked Maldak in the eye. “I know it’s hard,” she told her. “but we need to do it, ‘Kay?” She squeezed Maldak’s shoulder and turned back after Maldak nodded sadly. She hadn’t told her it was going to get worse before it got better. “Any reports from Yarkin or the Captain,” she added, looking to distract the comms officer.

“Yarkin’s through to say their operation was successful. They caught two and killed one. One of the Karrineans was wounded. The Captain and the President are going direct to the hospital.”


Downstairs, Jak let someone in through security to visit the brig, before he sat back behind his desk and watched the interaction over the monitor. The figure approached the cell the Cadan was still in, awaiting transport to the surface. He looked up as the figure approached. “Lieutenant Kohlich,” the Cadan spat. “The deserter appears.”

“Deputy Chief Engineer now,” Kohlich replied calmly. “I have the uniform to prove it.” He stopped walking and studied the figure in front of him. “So we were on the same side during the early stages, were we? Be interesting to confirm that for the Captain. I wonder if we met.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” the prisoner retorted, considering this interaction might be an interrogation.

“Those Karrin for the Karrineans,” Kohlich told him. “Do you know where any of them are? Any way to contact them? Because things have gone to a dangerous level down there.”

“Good,” the Cadan retorted. “The more unwelcome YOU feel the better! When the backing of these aliens goes away, we’ll have our colony back!”

“It’s not your colony,” Kohlich replied calmly. “And their two attacks were both aimed at parties of children. One of the security here was on the one tour group and prevented a gunman in a junior school scenario,” he added as he saw the flicker of interest and unease in the Cadan’s face. “The other group wasn’t so lucky. Bombs in a historical cave system,” he said, his tone tightening. “Seven children, their teacher and the guide dead, Cadan.” He leered closer. “Are those tactics you admire? Are those targets you can tolerate? Are you going to rest easy knowing these people are out there, looking to do this again?”

“This is war,” the Cadan interrupted.

“THESE ARE NOT THE WAYS OF WAR,” Kohlich exploded angrily, getting the full attention of all the others in their cells, watching the pair. “These are not the weapons of warriors! My stars, sir, attacking children without mercy! How can you sit there, wearing that uniform and argue that there is any honour in their actions? I remember when I had to put that same uniform as you on! And I did it because we were the attacked! We were defending our people against those who would do them harm! Against those who killed without honour and the selling point of the Star Council was just that. With. Honour. It was written on every poster, highlighted in every vid.” He leaned in closer to the energy field that kept the Cadan inside. “It was the promise on every lip. We would be better than them. We would NOT attack civilians. We would not be dishonourable because victory without honour is what..?” He waited for the Cadan to reply. “TELL ME,” he yelled as he got no reply.

“Victory without honour,” one of the other cells said, “is defeat by another name.” Kohlich waled over to where an older Jestavanian sat on his bed, head held low. “We’ve fallen in our promises during the war,” he said heavily. “Lost too much to have our honour intact. It’s too easy to just shout ‘honour is all’ and mean it whilst arranging assassinations and civil disorder. They’re worse though. But that’s no defence. You might never know it but you got lucky, Lieutenant. You carry our honour still. You remember the better days. You remind ME of them too. My apologies for your losses. Go now,” the elder said. “I have things to think on.”


Kohlich left the room as the argument began.

[Welsh Halfwit]

THIRTY

As her parents arrived, Willa was doing her best to distract some of the others from the situation (and at least one Karrinean boy with a distended muzzle) and hopped to embrace her parents as they did her. Doctor Cobalt was readying a Lappinean girl with a damaged leg for teleport up to the Rodomont as Tyla monitored another. “We could do the process, you know,” Tyla admonished. “We do have the technology.”

“I know that, my friend,” Kelly said as the tag activated and the girl fizzed into nothingness, finger waving to her friends as she took the express route home, “but they’re busy and I’m not familiar with all the tech. Don’t want to risk a leg on my pride.”

Tyla shook her head in acceptance. “I suppose that does make sense.” A wry smirk. “We’ll just have to get you used to them, won’t we?” She shone a device into the Mican’s left ear and peered through the other end. “Little bit of damage to the membrane there,” she told the boy. “It’ll pass in a while,” she added, seeing the perplexion on his face. “The ringing will pass.”


After a moment, Willa disengaged from the tight embrace and emotional words and led her folks over to Kelvan and Captain Carby. “Mum, dad,” she said genially, “this is Kelvan, my boyfriend, and his stepdad, Captain Corby of the Passera. Kelvan helped save us in the caves,” she said quickly, gabbling a bit to stop her parents focussing on the one word she’d said. “He led us all out and kept things calm…”

“With help from the others,” Kelvan put in.

“...and helped save all of us,” Willa finished, as though he’d not spoken. Frank was trying to hide his chuckling behind a hand and the Mother looked archly at him.

“Did my ears just hear the word I think they did,” she asked her husband rhetorically.

“I believe they did,” the father intoned heavily, casting his eye over Kelvan, who was doing his best to look nonchalant and innocent and failing miserably. “Whose jacket is that,” he asked Willa.

“It’s Kelvan’s” she said, doing a turn that twitched her bandaged ear. “I forgot my jacket so Kelvan gave me his before we went in.” Now she grimaced. “And I had to destroy my shirt for bandages…”

“So,” her mother said, annoyance evident in her tone as she looked at Kelvan, “are you saying that you, a Raitchian boy, are interested in my daughter and are strident enough to offer her clothing without asking us for permission first?”

Kelvan looked her straight in the eye and tried not to shiver under the owl-like glare as the father made a tiny, surreptitious, gesture to Frank to urge him not to interfere. “Well, uh, yeah,” Kelvan said hesitantly. “I know caves are, um, cold and the shirt wouldn’t be warm enough and I, uh, really like Willa and didn’t want her to get, like, a chill and, er…” He stopped, unsure of the next words.

The mother, put her hands on his shoulders and kept them there despite his flinch. He looked up at her to see her eyes were smiling at him now, as was her face. “You seem to be a kind and generous boy, Kelvan,” she said. “Good boyfriend material. Thank you.” She glanced at Willa, who’d guessed what was going on and kept her hands behind her back. “Good boyfriend material, I suppose,” she adjusted. Willa, quite happy at this, eeped and tapped her heels together.


Cassius stepped off the teleport pad on the freighter and put his kit down to gently hug his sister, who’d just operated the machine and he took the opportunity to noogie her headfur and make her laugh. “Kelvan’s OK,” he said, almost wetly. “He’s helping them in the hospital.”

“Figured he would be,” she sniffed. She wiped an eye. “You think they need assistance?”

“Think they’re covered down there, sis,” he told her, “but, with Flakk and the other Doctor down there, the Mouse Doctor on the Rodomont might need assistance.”

She released him and rubbed her nose as she stepped back. “What about the Pollock?”

Cassius shrugged. “Apparently they were placed on emergency response alert, according to what I heard. They’ve kept their medical staff on board.”

Raspberry frowned. “Sounds a bit odd. But I’ll ask Charlie if I can go over.”

“Ask the Rodomont too,” Cassius reminded her.

“Why” she asked innocently. “What do they have to do with it?”


Cassius picked his box up again and started through the ship to his special room and was a bit surprised to see Talitha catch him up. “You OK,” the feline asked him, just as a good dozen othrs had over the last half hour. It was as though no-one quite knew what to say and felt that anything was better than nothing.

“I will be, Tal,” he replied sadly. “I have a bit of work to do,” he added, stepping into his workshop.

“I.. was worried is all.”

Talitha sounded a bit unsure of herself and Cassius wondered if he’d been a bit too dismissive of the Feline. “Sorry.” he gave her an encouraging look. “Want to watch?”

“Watch what,” Talitha asked as they reached the door to Cassius’ main workshop. He opened it and they stepped into something that closely resembled a store room.

“We all have our pasts, you know,” he told her. “For myself it was emergency rescue. Caving and munitions disposal. Raspberry went into medical. Then our parents died and we no longer needed to follow their plans.”

Talitha’s ears twitched. “I have to worry about the work you have to do now, don’t I?” He put the box down and opened the top to reveal the small, explosive, device still on top of his tools. She looked at it. “Is that a Raicon Mark VI blasting cap,” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Cassius whistled. “Good eye,” he said lightly. “It’s certainly based on one anyhow.” He gingerly picked it up and took it over to a sealed box which Talitha identified as a defusing box. She nipped in front and unsealed it so he could put the device in. “Thanks,” he told her.

“No problem,” she replied as he put the device in and closed the top, “I can open a box.”

Cassius put his hands into a pair of attached gloves and started to gently manipulate the device with the tools. He looked at her slyly. “Kiss for luck?”

“Not a chance. Maybe one for success,” she offered.


Martin Jul looked up as the smelly Mican from the freighter stepped into his medical bay. He pointed to a child with a broken wrist as he, himself, operated on Madelyne’s leg, working fast to repair the damage as he extracted a small chunk of the native rock from her upper leg. Before putting her under, she’d told him of how Enzo had saved her life and his chest had expanded in pride for several seconds as he began work. “Triage,” he told the medic, directing her to join the team of nurses.

Raspberry trotted up to the Canine and gently took her arm above the injury. “I’m Raspberry,” she said, introducing herself to the Pekan. “I’ll be your medic today? You are?”

The Canine sniffed and snuffed. “Kass… Kassandra,” she replied, miserably.

“How’d you do this,” Raspberry asked, thinking this didn’t exactly match the result of a rockfall as she ran the medical device over it.

Kassandra looked embarrassed at the question. She choked a slight laugh. “Got through unsc… unscrya…. Unhurt,” she confessed. “Then I ran to the teleport station and… um…”

Raspberry smiled. “Did you trip?”

Kassandra nodded, joining in the infectious smiling as Raspberry leaned over and touched heads with her.


“Hello,” Maldak muttered to herself as she picked up a faint signal from the relay beacon they’d left. It was just there for a few seconds...

[Welsh Halfwit]

THIRTY-ONE


The press quieted as the President approached the podium, Postain seething quietly in the wings where he couldn’t be seen. Gerek was going to do this without a script because there hadn’t been time to prepare one and, frankly, he preferred to do it this way. There were just five reporters here from the colonies two vidmedia outlets, the two audio ones and the diginews service. All five had been checked when they’d come in, making sure they had no weapons on them, and there was no livecast facilities. The sensors were set to identify any power output higher than passive recording and respond appropriately. So they were a little concerned as to what their leader was going to say as he reached to microphone and started.

“Good Ekernon,” the Captain heard him say, meaning the period between round about half past four and six forty-five on a standard clock. “By now you will all know of the attack at the caves in Javich Province and events around them. I can confirm it was an attack by elements that want alien enterprises removed from our planet and our own cultures restored. They forget that neither side in this war that is afflicting the Star Council is in any condition to help us right at this moment. And whichever side does merely invites attack by the other side. Without help, without trade and commerce, this colony stood on the brink of collapse and starvation. The aliens managed to stop that from happening and did so with no apparent thought for themselves.”

Postain couldn’t help but think of the irony in that statement, concerning the Mican fleet. Xarra had commed him that the relay station on that rock they’d found had reported some sort of contact but he was needed here. To watch this.

“These people will claim that they’re doing this for Karrin,” Grek continued. “They will claim they are standing up for heritage and tradition and everything that makes us both Jestavanians and Karrineans.” He paused, looked to his left, took one step, then stepped back and sighed. “They’re not my sort of Karrineans.” He nodded. “My sort of Karrinean remembers the darkness we’ve been through and would never think of visiting that on anyone else, Karrinean or alien. They would never think of murdering children to prove a political aim. They certainly wouldn’t think of destroying one of our most important sites of natural heritage to do it. Eight dead. Six Children. Not my Karrineans.” He paused for breath again. “In response, a raid has already been carried out on a base we know these people operate from. One of their number was killed and two taken prisoner. There will be further operations, all of which will be carried out in public with orders to take them alive if at all possible. The rule of law still operates in this society. It is what we must hold to if we want to come through this crisis. And we WILL come through it. We have also lost one of our most upstanding members, Uylik Tassan, in the attack on the caves and I understand one Police Guard was wounded during the response operation. He is currently undergoing surgery for a non life threatening injury. Our considerations are with them and with what is done from here.” He took a sip of the water on the lectern. “I would urge any Karrinean who knows of anyone who is a member of the isolationist groups to bring their concerns to the authorities. It would be easy to outlaw the organisation for Karrinean Heritage, as they call themselves, but, ultimately, self defeating. Ban an organisation and ten more will spring up in their place. There are those of their organisation who seek to proceed using diplomatic, peaceful, means. There are those who intend to use violence. Those who act like terrorists must be treated like terrorists and responded to likewise. But the same goes for those who act like diplomats. The violence must cease if we are to move forward.”


In the colony’s main hospital, Forbury popped her head around one of the private room doors and saw Officer Gilkes lying in the bathbed after surgery, his body visible in the clear sided healing bath with slightly gelatinous healing fluids working on the patched wound as he lay, head and shoulders out of the liquid. “Is it OK to come in,” she asked hesitantly.

He flinched slightly at the voice and Forbury realised he must have been dozing. “Yes, sure,” he told her. “Boss’s just been and it’s some time to official visiting hours…”

She sauntered in and noted his mid section was covered by something appropriating underwear. She internalised her drat as she held up a small bag. “I, um, got something for you,” she said. “The Jestavanian we have on board seems to love them so…”

“Well,” he said, leaning out of the bath and dripping a little of the goop onto the absorbant floor, “let’s see.” He took the fruit from the container. “What..?”

“Something called grapes,” Forbury asked, before frowning. “Shouldn’t you be in enormous pain,” she asked.

“Oh, I am,” Gilkes replied, sniffing the fruit. “But there’s a numbing effect in here that makes it bearable. It’s not the first time I’ve had bits shot out.”

“I can see the scars,” Forbury told him, inclining her head towards the gel.

“Checking out my body,” Gilkes replied, popping the one fruit in, stalk and all.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to eat the solid bit,” Forbury said, sitting next to the bath. “It’s my fault you got hurt,” she admitted sadly.

“Funny,” he replied after swallowing, “I thought it was the other guy who shot me.”

“But you didn’t have to protect me,” Fosbury protested.

“Of course I did,” he replied. “Three reasons I can think of. One,” he said, holding up his middle finger, palm facing her. “It’s the right thing to do. Two,” he continued, putting up the index finger, “I have little to keep me here. No family, few friends. Just a job. Getting out and seeing the worlds might be something.” He grinned slightly. “Would your Chief Yarkin have taken on someone who she couldn’t rely on?”

“I’m hoping you’re only partway serious on that,” Fosbury told him. “And reason three?”

“Ah,” he admitted, raising the ring finger, “reason three is easier to show, not tell.” He reached out, put his soaking wet hand around the back of her head and pulled her forward into a kiss that she responded to with pleasure after the shock.

She pulled back slightly, breaking the tongue twister. “We hardly know each other,” she said, trying to rationalise the speed of passion.

“Well, the best way to start is not lying about intent. I think Eliaz Jerrik said that.”

She leaned forward and kissed him gently. “So we know where you want to get to?”

“Strengthening local relations, Fosbury,” said a voice from the doorway. She turned, releasing herself from his gelled hand, to see Yarkin leaning on the frame. The Feline spoke again. “I was coming to see how you were, Officer Gilkes. But I see the answer is ‘fresh’. Want to head out?” Reasoning it really wasn’t a question, Fosbury headed from the room. “And dry your head,” the Chief told her, “it has a handprint on it.”

“Not a good time to ask you for a transfer,” Gilkes commented.

“We’re here for a few weeks – probably,” Yarkin told him. “Go to the embassy and fill in the forms. Put ‘U.S.C. security’ as where you want to go and, after checking with your current employer – who you should probably tell too – you’ll get assigned to ME for testing.”

He slapped the gel. “I won’t be out for a few days,” he protested.

Yarkin demurred, then relented. “I’ll have the recording officer come by with forms.”


The signal was coming a little clearer now, Maldak heard. Still the range had most of it garbled but feeding it through the computers had isolated the fact it was from the Decarta. She didn’t know it but, apparently, she’d made contact with some world called Darby. And, in what she was assuming was an error in transmission, there was something about Micans...

[Welsh Halfwit]

THIRTY-TWO


Captain Postain strode back onto his bridge and barely paused before he started demanding answers of Maldak and Xarra. This was the situation he’d feared. Knowing the Micans were up to something but not exactly what. Insufficient information killed people. He’d been looking up the colony in the Presidential library and he knew it was a planet known for its shipwrights. Karrin had one, just about functional, shipyard but Darby had two that were still in operative condition according to the last communications. They’d probably want those intact. Maldak hadn’t been able to boost the signal any further so he needed to go now. But he wasn’t quite ready to go. There were some people he wanted rid of first.


“Beam them up,” Martin Jul complained as he sped a medical bed to the teleport area, “beam them down.” Hehelped the Lappinean girl to the teleport booth and held her in his arms as the operator beamed him down with her to the ground level, where Doctor Cobalt and an attendant were ready with a wheelchair. Martin kept his smile to himself as he saw the antiquated equipment. “She’s the last of them from the bay, Kelly,” Martin told her, attracting the attention of a young ear across the corridor who turned his way.

Enzo choked up, called Martin ‘dad’ and ran across to power hug the Mican, who embraced him right back as he realised who was ‘attacking’ him. “Martin, itwas horribleand scaryandI was so scared, even thoughI couldn’t show itand…”

Martin chuckled nervously as he stroked his stepson’s head “Calm down, Enzo. You’re gabbling more than Kerri does.” He gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. “And you wouldn’t believe how scared we were for you.” He looked his boy in the eye. “You OK? You’re not injured?”

Enzo shook his head. “I got lucky… Why’dyou bring Madelyne back down?”

“Did what was needed up there and she can recover just as easy down here.”

Enzo backed up. “You’re lying to a Raichian,” he reminded Martin. “We can tell. What’s up?”

Martin shrugged. “Don’t know. Captain wanted all the children off the ship. So we’ve done it. Some of the parents who don’t do vital jobs will be remaining. I don’t know what’s up but your mum’s coming down in a few.”

Now Enzo was worried. He even took Martin’s hand. “What… what about you?”

Martin gave him a sad smiled before lifting the ‘trapped’ hand up and kissing Enzo’s knuckles. “Love the concern, son, but I’m a Doctor. I get to be vital. But you don’t need to worry about me. I’ve got Flakk and Cobalt watching over me.” He gave Enzo a kiss on the head and stepped back. “I’ll be back,” he told Enzo before signalling that he was ready to go and dissolving back up to the ship.

“If I didn’t need to be worried,” Enzo grumbled to Ella as she stepped from the other room, “we’d be going with him.”

“If he weren’t worried,” she told him, putting an arm around his shoulders, “he wouldn’t care.” She pecked his cheek tenderly. “You gotta be brave for your mum, eh?”

He held her. He knew not to remind her that, her parents being in security, they were both still on the ship.


“What do you mean, I’m non essential,” Simone Jak protested as Hadrian hustled her onto one of the teleport pads. “What situation are you going into, Hadrian? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, love,” Hadrian replied, having long reasoned Simone would be argumentative about this right now. “All I know is the Pollock’s doing the same thing and they need someone to help control the kids at the embassy. They KNOW you. They trust you. They need you, my love.” He decided to prevent her voicing any concerns by the simple expedient on Kissing her with all the passion he could muster. “And I need you down there. They might think your job is non essential in the current climate but I will NEVER think on you that way, yeah?” He pushed her back onto the pad and stepped back so the operator could send her down before she could argue.


“Whatdoyou meanyou’re not going,” Kerri demanded of Darren. The Chipmunk had her hands on her waist and was trying to look as stern as she could as she looked up at her husband. Half his department had cleared out, down to the surface but the Celican was unmoving. Behind them, Greedan was watching with interest. There were many positive words he might use about Darren Levan but courage wasn’t one of them. He was still thinking of going. The Captains words over the comms had made him think of it, particularly the words ‘anyone who goes might not be coming back’ so why wasn’t he leaving?

“Only if you come,” Darren told Kerri earnestly, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Because I can’t think of anything worse than not standing with you, love. I pledged never to leave you and I’m just stupid enough to keep to my word, Kerri.”

She blushed and looked away. “You’rea nit,” she told him.

“But I’m your nit.” He picked her up, pulled her cose and she wrapped her limbs around him to hug him tightly.

Greedan was fairly sure, now, that he knew what love was. The purity of emotion that made you do stupid things without thinking about them. It powered loyalty and made him decide that he was sticking around. After all, he had a friend here, didn’t he?


“What do you mean, the Rodomont’s leaving,” Frank asked Enzo after the two young Raitchians had come in search of their friends.

Willa was sat on her bed where she’d been chattering away to her parents about the train journey and the wind and everything else they’d experienced up to, but not including, the caves themselves. Her mother had bought her a t-shirt from the hospital shop and, even though she’d not known what the logo was, she’d gotten dressed behind a screen to give Kelvan his jacket back, with a tender kiss to the lips in thanks. He’d returned the kiss before she’d got up on the bed and Enzo had entered and told them the news.

“They’re getting all, uh, non essen…”

“Non-essential,” Ella prompted.

“Non essential people off the ships,” Enzo finished, as his mother entered behind him and snuck a hug. He raised his face and she gave him a chaste peck on the lips. “Hi, mum,” he greeted.

“It’s not good,” Frank mused.

[Welsh Halfwit]

THIRTY-THREE

The ship seemed quiet now, Postain reasoned as he walked the halls. It wasn’t so much the absence of young voices and shrill calls and the sounds of feet running where they shouldn’t but it was the other absent noises. The quietness of talk between those who normally chatted. The general depression and sense of omination about the upcoming events as the Rodomont and Pollock churned space towards the unknown situation around Darby. Postain could understand why children were allowed on board ships that didn’t have any sort of home base or regular stops. It simply wasn’t feasible to expect the best people to have to choose between their jobs and their families if those families had to be left light years behind them. People were people and they needed to be surrounded by loved ones. He could think of at least… fifteen officers who’d give up their duties rather than be separated from their children. Was it selfish? He didn’t know. Was it safe for the children? No more than living on a planet with hostile non sentients, criminals, bad drivers and random accidents. They were less than three hundred yards from medical facilities here and security was everywhere. He tried to think of the last time he’d heard of an act of serious domestic violence on a Starship of the service and it was almost a decade back. This was the safest place for his kids.

And that thought caught him by surprise too. His Fiancee, Chichester Dawson, the President of Cora II was waiting until the end of her second term to marry him and he’d given passing thought to things but children? Here?


He stepped into the cells area, after speaking with Yarkin, and stood before the one occupied cell. The Cadan looked out at him. “Why am I still here,” the Jestavanian asked, referring to the fact that a shuttle had taken his people down to Karrin before he’d felt the ship get back underway a few hours before.

“Because things are happening around Darby,” Postain explained. “Things which we’re hoping to avert.”

“You do realise,” the Cadan seethed, after Postain laid it out, “that the Star Council AND the Division will declare war if the colonies are attacked? You’ll have us united against a real threat!”

“We’re not the real threat,” Postain replied. “The Security Council found out about a Mican fleet through co-incidence and subterfuge…”

“What… co-incidence,” the Cadan demanded.

Postain chose to take a seat from one of the vacant booths and sat before continuing. “It’s hardly relevant but a small crisis meant that a couple of U.S.C. light starships needed to travel directly from the New colonies to Raitche rather than use the normal routes. Time was an issue. As they pass by a nebula, they began scanning as they were passing and, all of a sudden, they’re being escorted by a Mican heavy cruiser with a senior political figure on board. Since then we’ve picked up the fact it’s definitely a fleet but we had no real evidence they were heading for a colony world.”

“What ELSE would they do with a fleet?”

“Colonise one of the uninhabited planets between the two Councils,” Postain queried. “Perform a major training exercise where no-one’s looking? We had no real proof, just suspicions. So a ship was sent out to make contact with Darby, in the hope that they’d back off if they knew we knew what they’re up to.”

“One contamination to stop another,” the Cadan commented bitterly, turning his head away.

“A little contamination is better than a little annihilation. Mica controls the largest military force in the Council. They’re probably the only ones with a fleet large enough to engage us in full scale war and they concentrate in a much more limited area than we do. Shortly before we left, we picked up a message from the ship we sent to Darby. Poor quality at extreme range but it states they’re there. And the Micans have shown up.”

“So now you go to help them.”

“No,” Postain remarked, standing up. “Now we go to stop them. To make sure they know that, if they fire on Darby, they have to fire on US too.”

The Jestavanian looked confused. “But… they’ll kill you,” he said in confusion.

“They’ll kill us,” Postain replied. “Then, when we don’t get back, the Council will know what’s happened. It’ll probably fall apart with the Micans seceding and everyone pointing guns at each other. If they fire. As it stands, you’re no use to me in here. You MIGHT be of use dealing with the Darbinian people. I’m going to have you tagged now,” he added, gesturing for security to enter. Two guards entered, weapons drawn before Postain stepped over and dispersed the electric field before throwing an ankle cuff in. “Put it on,” he ordered.

“This is against the conventions…”

“Not so much against ours. File a complaint with your government. Now, if you want to be of use, put it on. Or I can leave you trapped like a Durrik,” he finished, talking of a Karrinean cheese that was often left on a shelf to ripen. The Cadan chose to take the control and clipped it around his left walker at the lower joint. Postain tapped a control and the device lit up with a sparkle of differently coloured lights. “It’ll give you a powerful shock if I decide it should or if you go to near secure areas. He nodded to the guards. “These two will escort you to the clothes replication room. We have Karrinean military patterns in stock and I’m pretty sure you want a fresh uniform.”

“Still a prisoner.”

“But one with rights,” Postain called back.


“Are these Micans mad,” Kohlich asked Kelly as she got dressed following their latest in bed workout. “I mean, what do they think’s going to happen?”

“Same thing any empire thinks probably,” she said, putting on her work shirt and jacket close enough to her bare chested lover that she could kiss him. “They need room to expand so they’re looking at where they can take easily. We’ll make them back down. They won’t want a war against all sides.”

“Your lips to their ears,” Kohlich replied, shucking on his engineering uniform. “And you’re still prettier than Flakk in that outfit.”

“Thanks, hon,” she replied, sneezing as she left the room.

“Bless you,” he called as the door closed.

She walked down the passageway, sneezing again. “Didn't know I could get a cold,” she said, picking up the pace.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Just was able to read all of these chapters. Due to forces beyond my control I wasn't able to post here for a few days. Though I do like everything you posted and how it moved the story alone! Nice work on all of these that you have written!

[Welsh Halfwit]

Talitha and Frank vs bureaucracy.

THIRTY-FOUR

Guarded, he strode through the ship, casting an idle eye over the goings on and the technology as they took him towards the bridge. He’d been a little surprised that there hadn’t been a direct riser from where he’d been but, with the lack of security tags on them, he supposed he shouldn’t be concerned. Logically the command risers… or lifts as some of them called them – used some sort of security linked to those comm things they wore. He inclined his head as one of the crew – a Lappinean, if he recalled the files correctly – got out of the way. He held no enmity towards the male… at least he thought it was a male… personally and civility needed respecting. The tailor machines – operated by an actual old tailor (A mican he might have attacked if the guards hadn’t been there) fitted well but he wasn’t fond of the one addition the creature had made. He supposed having a name bar declaring his name in their standard – Kayblee – made some sort of sense but he’d never liked it. It was too twee for his liking. There was one he was looking for if he was being honest and he was wondering… “There you are, Kohlich,” he said, finding the other Jestavanian as passageways intersected.

“Cadan,” Kohlich replied evenly before giving a respectful salute. “Out and about?”

The Cadan shook his head in acceptance of the gesture. “We’re not in the same service anymore, Engineer.” He drooped his shoulders, letting go of a certain amount of pride and stress. “When I called you traitor the other day?” His face turned to a snarl for a moment. “You better believe I meant it. I still do.” The expression softened, the line of his muzzle shifting slightly. “but I can understand it. You have no debt to us. We abandoned the station and you. These aliens saved your life. You’ve heard they’re attacking our colonies now,” he asked, inclining his head.

“I’ve heard a division of them is,” Kohlich replied, refusing to rise to the bait. He inclined his head in a similar way to the Cadan, indicating curiosity. “I wonder if that seems familiar at all?”

The Cadan straightened up and decided to accept the riposte with grace. “Kandera,” he said.

Kohlich looked to the two guards. “It means touché,” he translated. “Word from one of their languages,” he told the Cadan. “It’s something to do with parrying bladed weapons. Why have they asked you to the bridge?”

“A place they’ve never asked you,” the Cadan smirked. “It seems I might be able to help them prevent this bloodshed, Engineer Kohlich. I still speak for the STAR Council, after all.”

“Hmm, well, a SENIOR Cadan would need to be good diplomatically,” Kohlich responded acidly. “The lesser Cadans tend not to command ships very long. How long were you in command of that ship?”

“In war, timescales shrink. The mark of a Cadan is how long their ship lasts. Anyhow, I merely wished to acknowledge your defection was out of honour more than anything else.”

“Gratified,” Kohlich lied, heading away as the Cadan clenched his fists behind him.

He released the pressure and looked to his entourage. “Needed to do that. Let’s proceed.”


Frank and Talitha looked over the desk at the consulate Officer and wondered if they could believe what they were hearing. “What,” Frank asked simply, “do you mean you don’t have the authority to put the children in rooms here?

The offical looked at them with the emphasis on meek. The Mican simply restated that, with the lack of official request, he was unable to facilitate so many civilians on official Council property. It wasn’t something he could do although, of course, he wanted to. He needed a Diplomat or a U.S.C. Officer and, seeing as they didn’t have any, it was sorry, but no”. Talitha stood up. “I need to teleport back to the Passera. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

“You can dress that quickly?”

“To deal with this official… *^&$pot, I can!” The Feline cursed, before stalking out of the room and shouting at a secretary.

“I’ll have her teleport protocol revoked,” the official snided.

“I wouldn’t,” Frank advised him, keeping his hands on the desk. “I’ve never seen her this annoyed. And she’s the person you need to solve your little problem of having no guts.”

The official cleared his nostrils with a huff. “I object to that,” he told Frank stuffily. “I have to apply the rules. If I don’t it would mean my job.”

“And being inflexible could take it as well.” Frank looked around the small room and wondered if this was the height of style in officialdom in the sticks these days. “Where is the Ambassador and his staff anyhow?”

“Conference back in the patch,” the Mican said, signing a few sheets whilst not looking at Frank. “Leaving muggins here as sole administration officer. And the amount of paperwork I have to do is staggering so…”


Talitha strode in, wearing full uniform, and tried not to think too much about how Cassius had pretty much purred when seeing her in her uniform. She reckoned that he’d taken his shirt off some fifteen seconds before she’d walked in. He’d certainly started flexing. She’d thought it was impressive. Uh, for a Mican. But the moment had passed. He’d sent her back down to be professional. So she was professional. “Lieutenant Ossar, U.S.C.,” she told him, presenting her warrant card. “You will find room for the families in the relative safety of this station and you will do it NOW.”

The Official looked at her. He looked at her ident. He looked at his notes. He was well aware that a Lieutenant had no power to make that particular order but, despite being a Mican of duty and regulations… “I have to deny,” he told her evenly. “You don’t have the rank to make such a demand. However, if you wish to appeal the decision..?”

“I do,” she said quickly.

“...then we’ll have to have a tribunal decide the issue. That,” he added, giving a slight smile as he looked up at her, “will need to be decided by a senior official or officer. Until one is available, I am permitted to bend the rules. The children and their parents will be permitted to stay. Under restrictions keeping them from restricted areas. Thank you for coming by.” He waited on them.

“Make the order,” Frank stated, unmoving.

“It’ll be done,” the official replied.

“NOW,” Talitha intoned.

“Very well.” He moved his paperwork to one side and pressed the comm. “Kendal to housekeeping.”

<“Housekeeping.”>

“Find rooms for all our guests. Multiple occupancy if needed.”

<“Acknowledged,”>

“I’ll leave you to watch over… this,” Frank told Talitha. “I’ve got to go get the ore supply shuttle sorted out.”


He headed out from the room. He decided he had to get away from that tail covering wanna be civil servant.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Ah yes, bureaucracy can indeed be very rage-inducing. Hopefully it can get all sorted out with no more casualties than what they have. It always is a massive problem in these scenarios now isn't it?

[Welsh Halfwit]

THIRTY-FIVE


The alarm sounded battle stations, sending officers and non-coms speeding about the place on the monitors, attending to their stations and duties in a way Postain appreciated. Despite the lessened number, things were operating efficiently. He’d mostly lost those who’d be going to secure zones anyhow. He had to admit he was surprised Darren Levan had stayed. Perhaps the tod was beginning to get a little of the Celican courage he’d seemed to lack aver since he’d known him. His wife had her people moving in ways he assumed the actual Chief Engineer would appreciate when he got out of isolation. Flakk had his people organised in the usual configuration and Postain was pleased to see Jul in attendance as well. “Signal time,” he told Xarra as the departments reported in.

“Two minutes fourteen between battle stations and all departments reporting,” the Mican said after the science division reported in.

“Need that down to two minutes if we can,” Postain challenged. “Schedule another drill for somewhere between three and five this afternoon.”

“Wilco,” the first replied, tapping the entry into the padd she was holding as the Cadan came over, hands behind his back. “May I assist,” she asked.

“You’re preparing to go into battle with your own people,” he asked. “How can we be sure where your lotalties lie?”

Xarra tapped him on the chest with the metal pointer she’d just been using on the padd. “You don’t,” she told him, before pointing the pointer at Postain. “HE does. I know him and he knows me. He knows my thoughts and beliefs. I’m not going to stand by and watch anyone start a war without trying to do something. Even my own people. Igniting war isn’t the way to save a people. So I stand ready to fight them for their own good.”

The Cadan moved his head from side to side a couple of times and Postain knew he was sizing up the response. He’d spoken to the Ambassador that resided on Hawle’s ship once and she’d mentioned that, if you needed to change a thick-set planet’s mind, it took one man who spoke well. To change one thick-set mind, it sometimes took a whole ship that spoke naturally. Or something like that. He’d given no instructions how this king-sized *&^* was to be treated. The Captain watched as the Cadan looked over the shoulder of Bartleby now as she sat at the helm.

“Can I ask how long until we get there,” he said, eliciting a small chuckle from the Lappinean.

“Apparently you can,” she said.

“Bartleby..,” Postain warned.

“Seven hours, twelve minutes. Darby is fifteen hours from Karrin at best speed.”

The Cadan seemed almost impressed by this. “We have it at sixteen, if I understand your times correctly. Your standard is sixty fractions of time to a minute and sixty minutes to an hour?”

Bartleby nodded, then remembered who she was talking to and shook her head whilst saying he was right. “Yeah, that’s it. And twenty-five hours to a day. Then, of course, you get colony time, which confuses everything…”

He huffed. “Don’t need to tell me about that, Pilot. I once told a repair facility we were coming in for urgent repairs and told them to be ready for us in half a day. I forgot that the location of that station meant their days were thirteen hour periods off of ours. Ship was almost falling apart before they were ready.”


Enzo and Brigid both put their bags down as they arrived aboard the Passera and looked around. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Brigid told her son. “They were perfectly willing to put us up in cots at the embassy but you insisted on coming to this old, uh…” she hesitated as she saw the Raitchian operating the teleport controls quirk an eyeridge at her. “...Lady,” she finished, earning a wry twist of the muzzle from the operator. “I mean, do we even have rooms?”

“We have cots,” Enzo said, wondering if she’d accept that. “I’m in with Kelvan and you’ve got a Mican called Raspberry.”

“She’s very friendly,” Charlie said, stepping around to welcome the mother. “Heya, Enzo,” she said, bending over to rub cheeks with the boy again before taking Brigid’s spare hand. “I’m Charlie. Captain’s mate, Engineer and First Officer. The three ranks are not connected.”

Brigid figured that was a joke so offered a curt laugh. “I should hope not. A senior officer who got where they got by sleeping with the boss is never to be counted on. Brigid Jul. Bio specialist.”

Charlie hmmed in consideration. “Well, even if you just use us for a place to hang your hat, welcome aboard the Passera. I’ll need to give you a quick tour and then, maybe, we can go by the ‘secret garden’?”

“Ah, so you have one of those? I’ve heard rumours but never seen one.”

“Something else you might never have seen either,” Charlie told her, checking her wrist comm and leading them out to a viewing port. “A cargo shuttle coming in for docking. Kerracite Ore, so I’m told.”


Outside, the refilled cargo container was slowly coming into position for docking with the main ship, automated thrusters turning it after it had been released by the surface shuttle. The signaller from the container sought out and locked on to the signal from the docking port automatically and adjusted the lower port thruster two degrees. The distance closed to within a few feet and, finally, the magnetic forces brought a ‘clungggg’ that reverberated through the entire ship.

“OK,” Brigid allowed, having never been this close to a hull when someone docked with a ship and realising how tense she’d been, “that was… something.”

“I thought it was cool,” Enzo agreed, totally lying.

“Glad to hear it,” Charlie said honestly, not believing a word of it. “Want food first?”

Enzo ran on ahead before his mother could reply. “I… think so,” she said helplessly, before both of them laughed.


“A chef’s duties are never done,” Hayseed said magnanimously, watching the trio enter the canteen area. “I presume my services are required?”

“Yeah, Hayseed,” Charlie told him. “What’s available?”

“Any of your Yarvalla still here,” Enzo asked.

“Ah, my best known Raitchian dish,” the Lappinean said grandly. “I believe there is some in the storage area. For one?”

“Is it any good,” Brigid asked.

“Well,” the chef replied cheekily, “no-one who’s ever eaten it has returned the next day and tried to cut my ears off.”

Brigid nodded. “Sounds acceptable. Make it two.”

Hayseed got them from storage and headed for the reheat machine as the two took their seats.

[Amazee Dayzee]

A really well-written and interesting chapter as usual Welshy! Can't wait for more!

[Welsh Halfwit]

THIRTY-SIX


“Darby,” the Cadan said, looking out at the grey/blue world in front of them and remembering happier times. Times before the wars when he’d been there on tours and holidays. He recalled a girl… what was her name? Kassara? Something like that. They’d spent the week together when he was barely a teen. Exploring the architecture, the natural botany and attractions of the world and each other – once or twice – when they’d been away from their parents for a few hours. Their families had sailed the Kosta sea from Ulvanan to Dallomere. It had been the best of times. They’d barely noted the space based repair docks glinting in space above.


Now, though, he was also looking at other things. Pinpricks dotted around half the orb. Starships. Warships. Holding position as though ready for a fight. According to this things long range scanners, two of the weapons platforms were just about online, despite not having had any real maintenance for several years. Antiquated defence fighters were flanking a shiny predator that looked like a lesser version of this ship and the Cadan guessed this was the U.S.C. Decarta. He had to admire their courage. He didn’t want them there but the Council ship was commanding a force that could take out five ships if they were lucky. Against a force of thirty. He’d seen a few of these over the last few years. Or, at least, he’d seen the aftermath. The ruptured hulls, the radiation stained space, the bodies in orbit around the larger objects and rocks. “Are they still blocking all signals, listener,” he asked.

Maldak took a moment to realise she was being talked to and reacted with a start. “Uh? Oh, sorry. Yes, they are.”

“That’s as fine,” Postain told the bridge. “They’ll be picking us up soon enough. We might get an escort or they might just decide to stop blocking comms and pretend they never had.”

“Or they could shoot us,” Xarra opined.

“Quite right, Xarra,” he conceded. “Yellow alert. Raise shields and charge weapons.”


The Cadan almost flinched as the yellow tinged electric barrier fizzed into view on the viewscreen before clearing so they could see through the barrier as the lighting dropped two levels so it was set to three quarters light. Less glare on screens and less distractions, he assumed. Plus it released some power for the more important things. The Canine on weapons started powering up the systems and the Cadan wondered if it was normal for the console to hum. Only the non-panicked reaction of the Officer told him it was safe to stay put. He could see the firing systems were, basically, similar to those on his own ship. He reacted as he heard Postain say ‘take a seat, Cadan’ and moved to the spare one next to the listener.

Maldak leaned over and engaged his restraints. “Won’t have time to show you how it’s done when you need it done,” she explained.

“Uh, thank you.”

“Maldak,” Postain announced. “Sed out a general identifier signal in standard and Jestavanian. Tell everyone who we are. All frequencies. Something might get through.”

“On it, sir,” the Quokkan replied, her tail swishing and amusing the Cadan as she worked at manipulating the output signal to achieve maximum bandwidth as the computer formulated a basic message to send out. He noted the Jestavanian was a pretty good translation and gave idle thought to the accent it would use. Perhaps one based on Kohlich or the other one who’d survived? “Ready to transmit,” she announced.

“Can I listen to it,” he asked.

“Sure,” Maldak advised.

“Yes,” Postain remarked, irritation at Maldak’s assumation clear in his tone.

The Quokkan handed the Cadan an earpiece and he inserted it as the computer made its announcement. It just announced they was the U.S.C. Rodomont and they were not looking for a thumping. He chuckled and advised Maldak that the word for battle was Kotikka but the computer accent was making it come out Catrikka. “Teething troubles,” she told him.

“You should get Kohlich on it,” he offered, a trifle bitterly.

“We’re getting a signal,” the Quokkan announced. She checked her readings. “From the Micans.”

“On general or directed at us?”

“They’re still jamming.”

“Then tell them we’ll speak to everyone. PARTICULARLY the Decarta. Other than that, don’t accept.”

The ship closed towards the armada. Postain sat forward in his chair and put his chin atop his hand.


Three minutes later, the jamming field dropped and another signal came in from the Micans. “Set to broadcast over a wide field. I want as many as possible to hear this.” He stood up. “Put ‘em on.”


The image of a Mican appeared on the screen, looking about seven foot wide and taking up most of the view. <“This is Captain Kettering, leader of the Mican expeditionary survey team. What are...”>

“It’s never a good idea to start off a discussion with a lie, Captain,” Postain snapped, interrupting the flow of things as anger blazed in his eyes. “So let me state things clearly to you before we get down to discussions. Your leader is Admiral Darlington and this is not a survey team, it’s an invasion force designed to take over this planet and stake a claim to local uninhabited worlds. Let me state this to you clear, here and now. This planet is still claimed by the Jestavanian forces, both sides! Any attack on this planet will be considered an attack on them. The Unified Security Council will NOT let you drag us in to a large scale war! We do NOT wish to antagonise the Star Council or even to be seen backing you. So the statement is this. If you wish to attack Darby, you will first have to attack US. “


The screen blanked for a second before a more senior Mican appeared on the screen. <“You aren’t going to risk your ship in a hopeless fight like this, Captain,”> Darlington warned. <“We are engaged in diplomacy with the government of this world with the aim of establishing a colony...”>

“Warships don’t say much for diplomatic efforts,” Postain interrupted. “You’re here to invade. And, in case you want to hear from the other side..?” He indicated the Cadan and Maldak released his restraints so he could appear next to Postain.

The Jestavanian noted the slight slip of shock on the Mican’s face. “I am Cadan Kayblee of the Star Council. Any incursion into our space will be considered an act of war. We will react accordingly.” The Cadan swallowed.

“There’s something else you should consider, ‘Admiral’.”

<“Which is?”>

“I know which ship you’re on.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

That last quote gives me the same vibes of "the call is coming inside the house" honestly. I know Postain is a good guy but that really was ominous. Great job!

[Welsh Halfwit]

That last quote gives me the same vibes of "the call is coming inside the house" honestly. I know Postain is a good guy but that really was ominous. Great job!

Well, the Savval did take a lot of scans of that ship ..

[Amazee Dayzee]

Yeah I do know that as I read it. But it still feels very bone-chilling.

[Welsh Halfwit]

THIRTY-SEVEN

Kelvan looked around the ward of his friends and headed over with something approaching apples to the bedside of one of them. The boy was struggling to sit upright in the bed and had one parent sat in the chair beside him, dozing away with her tongue lolling out beside her incisors. The boy looked up from the padd he was reading from and smiled at his new guest. “Hey, Kelvan,” he said, coughing against the effort. They’d done some extensive work on him, essentially rebuilding his lung from the ground up with cloning technology and replicated blood packs and other things that made him feel guilty over how many others they could have used it on before hooking him up to saline bags and lawks only knew what else.

“Heya, Pillar,” Kelvan replied, taking the guest chair from the neighbouring bed and sitting down. “Bought you some fruit,” he added, placing the purple and green fruit on the bedside cabinet. “How you getting on?”

“Oh,” the boy wheezed, “it’s a world of painkillers. But,” he added quickly, “I was treated by the best Doctor in the place.”

“It’s Doctan, Mr Kendal,” Doctan Tyla said from the next bed over, making Kelvan twist in the chair to look at her. “And I’m sure Hetha won’t mind you borrowing her chair, Mr..?”

“Jarrop,” he replied, almost slipping into calling himself ‘Carby’. “Kelvan Jarrop.”

“Ah,” Tyla said appreciatively. “One of the heroes they keep talking about.” She offered a hand, as she recalled was the norm.

Kelvan took it but looked away as he shook it. “No real heroes here,” he grumbled, “just survivors.”

“Tell ME that,” Pillar countered before Tyla could. “You and Enzo are always going to be my heroes,” he said, taking one of the fruit from the bag and holding it up. He accepted a quiet ‘yes’ from Tyla as proof it was safe to eat.

“Mr Kendal, when I said ‘stay in bed’, I meant lying down, not sitting up? The work still needs time to set in.”

“But I’ve been lying flat for ages…”

Kelvan sat back and let the pair of them argue lightly.


Postain waited on the reaponse from the Micans as he stared annihilation in the face. He didn’t have any cards to play to win if they decided to fight. The Decarta had fallen in under the Rodomont’s wing and the Pollock was… ready. He was keeping her up his sleeve for the moment, hiding on the other side of the planet, waiting for his signal. He’d locked onto the power signature recorded almost a month ago by the Savval so he knew where Darlington was – provided he’d not transferred his flag – and he’d had that target laid in by both his ship and, by dint of telling the Pollock before they’d arrived, the other battleship as well. The idea was clear. Even if they were destroyed, the Admiral was going to suffer. The quiet was getting to him. It was…

“Captain,” Maldak said, “They’re calling.”

“Put them on,” Postain replied, feeling the tension rising in the room.


The Admiral appeared on the viewer again. <“We need to discuss this… CAPTAIN,”> he groused. <“To see the best way out of this situation. Just the two of us.”>

“The FOUR of us,” Postain corrected. “You, me, him,” he added, indicating Kayblee, “and the leader of the Darbinian council. Or President. Or whatever.”

<“What..? Fine. Arrange it.”> The line cut out.

The Cadan moved about the bridge, his hands behind his back as he tried to get over the utterly annoying fact that these Micans were, seemingly, not thinking that the people of the planet they planned to invade were worthy of being at the talks. He clenched his hands and unclenched, feeling the pain of relief as his clawtips left his pads more or less intact. “I want to throttle him,” he stormed. “I want to tear his head off and spit down his neck…”

“That’s go down well at the talks,” Postain advised. “We come here to end fights, not to start them. This won’t be easy. They want this area of space.”

“Why?”

“I might, uh, have an answer for that,” Kridd said from the science station.

“Explain,” Postain demanded, curious as to why the Feline was speaking up now.


Kridd swallowed. He hated presenting to Postain. He’d rather dictate a seminar to a dozen Wolf youths who’d not eaten for a week. But now was his turn. “Uh, that asteroid Gree…” He caught the look Postain was giving him and took it as a warning not to acknowledge the Pirate yet. “Uh, Darren Levan detected? With all the precious minerals?”

Postain ground his teeth. He’d not wanted to divulge that to the Cadan at this stage. He’d have to assign Kridd to cleaning the canteen bio filters at some point. “Yes,” he said through tight teeth as he felt the Cadan’s eyes on him. “What of it?”

“The, uh, the moon is full of them,” Kridd commented, pulling up the images he’d just taken. “From this, there’s enough Neuridium alone to make the expedition worthwhile. To say nothing of the other things.”

The Cadan strode across the bridge to take in what Kridd was talking about and he looked at the readings before laughing. “Cortrexi,” he said, shaking his head. Kridd wasn’t sure if he was saying yes or shaking his head in exasperation. “They’d invade for Cortrexi?” He laughed. “It’s found everywhere in half the Star Council regions!” He had to lean back with laughter.

“It’s incredibly rare in ours,” Kridd commented. “Only to be found in a handful of sectors.”

“Cultural differences,” The Cadan laughed.


Kelly Cobalt sneezed again as she made sure the beds were ready for use. “Anti-histamine,” Flakk ordered from where he was directing orderlies.

“Tried them,” she replied. “Not much effect.”

Flakk looked at her curiously, then directed her to sit. He sat her down personally when she refused. “Raitchians used to sneeze generations ago,” he reminded her, running the scanner over her before showing her the results. “before the immune system eliminated it.”

Kelly reached out and took the scanner. “You mean..?”

“I mean the treatments have worked but bypasses that part of the immune system. Henceforth we can expect a Karraitian in the months to come, Cobalt. Now, get a mask on and get ready for incoming...”

[Amazee Dayzee]

A few days ago I kind of understood how Kelly Cobalt was feeling because I had a really bad cold which made me miserable. Hang in there girl, it does get better.