OMEGA Guardian

by Stephen Arseneault

  Garrett sat back in his chair, looking around at the cockpit as if in deep thought. "OK, here’s how it’s going to happen. I heard the stories that you were once on Effica. I’m sure you are familiar with the hotel Fantasta. That is where we will make the exchange. You come on a small ship, bring no more than a half dozen people with you to pilot the ship and load the items, we exchange credits, and you leave."

  The Governor replied, "And the helmet will be included?"

  Garrett nodded. "The helmet for the suit will be there."

  The Governor spoke. "Can I see the helmet?"

  Garrett shook his head. "No. This is where that level of trust among thieves has to come into play. Just ask yourself why I would want to make you angry when I am trying to straighten things out. You come out to Effica in three days, with no more than a half dozen of your henchmen. We’ll make the exchange and go our separate ways.

  The Governor slowly shook his head. "That area is rife with pirate activity. I will need at least five ships and forty men."

  Garrett laughed. "I don't think so, Governor. Since the Talisans got a new emperor, things have really quieted down. Just bring your ship and personal guards. That should be enough."

  The Governor thought for a moment and nodded. "You have your deal, Mr. Williams. Expect me in three days time."

  Garrett added, "Governor, don’t try anything stupid, or I will burn those artifacts to a crisp. If I detect another ship in the area, or if you have a dozen men pile out of a ship, that hotel and your precious artifacts will go up in an inferno. Do we have an understanding?"

  The Governor replied, "And how many men will you have there with you?"

  Garrett sighed. "I have eight men remaining. It’s all I could afford. But make no mistake, they will be positioned strategically and will open up if anything goes astray."

  The Governor offered a stern expression. "I will hold up my end of the bargain, Mr. Williams. You hold up yours, and we will both walk away from this satisfied."

  I entered the cockpit after the comm channel closed.

  Garrett turned with a smile. "I thought that went well. He obviously doesn’t know that it was you that overthrew the Talisan Emperor. Everyone knows it happened, but they don’t know who the new Emperor is yet. I supposed we dodged one there."

  Garrett continued, "I still don’t know that I buy into your reasoning behind luring him out here instead of us just taking over the station with Talisans."

  I replied, "If we attack a security station, the word will go out to all security stations. Not only would the security forces of the New Alliance get involved, but we could easily get Harden Salton poking around for answers. He knows I am here. If he sees you, or if any of the security forces that are looking for you see you, the New Alliance will be flooding this sector with investigators. If we take the Governor out quietly, no one will care."

  I continued, "The helmet addition was a nice touch. The Governor would be anxious to get his hands on it."

  Garrett grinned. "I thought we might need something to push him over the edge."

  Over the next several days, we arranged more than a hundred Feldon fighters in and around the hotel. From the moment the Governor’s ship landed until he entered the hotel room Garrett had designated, he would have a dozen or more blasters trained on him. This was a capture mission first and a kill mission if our attempts to capture him failed. With the Governor in our custody, we could force him to send word back to SS241 for his henchmen to clear out. It was reasoned that a peaceful transition would raise the least alarm.

  On the third day, the Governor’s ship arrived in orbit around Effica accompanied by four mercenary gunships.

  Garrett raised the Governor on the comm. "I thought we had a deal, Governor. Right now, my finger is hovering above a button that when depressed will vaporize that hotel."

  The Governor smiled and lifted his hand. "No need for that, Mr. Williams. If you do that, we both lose. As far as these gunships, they will remain in orbit. I’m sorry, Mr. Williams, but I cannot travel without an escort. Omega is not the most secure of sectors for a single ship; you yourself should know that. Anyway, they will remain in orbit while the exchange is made."

  Garrett huffed and responded, "You try anything and this hotel gets torched. Bring your ship down here and we will make the exchange."

  The Governor nodded as the comm closed.

  I made a broadcast to the Feldon fighters we had in position. "The Governor is coming in. Keep in mind that we need him alive. Do not fire unless you are fired upon first!"

  The Governor’s ship landed in a vacant lot just down the main avenue from the hotel. Four of his guards exited and began to check the perimeter around the ship and up the street to the hotel. Garrett stood in the doorway of the hotel.

  The Governor stepped out onto the dirt and weeds of the vacant lot, looking down at the dusty ground in disgust. After a short walk, he was standing in front of Garrett.

  The Governor brushed dust from his pants leg. "Mr. Williams, show me the artifacts and let’s get this over with. I do not have fond memories of this planet."

  Garrett replied, "Very well. Follow me."

  Garrett led the Governor up the stairs to the sixth floor and into the room that we had been using. I was seated in a chair beside a small table.

  When the Governor entered the room, he let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Mr. Beutcher, why did I know that you were still involved?"

  I replied, "Have a seat, Mr. Marcos. We have a few things to discuss."

  The Governor casually walked to the chair and sat down. "I am only mildly interested in what you have to say, Mr. Beutcher. Please get on with it. My time is valuable."

  I nodded. "Very well. Your reign as Governor is over. Whether you leave this meeting alive or dead is up to you. I want you to call your goons on SS241 and tell them to peacefully lay down their arms and to leave."

  The Governor chuckled. "First, let me see the helmet. I would like to get a look at it before we go further."

  Garrett grinned as half a dozen armed Feldons stepped in behind the Governor’s guards. "There is no helmet, Marcos. That was a ploy to bring you out here, and it worked."

  The Governor’s face grew angry. "I do not like being toyed with, Mr. Williams. Any deal we had has now changed. And as for you and your little surprise here, Mr. Beutcher, I have a few surprises of my own!"

  The Governor lifted his arm pad and brought up a holo-display. The two guards that remained on his ship came into view.

  The Governor spoke. "Gentlemen, please bring our guests around so that Mr. Beutcher can see them."

  I took a deep breath and exhaled as I began to grow impatient. What happened next I was not expecting. The two guards on the ship brought two Grunta youths, each about ten years old, into view.

  The Governor smiled. "I believe you will recognize these Grunta, Mr. Beutcher. They have a striking resemblance to you."

  My heart sank as I came to the realization that two of my children were being held by the Governor.

  I spoke. "How did you get them?"

  The Governor shook his head. "From what I have been told, it was quite the venture. I had word that it was you that had become Emperor of the Talisans. I thought I might need leverage to maintain my position as Governor. You didn’t think I would just roll over, did you, Mr. Beutcher?

  "Anyway, your wife, wow! What a formidable woman! Had we known that women were the dominant gender when it came to Gruntas, we would have been better prepared. As it was, I sent eight good men and only managed to capture these two. I would love to have your wife in my employ; she is simply vicious."

  I replied, "If you hurt my wife or any of my children, I’ll rip your head from your body right here and now!"

  The Governor raised his hand. "Such violence. Hmm. Well, if it’s any consolation, your wife and your other children escaped with only minor injuries, if any at all. I wish I could say the same for my men, but—"

  I stood. The Gove
rnor’s guards raised their weapons.

  The Governor again held up his hand. "Please sit down, Mr. Beutcher. There is no need to go berserk and get everyone killed. Let’s instead come to an understanding where we all walk away as winners."

  Garrett placed his hand on my shoulder. "You might as well sit and hear him out. We are at a standoff right now. Negotiation is the best course of action."

  I sat down in my chair. "What did you have in mind, Mr. Marcos?"

  The Governor leaned back in his chair, placing his fist up under his chin. "Hmm. It seems we have a few major problems that I cannot see us coming to agreement on. You want me out of office; I don’t want out of office. You have done away with the slave trade; I liked the slave trade. Your control over the Talisans is a very troubling prospect for me. It was their ruthless ventures that kept me in power. Without that power, I do not see much of a future for me here. I think I shall offer something that might be acceptable to you, Mr. Beutcher."

  I replied, "Go on."

  The Governor continued, "I shall resign my position and pull out of SS241 entirely. You can do with it and this sector as you will. I will take my entourage, and my collections, and I will migrate to another sector. With you in control of the Talisans, I see my leaving the Governorship as inevitable."

  I sat forward. "That was the offer I tried to extend to you before."

  The Governor laughed. "Really, Mr. Beutcher? By stranding me here on this planet? That was just not a fair trade."

  The Governor laid one leg across the top of the other and leaned forward onto an elbow. "Look, the collection of items I have taken over the years is not in use. If I leave with those items, the sector will be exactly as it is now, backward and poor. I will return to the station, take my collections, and return here in one week to collect the artifacts. If I am allowed to leave here peacefully, no further lives will be lost. You and your friends can turn this sector into whatever it is that you desire."

  Garrett said, "How do we know that you won’t use your wealth to come back and meddle in the affairs of Omega? I’ve had dealings with a lot of people just like you, Marcos. You thrive on power and not wealth. It’s often wealth that brings you that power that you so desire. What’s to keep you from trying to come back?"

  The Governor threw up his hands. "I have just offered to give up that power, Mr. Williams. I am well past the halfway point in my life. I have come to the conclusion that I would rather spend those years out in the Alliance, searching for more artifacts, than here in this snake pit, squabbling over scraps. Is that so hard to understand?"

  I cut in. "We’ll do it. You have your negotiation. You will have one week to remove your collections from SS241. My children will be left there unharmed. If anything should happen to them, make no mistake, I will use all the resources available to me to track you down and kill you with my bare hands."

  The Governor smiled as he stood. "I have no doubt that you would, Mr. Beutcher. Now, if you don’t mind, I shall be returning to the station to pack my things."

  The Governor gestured for his guards to lower their weapons as he turned to leave the room. I stood in stunned silence.

  When the door to the stairwell closed behind the Governor, Garrett spoke. "That guy always seems to have an out. We should have taken him down the first time he was here."

  I replied, "We weren’t prepared to do so."

  I walked towards the door.

  Garrett followed. "Where are you going?"

  I began to walk down the stairs. "I’m going to his ship. I want to see that my children are well. Following this, I will have to open a comm to my wife to let her know the situation. She will offer advice."

  Garrett reached for my shoulder. "Just don’t do anything before talking it out with me, OK?"

  I nodded. "You have my word."

  When we arrived at the Governor’s ship, he stood in the hatchway. "I will be back for my artifacts in a week, Mr. Beutcher."

  I shook my head. "You leave my children, and I will give you the artifacts right here, right now."

  The Governor sighed. "If I did that, I have no doubt that you would kill me before I made it back to the station. You probably have two dozen Talisan warships up there just waiting for me to leave. No, I think I shall hold on to these two until I have my other possessions moved. I will meet you back here one week from today. We can discuss terms for the swap at that time."

  I stepped forward. "Just remember, Governor, if they are harmed, or even if they come back hungry, my life’s mission will be to end yours."

  The Governor scowled. "One week, Mr. Beutcher. Take care of my things."

  As the Governor turned away from the hatch, a curdling set of screams could be heard, followed by blaster fire and more screams. The Governor charged back into the doorway with a look of terror on his face before diving out onto the ground. A guard stood in the doorway behind him, face bloodied and breathing heavily. A metal rod then burst out of his rib cage as it was shoved through from behind. When the guard fell, a bloodied Grunta youth stood behind him.

  I raced up the stairs, knelt, and pulled him into my arms. My daughter then joined us in a bloodied embrace.

  I spoke. "What happened?"

  My son Granda spoke. "They let down their weapons, and Shila pulled a chair from its mount and began to beat them. She warned them that they should let her go. She has a lot of Mom in her. Three of them were dead before the first shot was fired. I grabbed the bar, tearing it from the wall. She finished off the other two just before I drove the bar through his back."

  I pulled my two children close and then looked back down upon a still-stunned Governor lying on the ground.

  Garrett shook his head. "Looks like you just lost your bargaining power, Marcos. Two little Gruntas just took out six of your best men. I would say this day just got a lot worse for you."

  I stepped down from the hatchway, clutching my left arm around the Governor’s neck and lifting him up into the air.

  Garrett grabbed my arm. "Remember, we need him alive to disarm his thugs back on the station."

  The Governor spoke with a crackly voice. "Yes, you need me alive. I will send them away if you promise not to kill me."

  I looked up at my scowling children.

  Shila snapped, "Pinch off his head!"

  Granda stepped in. "No, save him for Mom! She would want to have the pleasure of ripping him apart!"

  I thought for a moment before looking back at the Governor as he dangled at the end of my arm. "Let’s get on the comm and tell your men to leave."

  The Governor sniveled. "And you won’t kill me?"

  I sighed. "I promise. I won’t kill you."

  Garrett furrowed his brow in confusion as I carried the Governor onto his ship. A comm channel was opened to his men on the station and the gunships that remained in orbit.

  When the Governor's men had acknowledged, the Governor spoke. "We have had a change of plans. You are to clear your things out of the station. All of you, there will be no retributions against anyone who remains there. Take only what belongs to you. You can go your own way or meet me here at Effica. You have twelve hours to leave. And mind my words, do not harm anyone or anything or you will answer directly to me. It's time we moved our operations before the Talisans come."

  A guard in one of the orbiting gunships spoke. "What of us? We can’t possibly make it back to the station in twelve hours. What do we do?"

  The Governor closed the comm to the station and then replied, "You each now have equal shares in the gunships you are on; do what you will with them. As of this moment forward, I am no longer the Governor of SS241 and I will no longer be paying your salaries. I would advise that each of you go as far away from that station as possible. Our time on there is done."

  The Governor looked down at the cockpit control panel of his ship. "Will you at least leave me with my ship?"

  I replied, "We won’t be taking this ship with us."

  I turned back toward the hatchway,
still dragging the Governor by his neck. When I reached the hatch, I shoved him out onto the ground. The Feldon fighters had gathered behind Garrett.

  Garrett spoke. "You're letting him go?"

  I replied, "I promised him I wouldn’t kill him. As much as I want to, I will not break that promise."

  Garrett looked down at the Governor as he massaged his neck. "I didn’t make that promise. I have no qualms about snuffing him out!"

  The Governor put his hand up in defense. "I sent them away as you asked! I even added the Talisan threat to give them incentive to leave! Mr. Beutcher, you promised!"

  I placed my hand on Garrett’s shoulder as I signaled to my children. "Shila, Granda, come with us."

  Granda spoke as he moved our way. "You are letting him go? He attacked our family! He was going to kill us!"

  I placed my hands behind each of their backs. "Just come with me. My reasons will become clear later. It would be best if we were not to savage an unarmed man whose current situation does not endanger us, no matter what it is that he has done. It’s not the Grunta way."

  The Governor got to his knees and spoke. "You are the only honest person in this sector, Knog Beutcher!"

  I stopped and turned. "I told you that I would not kill you, and I won’t. However, I don’t speak for the Feldons. I believe you have killed many of their people. They might have a different idea for your punishment. That is for them to decide."

  As I turned and walked back toward the hotel with my children and Garrett, I could hear the Governor as he pleaded his case to the Feldons. Indeed, as Garrett had stated, it was not a good day for the former Governor of SS241.

  Chapter 22

  As we stood in the hotel room, I grabbed a rag and began to wipe the guards’ blood off my children. Both were as excited to see their father as I was excited to see them. Garrett could not stop laughing at their short, stubby, wiggling tails.

  Once Garrett had calmed, he checked the sensor readouts from the Jess. "The Governor’s friends have left orbit. By the time we get back to the station, it should be cleared out. What do we tell the Feldons out there now?"