by John Short
Of the three bars on the planet, Jake's was the cleanest, so at least it had that going for it. The other two were not only filthy, they were hives of illegal commerce where the local prostitutes and criminals gathered to pry the credits from unsuspecting customers or where some of the braver pirates came to relax whenever their ships were being repaired by local engineers who didn’t care whose credits the took.
However, there was one tall thin female working the crowd at Jake’s who had a grace and stoic beauty about her that said she did not belong on this dusty back end world. Jarrieal could tell she had the blue skin of a mind sensing witch underneath the makeup she used to try to cover who she really was. He had decided that she must have been hired to “feel out” the customers in advance and to weed out the troublemakers until she had come to stand between him and Jelio. She made it a point to touch them both when she whispered, “Tell him he will not be attacked in this establishment. Outside is anybodies guess though.” Then with a smile she walked away from them and directly into the back where the bar had its office and storage areas.
That had happened last night when the pair had dressed as mechanics in stained coveralls with the names Frank and Francine over the left breast pockets to check out Jake's. Tonight they had Jon with them and both wore their uniforms without their new armor. Jon was wearing his silver and black family colors, the Dragon's Breath Swords that could erupt with flaming plasma along their blades when Jon held them in just the right way and the black cape that covered his eckto-frames with the hood that hid his face. Aside from Jarrieal and Jelio who entered the tavern first, Jon also had a ten-man escort of grubs who had volunteered to tag along as added security for the mission. They had slowly filtered into the tavern dressed as simple spacers for the last half hour and were now seated around the room trying their best to blend their muscular frames in with the other customers.
When the imposing figure that was Jon Connell walked into the tavern, all eyes turned to him and watched as he made his way to a table at the rear and sat alone. Two males stood and left as if Jon's very presence were causing them to have second thoughts on where to eat that night. Two more stood as if to make their way over to his table but were stopped in their tracks when the bartender shouted out for them to sit back down and leave the new visitor alone.
“You don't want anything to do with that one, younglings. Just from the looks of him, you'd be dead before you said hello and I don't want to have a mess in here that I'll have to clean up later.” The two brave bullies sat back down. When Jon looked at the bartender he saw the male place his fist to his heart and ever so slightly bowed his head in the token of respect known only to the Royals or to those who have served in the Peacekeepers. Jon silently returned the bartender's show of respect and then the waitress came to take his order.
“What can I get for you tonight sir?” the young female politely asked.
“Do you have any Lexon tea from Haven?” he asked.
“That stuff is expensive,” she told him. “Too expensive for this place. We do have some directly from Lexon II though. Or maybe a nice bottle of Cook's Original. That comes from Haven and is the best beer in this galaxy. Would that do?”
“It’s not nearly the same, but I'll take the tea. Thank you.” Jon politely replied and she went off to fill his order. Watching the crowd for any more troublemakers he almost missed the tall thin female who came up and sat at his table.
She was strikingly beautiful with long silver hair and dazzling violet eyes. She wore the clothes of a local prostitute that showed off her incredibly long legs and ample bust. Around her waist she wore a wide jeweled belt that Jon decided must have been made from manufactured jewels because not even the King's treasuries could have afforded such a belt of real jewels.
He pulled his arm away when she touched him and she just smiled. “I'm not the one you've come to see?” she asked him. “That's strange, usually that's what all the mysterious males who come in here try to tell me. 'I've flown across the entire rim just to see you!' they all say.” she smiled. While Jon did find her attractive, he wasn't in the mood to deal with the local prostitutes. He wanted to meet the agent and get off this planet as soon as he could.
“I'm not in the market. Another time perhaps.” Jon told her as politely as he could. He was not a fan of bar-rats no matter how pretty they might be.
“Oh well, my loss then.” she sweetly told him as she left his table just when his tea was delivered. This male was dangerous! He had killed without feeling and would do so again! His heart was so dark it was almost unknowable! He demanded truth and would gladly kill to get it! She had to warn her charge against her plans.
Hurrying to the backroom office where her latest charge was hidden, she closed the door before approaching the small female in the full black covering of a Lexonian mourner.
Kneeling in front of the female she said, “High One, you must not! Find another. His heart has been deeply scarred and he has healed it with anger. His very soul is so dark I cannot see inside him at all! The male is becoming walking death. Stay clear of him, I beg you!”
“Has his soul become black as his cape?” the small figure asked.
“Not yet my Lady, but soon.”
“Then it must be now or he will be lost forever! Besides, if we are to intercept those who have been sent to harm another we need to act now. You must trust me. That male will pass through the darkest regions of eternity before he causes me pain or allows me to be in danger. Take me to him.”
“As you wish my Lady. Follow me.” Together both females went back out to Jon's table where the small female stood looking at Jon and the tall female sat again. “You may not be in the market for me Butcher, but I am in the market for you. Here then is your cargo. Do you accept?” she asked.
“Where does this cargo need to be delivered?” Jon inquired as he sipped his tea. He fully expected to be told some coords out near the hidden planet known only as Sanctuary.
“You will be told when we are onboard Defiance and away from here.”
“And how much does this cargo pay?” Jon asked, playing the part of a ship's Captain interested only in credits.
Reaching to her belt, the female removed one of the stones and handed it to Jon. Even in the low light of the bar, Jon could see that the jewel was real and not the fake he had first thought it to be.
“Why would I accept a covered mourner and a blue bar-rat who tries to hide herself from me as cargo?” Jon demanded.
“I am no common bar-rat. I have spent many cycles in the service of the High Ones. My name is Tiaz. She is in need of your service and we have been told that you are an honest and trustworthy ship owner. That once your word has been given, you will defend your cargo with all means necessary to insure its safe arrival.”
“You do understand that the Defiance is no cargo ship but a fully armed fighting ship? We have no provisions for mourners or bar-rats onboard. She is a bare walled war ship. We have no fine linens or fancy meals. She is designed to go into battle and come out victorious, not prance around like a Lady's pampered pet.” Jon informed the pair of females requesting transport on his ship. He was purposely trying to make these two find a different ship. He had no time for traveling females and all the problems they caused.
“Would the ship owned by the Butcher of Canari Prime be anything different?” Tiaz asked.
“Very well then.” Jon said with a sneer at the name he had grown to hate. He waved to Jarrieal and Jelio, pocketed the jewel the bar-rat had offered as payment and then paid for his drink with a flip of his wristband leaving a fair tip for the waitress who had served him. “Come with me. We'll take one of the public ground vehicles if neither of you mind.” Standing up from the table, he downed the remainder of his tea before heading for the door.
Leaving the bar, one of the drunker customers reached out to grab Tiaz until Jon stepped between him and the tall female. “They are both mine tonight friend.” he growled out at the male who took one lo
ok at Jon and withdrew his hand.
“Sorry friend.” the male said and went back to his drinking.
“You don't need both of them.” another said as he grabbed the small mourner's arm.
In a flash, Jon drew his flaming sword and sliced the male's arm completely off. He had forgotten that his back had not yet recovered and he nearly fell to the floor as hot searing pain shot through him.
“I've got you Jon.” Jarrieal said as he grabbed Jon to offer him support. Jon shook him off and regained his balance.
“Let's just get out of here fast Jar.” Jon quietly told his friend. “Make sure our cargo is kept safe.” He struggled to pull himself erect again and lead the females outside.
Outside a large ground vehicle pulled up and Jarrieal jumped in first before helping the females get in and then he held out his hand for Jon. “Come brother, the Healer said you weren't to over do it tonight.”
“Thank you my friend.” Jon replied as he allowed Jar to help him into the vehicle. “Let's go. Something tells me we don't have much time before they come after our cargo. Did you happen to notice those three who tried to sneak out when this mourning female appeared?”
“Yes, I sent our guards to deal with those three. We'll meet them at the shuttle.” Jarrieal told him as Jon took a seat. “I'm going to get you off planet and out to Defiance where Phil will meet you and then come back in for them if they don't make it in time on this trip. You're going to be in big trouble when she sees that you've hurt yourself again.”
“OK Jar. I promised to behave, so I'll be good.” Jon kidded with his friend.
“You call what you did in that bar being good? I don't want Phil to get mad at me for letting you hurt yourself!” The two males laughed together as their driver, another of Jon's grubs, sped away towards the spaceport and their shuttle.
As she watched the males joke together, Gala wondered what injury had her son in so much pain that he could barely walk. She had not noticed that he was wearing a set of Eckto-frames just to keep his legs under him until she saw him attack the male who had grabbed her and then as he'd been helped into the ground car. To her he appeared to be just as tall and strong as her heart remembered him to be in his youth. However, her mourning clothes forbade her to speak directly to him, or even to her friend, Tiaz, in public. No matter how her heart ached for the touch of the Warrior she had raised from a youngling, she had to restrain her desires until she knew the time was right to expose everything to him. Still, nothing could stop the tears that filled her eyes at the sight of her beautiful human child and the adult warrior he had become as she helplessly watched his fellow warriors assist him into the ground car. She could almost feel the intense pain he was trying to hide as beads of sweat appeared on his brow.
As if Tiaz knew her heart, the tall slender female reached out, but did not force her touch upon her friend. Her kind had always been able to read a person's innermost secrets and emotions with a simple touch. This is how she knew the darkness that filled Jon Connell's soul and the painful scars upon his heart. The male had known love only a few times in his life and each time it had been torn away from him until now there may not be a chance of it touching him again. He had built up a strong fortress around his heart. Maybe stronger than even a mother's love could penetrate. When Gala, the High One to all but her, reached out to take her hand, suddenly she was overwhelmed by what at last opened to her. Gala was Jon Connell's heart-mother and the depth of her love for the injured warrior knew no bounds! “Oh Goddess,” she silently prayed. “Please help him!”
When the ground vehicle came to a stop at Jarrieal's shuttle, he helped get Jon out and then turned to help the females. “You may not touch the High One.” Tiaz told him.
“Well your High One better hurry her High ass up or we'll leave her here.” he snarled. “My grubs will arrive in another minute and I intend to be off this rock with the Butcher and our cargo when they arrive.” he yelled as he lifted first her and then Gala into the shuttle before climbing in and rushing to get the engines started.
A second vehicle pulled in beside theirs and the rest of the grub team exited it before running into the shuttle and slamming the hatch closed. “Get us in the air, Fast Jar!” one of them shouted over the engines. “We've got company coming!” Everyone heard the blasts of laser fire hitting their ship. Only the extra strength of Umin shielding prevented those shots from disabling the shuttle and stranding them on the surface.
“Going up, now!” Jar yelled back and everyone scrambled to find seats. This being one of the Umin attack shuttles from the Leviathan gave it a distinct speed advantage over the usual shuttles that served to transport goods and passengers from the surface up to waiting ships and Jarrieal was soon flying away from the planet. His screens alerted him to several threats approaching with their weapons hot and their targeting computers struggling to lock onto him. “What do you want to do Jon? Run away or take out a few of them first?”
“Let's see what they want before we take out the first few of them at least. Seems a shame to come this far and leave the party so soon.” Jon told him with a smile as he dialed in their targeting computers. Then opening up coms between their shuttle and those giving chase Jon said, “ATTENTION pursuing ships. Lower your targeting computer beams. We are leaving with our cargo in a legal attempt at collecting a contract.”
“You are taking something Boss King sent us to collect.” came the reply. “We were ordered to either come back with the item or proof that it was destroyed. Since you have our prize, I guess we'll just have to destroy you too.”
“Let's scare them a little,” Jon said as he fired off a series of missiles that ignited trails of hot blue plasma from their tails. No matter how the attackers twisted or turned they could not escape the Umin made missiles and were soon blown from space as Jon and Jarrieal chuckled. “Seems our friends have no respect for folks trying to earn an honest living.” he said to no one in particular. “Unless you want to shoot a few more of them, let's get out of here.” he told Jackal after firing four more of the Umin missiles at their attackers.
“Let me show you something. You’re going to love this.” Jar told him and he engaged the cloaking system that Phillie had only just discovered. Jar’s shuttle suddenly disappeared from their pursuer’s scanners. Jarrieal calmly circled around behind the ships that were chasing them. From his new position, Jar fired off three quick plasma bursts that reduced another three ships to ash.
“Get ready to jump.” Jarrieal hollered back to everyone in the passenger section. Jumping in 3, 2, 1, JUMP!” The remaining attackers could only stare in disbelief as the shuttle they had been closing with suddenly disappeared from their screens in a blinding flash of light from behind them only to reappear out at the system's rim. It appeared to them that it was taken aboard a larger ship, which then also disappeared in yet another, brighter flash of light! Inter-system shuttles could not travel that fast, nor could any ships the shuttle might meet out on the rim. It had to still be out there heading for a far off slipway. The ships pursuing the shuttle had little time to contemplate on those things though as three more of their ships exploded. The lone surviving ship could find no trace of the escaping shuttle or the larger ship that it was picked up by. Even using full spectrum scans, and every defensive beacon on the planet, and its many moons, neither the shuttle nor any ships could be found! When old man King found out that they had let one tiny Lexie mourner get away from them, heads would roll! Maybe his kid would have better luck.
As soon as they settled on the deck of Defiance, Phillie ran over to the shuttle with Jon's wheelchair. Jon was the first one to exit and she told him “Jon, get in the chair. Jar take him straight to medical and I'll see to our guests. You promised not to get into any fights Jon! Can you ever let someone take care of you for a change?”
Standing on the deck facing her, Jon looked at her as the other members of his team exited the shuttle quickly to hurry off to other duties, they all knew better than to get
between Jon and Phillie when tempers flared. The two “cargo females” stood by intently watching the proceedings. He calmly flipped the hood from his head and finally said sternly “Phillie, I already told you, I don't need a mother.”
“That's right, you need a Senior Flight Engineer who is going to kick your ass if you don't put it in this chair RIGHT NOW! SIT!”
“You better sit down Jon,” Jar told him. “You know she can do it in your present state.”
“Stars Jar, I'd let her even if I wasn't all messed up. You know good and well I could never hurt her. Of all the hard headed females in the universe, I have to have the one that I love as a sister for my Engineer.” Giving in he sat and looked up at his “cargo” before saying, “Sorry ladies. It seems the Butcher of Carni Prime isn't quiet the fierce warrior you thought he was.” He resigned himself to the wheelchair.
“He's every bit the Warrior you thought he was and more.” Phillie defended her Jon “He just needs to take it easy and heal before he goes into another battle. Jar, take him up and have the Healer make sure he's all right. If he isn't, have him put back in the tubes, otherwise have his meals sent to him. I'll find out where our cargo needs to go and see to their needs.”
“OK my love. Let's go Boss.” Jarrieal said as he left the landing bay pushing Jon ahead of him.
“Alright you two honored guests.” Phillie turned and said to the females. “Lets get something straight. Just like little miss blue here can read people, I can sense them. So if either of you are planning to try anything to hurt Jon, I'll know it. When Jon is out of action I am in command of this ship. That's how he wants it, that's how it is. Follow me and I'll show you to your quarters.”
