by Mark Wandrey
Time enough for the rest later. For now, he had to get ready for the Zuparti.
* * * * *
Chapter 8
Vergola Assault Base—E’cop’k System
Meesh sent his strike leader Skeesh, third in command, crashing across the command center with a yowl of pain. “Impudent kitten!” he roared in rage as Skeesh tried to staunch the flow of blood from his face. Another few centimeters lower, and Meesh would have opened his jugular. “All you had to do was repel the cursed Lumar’s pathetic attack.”
“It wasn’t an attack,” Skeesh growled back. Meesh took a menacing step toward him.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I mean it was a diversion to launch a shuttle for recovery of staff off the Zuul ship.”
“You said two Zuul boats landed here…” Meesh said, confused now.
“They did, but a third headed for the objective on the other side of the planet.”
“And?” Meesh asked menacingly.
“It landed at the Engineering Guild’s facility,” a new voice said.
Meesh turned his head slowly to look at Nillab, leader of the Zuul.
“And what good were you in this?” he asked.
“Our ship was too damaged to be of any use, and we’ve expended all our drones. It was your drones that performed the intercept of Paku—which, I might remind you, is our ship as well.”
“You know the RoE,” Meesh said dismissively.
“Yes, it says once intentions are ascertained, appropriate action is to be taken. No intentions were ascertained. In fact, we barely had time to realize it was our ship before the Vergola cruiser was shooting the scat out of it.”
Meesh’s eyes flickered to another Zuul, this one obviously younger than the graying Nillab. There was also yet another dog, this one somewhere between the two in age. A male who moved with a strange self-assurance about him. “Who are these?”
“This is A’kef, the Rei’Shin of Insho’Ze. He is what you would call our war leader. And this is Veska, whom I have chosen as a junior adjunct to join us.”
“Whatever,” Meesh replied. “Who was on the other shuttle?”
“Humans,” Nillab said without emotion. A’kef glanced at her, but didn’t say anything.
“What? More Humans? Why were they on a Zuul ship?”
“The Zuul were looking for us and our ship. The Humans were looking for their own vessel, the one that brought the Humans here in the same way we were…recruited. Pure happenstance.”
“GenSha shit if it was!” The fur on his neck stood up, and he slid his claws in and out, his ears going back. Maddeningly, all Nillab did was narrow her eyes. The younger one, Veska, let her lips curl slightly to show shining white teeth. He was just beginning to consider whether a good fight would solve things when a Vergola entered the room in their disconcerting gliding gait.
The alien towered over all of them with its ridiculously thin neck and stupidly shaped head. Its brilliant green eyes regarded the assemblage curiously. “I was unaware of a tactical meeting?” One of its wraithlike hands seemed to float out of the robe it wore and gestured around it. “What are we discussing?”
“Master Guildsman Fak’l,” Meesh said, bowing his head slightly.
“Master Guildsman,” Nillab echoed, inclining her head even less.
“We were discussing that the newly arrived Zuul came with more Humans,” Meesh said. “And that the Zuul took no part in the fight that allowed the Humans they brought to join the Engineering Guild.” He spat and angled himself behind several of his crew in case the Vergola decided to lash out.
“Oh?” The alien’s tone sharpened with far too much interest, but the old Zuul didn’t so much as twitch an ear.
“I’ll remind you, our ship is all but disabled,” Nillab said evenly. “It is difficult to lead a charge in a space battle with no combat-worthy spaceship. However, it is capable enough to serve as a prison. The Humans are contained on my ship. We will learn if anything else is underlying the matter, but I suspect it is as it seemed. Unfortunately, our firepower is not increased, as the Zuul ship that arrived was summarily incapacitated.”
“The Humans,” the Vergola spoke, splaying its too long fingers to make a point of some kind.
“Are securely tucked away on my ship.” The Zuul was large for her kind and had many scars, evidence of her past battles. Her teeth were coated in metal of some kind, but she did not bare them nearly as often as Meesh would, had he gone through such a procedure.
“And if you learn of anything—” the Vergola said, letting the last hang.
“I will of course inform you directly, should there be anything that changes our situation. As per our contract.” Nillab emphasized the last words enough that his translator picked up on it.
Zuul had such strong ideas about the letter of a contract. Ridiculous, as the only important thing about them was the credits they delivered at the end. After all, it had been entropy-cursed contracts that had ended up costing the Pushtal everything. He’d burn the guild down if he had his druthers.
“The Zuul brought more Humans, some of whom have joined the Engineering Guild, and we’re just going to let that happen?”
“My brothers and sisters brought a ship with enough firepower that it could have finally tipped the balance in this contract, and you didn’t follow protocol, ruining that opportunity. Are we just letting that happen?” Nillab’s voice was dry even before the translator got a hold of it. The younger Zuul huffed something close enough to a laugh that it took everything in him not to snarl.
The Vergola didn’t like displays of emotion. It was in his interest to avoid an unhappy Vergola. Nobody knew what a mad Vergola was like. Legends spoke of the results, though. A shadowy race capable of untold violence was the rumor. He’d linked the fate of Valiant Rage, his clan, to the riches and power promised by the Cartography Guild. So if this Vergola must remain pleased, he would do his best to see to it.
“If there is nothing of tactical importance to be discussed, I suggest we each return to our own quarters. Should something change—for instance, should you come up with the plan I have asked for to end this situation—by all means, we may gather together again.” The Vergola turned fully toward Nillab, leaving its back open to Meesh. He fought the urge to slash. That wouldn’t lead to credits and power either, shove it all into entropy.
“If the Humans have anything of interest to say, we expect it immediately. Otherwise, we look forward to your plans for taking the dwarf planet now that you have some…reinforcements. This has taken entirely too long.”
Nillab gestured her understanding and turned on her heel, her tail held low and insultingly still. Meesh pictured himself ripping it from her body and strangling the Zuul with it, which made him feel mildly better for at least a few minutes.
The Vergola, curse it that he couldn’t read its reactions, regarded him for a moment, then left with a sweep of its robes. Their ad hoc base, 100 kilometers from the Engineering Guild’s facilities, was well beyond the horizon and beyond weapons range. Their positions were relatively safe and static. The little planet provided just enough gravity to make the Vergola even more ethereal in its motions. He snarled in disgust at a being who would waste so much effort to just appear…delicate. The thought made him shudder in disgust.
“We should kill them all and take this world,” Skeesh hissed low under his breath.
Meesh glanced at his strike leader, considering. He was the oldest cub from his second mate, and well placed within the nominal overall clan leadership. Who was he kidding? The Pushtal hadn’t had anything resembling a cohesive leadership since the MinSha had stolen their home world. Pirates and thieves, that’s all we are. Maybe I should quietly look aside while Skeesh kills his way through these mewling kittens? Then he realized the strike leader could possibly succeed. That would be good for them, but bad for him.
The next thing would be for Skeesh to challenge him for leadership of Valiant Rage. Whether Mee
sh wanted to admit it or not, Skeesh was younger, a bit bigger, and would probably win. A lot of a Pushtal’s claim to leadership revolved around prowess in battle. If Skeesh defeated him in a challenge, he’d have to fight again, probably within hours. Since the MinSha betrayal, all the big clans had fallen to just that sort of inner power squabble. He himself had been with a boarding party of another clan’s cruiser that had not responded to hails. The inside was a charnel house of slaughter. Only feral kits were left, feeding off the rotting remains of the adults.
No, he didn’t need it to go that way. However, if his timing was right, and he waited patiently until the fighting was over…Once they had won the day, it would be simple to remove the surviving Zuul and the blasted Vergola. He smiled, showing long, yellowed, razor-sharp teeth as he considered Guildmaster Meesh. He liked the thought a lot.
* * * * *
Chapter 9
Classified Engineering Guild Holding—E’cop’k System
“Oi, Zuul of Silent Night!” A cheery voice echoed down the hall, too Human and too bright to startle.
Sonya turned, jaw dropping slightly, and even Drake next to her didn’t snarl.
“Corporal Chelsey,” Sonya replied, her tail waving behind her before she stilled it.
“Heard I missed a right proper shitfest when you came in. Was out on patrol with some Lumar luminaries, you know how it is.” Small even for a Human, the corporal bounced on her toes, an old habit that made for a particularly odd effect in the minimal gravity of the planet.
“Wasn’t the warmest welcome we’ve ever had,” she allowed, her calm answer undercut by Rex’s snort.
“That’s saying something.” Chelsey was enough older than Sonya and her siblings to have been pressed into babysitting services more than a few times, and they’d found her stronger than she looked and overflowing with love for them. Mercenary training and experience hadn’t changed her too much, though by all reports, she’d stopped trying to adopt every other alien they met off-contract.
“Too right,” Shadow said with something that approached a laugh. “Did you hear we hired an elSha?”
“WHAT?” Chelsey’s eyes rounded until they nearly doubled in size. “We’re finally branching out! Who? Where? Are they here?”
“Freena, and…” Shadow’s ears drooped, and none of them looked at each other. “She was in the guts of the Paku when we evacuated. She didn’t make it to our dropship.”
“Well, the ship you came in on looks to have survived, if barely.” Chelsey grinned her brightest and shrugged. “Can’t wait to meet her. And I swung by med on my way in; looks like Ripley’s taken to the nanites and should be awake soon.” She stopped bouncing to deliver that, steadying herself on a low handrail, which emphasized her seriousness. Then she was all smiles again. “You all look like you’re off to do something important. Need company?”
Sonya cocked her head—the corporal had only recently returned from patrol duty, got up to speed on what had happened while she’d been out, and then come directly to find them…trouble still simmered in the Silent Night barracks. She’d really hoped they’d squashed it, but…
She shook her head, then realized it looked like she was rejecting Chelsey’s offer. “Come with us if you like. Shadow’s thinking we should chat with the Lumar. You have a luminary you want to introduce us to?”
“Do I?” Chelsey bounded forward, making a point to bump her shoulder into each of them on her way through. Even Drake allowed it without a grumble. “People complain about the Lumar all the time, but they’re sweet, you know? Really good within the scope of their capabilities. It’s all porkies, what they say about them. You don’t ask a shark to hunt on land and then give the arse to him for flopping, do you?”
“We…do not,” Sonya said, a grin dropping her jaw despite everything else around them.
“That’s a good point.” Shadow took a few half step/half bounces to come abreast of Sonya and Chelsey, tilting his head to regard the corporal. “Do we need to get our suits?”
“To see the Lumar?” Chelsey laughed, her pace not as smooth as theirs. “Or to piss off an idiot or two?”
“Always up for that,” Drake muttered, and Sonya huffed a laugh, despite knowing—or because she knew—how serious he was.
“Nah. You kept your breathers clipped on? Buildings are old, and I wouldn’t entirely trust all the connections, but we’re all inside, and you can get to the Lumar without hitting the planet’s attempt at atmosphere.” Chelsey swung her arms wide, which gave her walk even more of a fluttery bounce. Rex rolled his eyes so far back they turned entirely white. “Gets chilly enough that some keep suited more often than not, but you got that covered.” She touched both Shadow and Sonya’s arms and gleamed up at them. “Got jealous of you lot every winter, such as we get in Brisbane.”
“Less so every December, I bet.”
“I don’t know, you’re a lot more efficient at cycling heat than all our sweating. I could do with less leaking out of me, you know?” Chelsey cracked herself up, still chortling when they reached a break in the corridor.
“Big Strong Fist?” Rex asked, cocking his head at the programmed sign.
“I love them.” Chelsey sighed, clapped her hands together, and pointed at the other door, labeled Silent Night. “Barracks are there. When the heat gets a little unsteady, folks congregate in the rec, where you…met up with the bulk of us.” She rolled her eyes, then stepped up to the Big Strong Fist door and pressed a button.
After a long moment, the door slid open, and a large Lumar leaned out, blinking at each of them. He was only a little taller than Rex, and though his four arms added some heft, he wasn’t quite the overwhelming force some of the mercs had made them out to be.
“Never get used to all the arms,” Drake whispered to Rex, who grunted in reply.
But then, from a Human’s perspective…Sonya flicked her ears in amusement, and the Lumar fastened his eyes on her.
“Fight?”
The fur along Rex’s back rippled in obvious excitement at a perceived challenge.
“No, Ulan, no fighting just now.” Of course Chelsey would have taken the time to find out their names. Sonya should have asked how many Lumar were on the planet; that was the sort of thing a good mercenary found out. “Is Iban able to come and talk?”
“No.” Ulan shook his head, turning back to focus on Chelsey. “Eating. You come?”
“We can come in?” Shadow asked, sounding more eager than Sonya would have expected.
Ulan shrugged and turned around, waving an arm on either side of his body for them to follow.
Sonya fell into the middle of their group, her nose twitching. The Lumar didn’t reek like the Pushtal, but there was a dry, burnt papery edge to these halls that itched along the inside of her nostrils, and she needed time to get control of her responses before someone noticed. She had never heard that Lumar were quick to take offense, but Humans didn’t like the implication that they stank, and better not to take the risk with a team of mercenaries bigger than Rex.
She clenched her jaw and rubbed her tongue against the roof of her mouth, trying to minimize the bitter edge in the back of her throat. A near-overwhelming urge to spit or sneeze set her eyes to watering, and she lowered her head in the hopes of hiding her expression.
“What is that stench?” Drake finally asked.
“Smells like something rotted then caught fire,” Rex agreed.
Sonya jammed an elbow into Rex’s ribs. Her brother grunted more in surprise than pain, and gave her a little growl. “Don’t be a wanker,” she hissed at him.
“Ulan, how long have you been on this contract?” Shadow asked from a few paces ahead of Sonya, trying to distract from his brothers’ idiotic behavior.
“Many.”
“And how many of you are there in Big Strong Fist?”
“Many hand counts. Less now. Still many.”
Hand counts, Sonya wondered. Just how slow are the Lumar?
“You work for t
he Zuparti?” she asked.
“Engineering Guild.” Ulan stopped, which Sonya realized only after she’d crowded up on Shadow, tromping on his heels. She muttered an apology and took the excuse to violently rub her nose and around her muzzle, though it did no good against the scent climbing through her nasal passages.
“The Zuparti aren’t the whole guild?”
“Not think so.” Ulan shrugged, his eyes passing over them and taking no special notice of her twitching nose. “Maybe? Contract with Engineering Guild. Watch planet, protect Aku.” He turned back around, started walking, stopped, and looked back at them. “Protect planet, watch Aku.”
“Are the Aku nearby?”
“No. Lower.”
“In the mines?”
“Yes. Aku mine and fix stuff. Lumar protect and fight. But not fight now.”
“Right,” Chelsey agreed. “No fighting now.”
“Fight soon. Zuul. Not these Zuul.”
“Right.” Chelsey patted the arm closest to her. “These Zuul are Silent Night.”
“Silent Night and Big Strong Fist same contract.” The translator managed to convey the satisfaction in the Lumar’s words. She watched the Lumar talk. It wasn’t like a slow or mentally challenged Human; the Lumar was operating at their own level. No straining, simply what they could manage. Sonya toyed with her breather, taking short breaths. The further they walked down the hall, the stronger the smell became.
Sonya craned her neck to distract herself with what was ahead. The hall branched into several more, each lined with doors, and as they moved around the curve, their path emptied into a large room full of Lumar.
“Iban,” Ulan said, pointing to a Lumar across the room. Iban had food in each hand and alternated eating and shouting with the other Lumar at his table.
