by Frank Carey
"As I thought. Look, you may want to step out of here. I'm going to..."
"Use a resonance wave to shatter the crystals," Randy explained, "and you're worried about harming ours. Our crystals have a different frequency. Father used resonance waves to check the crystals for imperfections, and they had no effect on us."
"Cool," Harm said, then he hit a switch, and the four blue crystals shattered explosively.
"Father will be soooo angry," Nels said.
"He'll get over it." Harm turned to his four, new-found siblings. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a hula girl good luck charm, and handed it to Anne. "Anne, you and your sibs need to get the hell out of here and back to the League. This charm will give you access to the Vixen's systems. Get into that ship and press the large smiley face button on the center console. The ships is programmed to return to Smuggler's Cove where you will be safe. Find an Alue named Ruby and tell her what happened here."
"What about our sister, Losira?"
"Yeah, that didn't really work out. Maybe you'll have better luck with her. Talk to Ruby. Now, get the plark out of here."
"What about you?" Jewel asked.
"My destiny lies elsewhere. Go, be safe, and leave all this insanity behind."
He got up and walked out of the lab.
Anne's three siblings looked to her for guidance. "Annie, are we leaving?" Jewel asked.
Anne looked at her. "Hardly," she said while she walked over to the cabinet and handed out weapons. "Let's go."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
"Yes, Director. I understand. Cortez out." the Chief Administrator of Smuggler's Cove sat back in his seat and looked at his visitor. "Ruby, you seem to be of some importance to the League."
"Right," she replied, "that's why they imprisoned us.”
"Their loss. These Logash seem to be the source of your troubles. Seven of them are coming here to negotiate for your return. I've informed the League that any uninvited guests will be detained. I also reminded them we are a sovereign nation under a dozen different treaties."
"What are you going to do?"
"Nothing. The elf asked for a favor, and we don't deny the elf's requests. I don't want to think where we would be if it weren't for him. You and the other Alue are considered family, and we've gone to war for far less. Meanwhile, can some of your people give us a hand with the asteroid's network? The damn thing is on the fritz again."
Ruby stood up. "You got it boss. I'll get Roscoe and his team on it ASAP."
"Thanks, Ruby."
"Boss, any word on Harmon?"
"No. Nothing. The Cube has got Dr. Aymar-Taggart running interference. That elf scares the shit out of me."
"She's OK when you get to know her. Great dresser."
"If you say so."
Ruby left the chief's office and headed down to the Alue staging area where all the Alues waited for assignments. On her way, she stopped at the comm center to make a call.
"Cube Comm, this is Janna. How may I direct your call?"
"Hello, Janna, this is Ruby calling for Dr. Aymar-Taggart."
"I'm sorry, but Dr. Aymar-Taggart is..."
"Priority Harmon One."
"One moment, please."
"Ruby! Oh my God, where the hell are you?"
"Can you keep this on the QT?"
There was a barely audible beep. "Yep. What the hell happened?"
Ruby explained.
"Shit! Those morons. If I had known this, I wouldn't have OK'd Agendor's travel request. Do you want me to recall them?"
"Naw. We're safe here. It seems your cousin has pulled some pretty big strings. Did you know they kinda worship the guy?"
"He's done a lot for them. First Rule of Smuggling..."
"Make friends, and boy has he made friends. I was going to call him, but I didn't want to get him into more trouble than he's already in."
"You mean no one told you?"
"Told me what?"
Gloria explained to Ruby about Harm’s escape.
"That pointed-ear--no offense...
"None taken.
"Nincompoop! He can't go there and save the universe alone. What the hell is wrong with that sister of his? That's it. I'm grabbing some friends..."
"Ruby, you're stuck here. We're all stuck. Harm took one of two ships capable of spanning the two universes."
"You said there were two ships."
"Losira, Marta, Ciara, Team Eight, and a med team took the other on a rescue mission."
"Well, why didn't you say something before I filled the void with bad thoughts toward Losira? My opinion of her just went up two points. Look, I need to go. Could you keep me posted?"
"Of course, and Ruby?"
"Yes?"
"We miss you something fierce."
"Awwww. Thanks. Cove out."
"Dammit, those elves make me cry," she said, dabbing a tear from her eye.
###
The Ascendant moved through other-space with its load of VIP Logash safely ensconced in the passenger compartment while its pilot, Jason Thurgood, went about his piloting duties. "Agendor, ETA to Cove space is one hour."
"Thank you, Captain." Agendor replied. He leaned over and whispered into Rutile's ear. "I don't think he likes us."
"Frankly, Agendor, I don't like us."
"What?"
"We've spread dissent against the Alue throughout the League, and I now think it has been unjustified,” Rutile said. “The Alue born in this universe are innocent of wrongdoing, yet we paint them with the same brush as the ones who killed our planet."
"They are dangerous and need to be controlled!"
"Bullshit. They're as scared of what is happening as we are. And what of the rest of our family? What of the Queen? We are making a lot of people unhappy with our actions, and they will join us in suffering for those mistakes. Look at Sil, she's distraught with things she's heard said about us."
"Sil is tough. Once we're in power..." Agendor said.
"That's it, isn't it? Power. You and the Queen want to run this show, don't you? Make her alpha and throw the rest of us to the dogs while you play royal court. Listen to me, Mr. High & Mighty, you're playing with fire. Do you actually think we have a chance in a League filled with beings of every description? Hell, we couldn't even keep our own planet running. We need to make friends here, not enemies"
"Well, we have the neos..."
"Funny thing about the neoLogash. Every single one of them adore Harmon, and they all blame us for his disappearance. Grayson refuses to talk to us, and Ashley declined my request to join the family. She said it wouldn't be proper for a neo-Logash to bond with one of pure blood. The girl can shunt between rooms on this station, but she thinks we think she's too low on the social ladder..."
"Well, she is..."
"Silence! You will not speak like that in my presence ever again or I will personally show you the interior of an airlock. Do I make myself understood, Agendor? I will not allow you to poison the only pond we have left to live in. Am I understood?"
"Yes, mistress."
"Is there a problem?" Kayla asked as she returned from freshening up.
"Yes, there is, and it ends now. Kayla, I don't know if you've noticed, but our planet died two million years ago, due in part to the decisions you made. This means you are family-less. As such, I, as alpha female of the only family unit left in all space, invoke Temtah. You are stripped of royalty and are now designated delta female of this family."
Jason watched in fascination. Sil walked over and offered him a cup of tea. "Thanks. This is great stuff. What the hell is happening?"
"Old Logash--Ashley calls us paleos--have multiple designations for the adults depending on age and when they joined. I'm the youngest female, so I am a gamma. Under certain circumstances, a prospective member can be drafted into the family at the lowest level, which in our case would be a delta. This is called the Law of Temtah. Rutile just drafted the queen."
"Ooooh, burn!"
"Damn
skippy."
"Anyway for Kayla to get out of this?"
"Since she has no family, the only way out is hand to hand combat with Rutile."
"Ooooh, double-burn!"
The two were joined by Malg, Tessa, and Qui, who had helped himself to a bowl of popcorn.
"This is getting good." Malg said as he shoveled some of the snack into his mouth.
"Um, not to be ignorant, but why isn't Agendor defending Kayla?" Jason asked.
"Matriarchal society," Tessa explained.
"Ah, been there; live in that."
"Cool," Sil said.
"How dare you!" Kayla said as Agendor quickly backed away. "I am queen of the Logash, and you are one of my subjects."
"You, young lady, are a spoiled, familyless brat ruler of a long-dead world. It is time for you to take your place in a real family."
"Beta!” Kayla screamed. "How do you stand?"
"With my alpha!" Tessa yelled.
"As do I," Sil said. "She has guided this family through hell. I would give my life for hers."
"As would I," Tessa added.
"Enough!" Rutile yelled, while winking at her wives. "Do you accept Temtah?"
Kayla looked to the sky for divine guidance. Finally, she muttered, "Yes, I accept." She looked up at Rutile who stared back with a single, raised eyebrow."
"Fine." She bowed her head. "Mistress, I accept judgment and will gladly serve as delta female."
"Owned!" Jason whispered. Tessa cuffed him. "Ow!"
"Wuss."
"You've been talking to my wife, haven't you?"
Rutile barely suppressed a chuckle. "Now, Kayla, prepare refreshments while I repair the damage we have caused."
"Yes, mistress."
Rutile looked over at Agendor. "Comment?"
"I have never been this turned-on..."
"Stop. Captain, may I use your communications system?"
"Of course," Jason said as he got up and showed her to the comm board where she made several calls.
Jason wondered what she was doing, but his attention soon turned to preparing the ship for landing.
###
Ruby and Rutile stood facing each other while Jason, Rutile's family, and the Alue watched.
"So, you're sorry for all this trouble you caused?"
"Yes. We're supposed to bring you back, but I think that's not such a good idea. Like Agendor and I, the League has jumped to conclusions based on distrust and misinformation. I have made a few calls and set in motion measures to mitigate the damage, but I suggest you give it time to take effect."
"Thanks for the heads-up. We've got a few weeks of work left to do here, so we'll keep busy. Any word on Harm?"
"No and I feel responsible for that. I really don't know what will happen if he..."
"He'll be fine," Ruby said. "I've known the elf for a while. He's a survivor."
"But he's fighting his clone."
"No, he's fighting a subset of himself. He will find a way to return. He promised and he always keeps his promises."
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The four neos hurried through the corridors until they came to an exterior door. "Set weapons to stun," Anne said as she peeked out the door. "We have eight armed Alue guarding Harm's ship. They look bored."
"We like bored," Jewel said.
The four neos walked out into the light, then headed to the ship while talking amongst themselves and ignoring the guards.
"Halt! Proceed no further!" the guard leader said.
"Take a nap," Annie said as the neos' crystals flared.
All eight guards fell to the ground sound asleep.
"Come on," Anne said, but stopped when a cat confronted her. It stopped, tilted its head, and then returned to watching the area around the ship. "It must be Harmon's fob," she said, pulling the hula girl from her pocket. Still holding it, she walked up the ramp into the ship.
"Computer, are there weapons aboard?"
A weapons rack rose from the floor. It contained enough firepower to supply a medium-sized army. "Gear up. Computer, can you open a microgate between here and the League universe?"
"Size?"
"Communications."
"Working..." The ship hummed for a moment. "Gateway established."
"Open emergency channel to the Cube," Jewel said as she pulled information from what they learned through their link with Harmon.
"Working... Link established with League Transport Vessel Algonquin en route to this location."
"Why Algonquin?"
"Closest League asset. Algonquin is in descent. ETA six minutes."
"Who the hell is this?" a familiar voice said over the speakers."
"Queen Losira! This is your sister, Anne. I'm aboard the Space Vixen II with our sister Jewel, and brothers Nels and Randy. We are about to mount a rescue operation."
"Excuse me. Who are you?"
"I'm your sister, Anne, and we need your help, dammit!"
They heard a ship land outside so they ran out to meet it. They stood at the bottom of the Algonquin's ramp as the hatch opened and a team of Marines poured out, taking defensive positions around the neos. Sensing friendlies, the cats moved to take supporting positions around the Marines.
"Clear!" the biggest Marine yelled.
Losira emerged and hurried down the ramp only to stop and stare at the four neos. "Queen Losira, my name is Anne, and this is Nels, Jewel, and Randy. We are your siblings."
By now, the rest of the team had joined them. "My gods, how is this possible?"
Before anyone could stop her, Anne reached over and took Losira's hand, instantly forming a link. Thinking she was hurting Losira, Royce raised his weapon and pointed it at Anne.
"No!" Losira ordered. "She... They’re linking with me. My gods, we have to save my brother."
Anne released her hand. "We must hurry. This way."
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Harm hid in an alcove as a team of guards hurried by, their leader listening intently to his earpiece. Without warning, they stopped and turned to look at one another, raising their left hands. As Harmon watched, several dozen ball lightning orbs appeared as the guards collapsed to the ground. The orbs, meanwhile, flew down the corridor and disappeared around a corner.
Seeing the way clear, the tall elf ran over and checked the guards. "Damn, you guys need to pace yourselves," he said to the sleeping Alue. After making sure they were just unconscious, Harmon headed off after the orbs.
The complex was large with a lot of dead ends and cul du sacs. As Harm made his way through the labyrinth, he came upon more and more unconscious Alue. Finally, Harm found himself standing in front of a large double-door guarded by two, now-unconscious Alue wearing full combat gear. "Well, this is it," he said to no one in particular. "Xura? You here?"
"Hello, elf," she said as she appeared from another corridor. "What's up?"
"I wanted to say goodbye."
"So you know?"
He shook his head. "Nope. I just know this is goodbye. Don't know how. Don't know why. All I know is that this is it. Atmar is waiting for me on the other side of this door. I can sense him. I feel as if someone is walking on my grave." He stopped and stared at the door for a moment before reaching down to activate it.
Before he could open it, Xura grabbed him and hugged him. "Silly elf." She let him go and disappeared.
"I have been called far worse." He reached down and activated the door.
###
Twenty senior members of the Alue ruling group stood around the IWU and argued while Platinum and Malaki watched.
"We must activate it immediately!"
"It's a trap! One set by our enemies."
"Finally, I get to breed."
"What about the invasion?"
"Quiet!" the supreme leader yelled. "I can't think with all this jibber-jabber. Malaki, what did the elf say, exactly?"
Malaki repeated what Harm said.
"And what about this Atmar? What do you know of him?"
Malaki explained once more. "Sir, in a nutshell, Atmar is dangerous to everyone and he wants to kill both Muntz and Harmon. He doesn't give a damn about collateral damage."
"And he's here?"
"Yes, Leader. We scanned the tree line and found his pod. We've also confirmed that Task Force Eight has been destroyed. Half of one of its saucers was found drifting at the task force's last known coordinates. It was floating amongst the wreckage of a large ship, wreckage with the wrong quantum spin signature."
"Great. Here we are on the eve of our greatest campaign, and you're telling me we don't need to go because of this device?"
"Yes, sir," Malaki said.
"Platinum, get Muntz in here, now!"
"Yes, Leader!" Platinum walked over to a comm panel and made a call. "Sir, there's no answer at Muntz's lab."
"He's supposed to be preparing the gate. Dammit. Get security..."
Muntz walked in. "Leader, we may have a problem. Harmon Aymar has informed me..."
"Harmon?" Malaki said. "He's in your lab? He's supposed to be in a security holding room. How the hell did he get out?"
Before he could answer, Muntz walked over to the table holding the unit. "A mark nineteen IWU. Where did this come from?"
"Harmon brought it," the leader explained. "He says we can use it as an incubator for our young."
Muntz stared at him. "This doesn't change our plans, does it?"
The Alue leadership looked at Muntz. "You knew about this, yet you said nothing?"
"I didn't think it was important."
"What about the grange? Why haven't we heard from them since we sent over that weapons station?"
"There was a technical difficulty..."
"What kind of technical difficulty?"
"The grange universe is destroyed. I'm not sure the station had anything..."
"Did you not think this was important either?"
"We just found out."
"Where is Harmon Aymar?"
"Harmon? Harmon is being interrogated by my children. When they finish, he will be... Be... "
"Be what? Spit it out, man. What are your children going to do with him?"
"When they're finished, they have been ordered to terminate him."
"What? Are you mad? He offers us life and you give him death in return? Alue are warriors. We take what we need, but this... This gift. This could change the course of Alue destiny and you decide to kill the giver?"