For the Good of All

by Marc Stevens

  “Justice, take us to our previously discussed location.”

  “Affirmative, standard transition in thirty seconds. I will begin recharging the matrix for additional options.”

  Justice closed the hangar door and jumped. Sael did not like the idea of being kidnapped and voiced her displeasure at the unexpected turn of events.

  “I do not have time for your games and did not alert my crew that I would be leaving. Take me back to my ship now!”

  I let Sael steam for another moment before Tria elbowed me.

  “Sael, if you want to properly coordinate our next combat mission, we are going to need the Sig. They will handle the slave transfer once they are liberated. They can also secure the orbitals while we go about our business. In order for this to happen smoothly, you are going to have to brief them on our plan of action. Like it or not, they are my allies and will be an integral part of the operation. They will listen to what you have to say, and if they have any objections, they will voice them.”

  Sael’s mouth snapped shut and she eyed the two of us. It was dawning on her that we were going to be complicit. She crossed two of her arms and threw the briefcase with her lower one, it was at me, or to me — depends on whose eyes you were looking through. Either way, I put my hand up to catch it, but Tria took a step forward and snatched it out of the air like a Preying-Mantis catches a fly.

  With that, we turned our backs on her and I called out, “Come on Sael, we can finish this in the conference room.”

  She reluctantly followed. As we passed the ready room, Tria threw the briefcase rather haphazardly inside.

  “Justice, would you please set that aside for the Planet Protection Fund.”

  “As you wish, Tria.”

  Tria grabbed my arm and pulled me close and we walked to the lift tubes with Sael staring holes into our backs. As we stepped into the tube Tria embraced me, and I gave the Operative a wink of my eye as we disappeared up the tube. It was almost a full thirty seconds before the Operative stepped out of the tube. She had regained her composure and had a forced neutrality on her face that made me smile at her attempt. We made our way to the conference room where my crew awaited. We took our customary seats and Justice gave us a sitrep.

  “Transition time to our comm buoy array’s effective transfer range is twenty-two minutes. Thirty-seven minutes after our arrival, the energy matrix will have sufficient charge for DEHD Core operations.”

  “Thank you, Justice, open a channel to Tam Lin when comms are available.”

  I looked across the table at Sael. “I know you have something to say, so get it over with so we can move on to more important matters.”

  “This little joy ride will have my superiors thinking I have disclosed sensitive information I have been ordered to keep secret.”

  “Sael, your sudden change in attitude has us questioning our alliance. We were well on our way to working out a mutually beneficial relationship when you decided to make yourself our appointed leader. Trying to prove you were in charge by sidelining us on the last mission did not endear you to us. If it were not for Tria’s interaction, I was going to marginalize your participation in our upcoming missions.”

  “It was a test by my superiors, and in many ways, it was meant for both of us. To the remaining hardliners on the council, it was a way of determining if I could exert my control over you. I tried to calculate just how far I could push you before you pushed back — to my surprise, you capitulated. I gambled this would turn out as it has, and you would see my manipulations for what they actually are. You are turning out to be one of the smartest primates I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. If this test by my council turns out as I hope it will, we will be stuck with each other.”

  I was glad she said that last part with a smile on her face. Tria was right as usual, and now I was hoping we could get this crap behind us. If Sael finally sealed the deal on her new command, we could get on with changing the way predatory races conduct their business. I had great hope and promise that we would start working together for the good of all. Since Sael was being truthful against her council’s better wishes, I would make a big show of it and let her sit in on my crew’s decision on whether or not we would recommend her new ship be completed at Alpha base. I pretty much knew the Grawl scientists back at base would vote yes for any additional access to Chaalt tech. I was probably being petty and childish for the theatrical stunt I was getting ready to pull, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to screw with Sael’s head just a little for the game she ran on us during our last mission.

  I stood up and made eye contact with each of my crew members and settled my stare on Sael. “Since we have once again determined the status of an irritating old witch, I would like each of you to voice your opinion on whether or not we should allow the Chaalt ship and construction crews into Alpha base. The outcome of this consensus will be my recommendation to our scientific research team members.”

  Sael held a finger up. “I do have one more unfortunate bit of news that I must tell you. It would be better to air it now before you make your decision on allowing my people access to Alpha Base. My superiors confiscated the shuttles along with the personnel we captured at the Scrun training center.”

  “Would you care to elaborate on why they would do that?”

  “Must you always place me in conflict with my superior’s orders? It may have something to do with the capture of Scrun royalty and certain information on the shuttle’s navigation computers. I have nothing else to say!”

  The looks my crew were giving me said they wondered what I was going to do about this sudden turn of events. Sael, for her part, sat stoic at the end of the table, with no further comment on the subject. Now I know why we ended up with a case full of credits. The Chaalt got their hands on someone they could milk for information, and we got cash. I doubt that I would ever learn who got the better end of the bargain, not that I really needed to guess.

  “Sael, you better have a damn good Plan B to get us into the base, now that Plan A is no longer available.”

  “With a few modifications, we will go in the same way we took the last base down.”

  Sael went on to lay it out for us, and it was pretty much the same plan as last time, only this time we would actually participate. It was good enough that I had nothing to add. She would once again be first into the meat grinder. She and her team would bear the greatest risk to get the rest of us in. She was a ballsy old bitch.

  “Okay everyone, let’s hear your thoughts on giving the Chaalt access to Alpha base. If you agree, then I will give the Chaalt immediate access. Tria, let’s start with you.”

  Tria stood up, crossed her arms and walked around the table to the Operative. Sael had a mystified expression on her face. Tria stepped behind her and clapped her on the shoulders.

  “As long as Sael can contain her uncontrollable habit of being an overbearing Throgg, then yes, I think we should take on the project. The other stipulation I have, is she should be held responsible for the personnel that accompanies the program.”

  Tria, returned to her seat with a small smirk on her face. Sael looked like she was ready to explode. You could almost hear her teeth grinding, but to her credit she held her tongue.

  “Coonts, how do you vote?”

  The little Grawl got up and nodded to me. He then clasped his hands behind his back and approached Sael. He started pacing back and forth behind her. I wasn’t sure what kind of Grawl crap or logic he was going to spout, but knowing him, it was bound to be good.

  “If we did not have to continuously question the intentions of the Chaalt council and the Operative’s commitment to our cause, we would already be well on our way to uncovering the mysteries behind our current discoveries. I find the greed and hindrance on the part of the Chaalt leadership extremely annoying. From a purely Grawl perspective, I completely understand your people’s wanting to be the sole recipients of our technological discoveries. It is understandable because the great majority of
my people are like-minded and consider the sharing of discoveries for the good of all absurd.”

  Coonts continued pacing and had Sael on the verge of choking him. Each time he stopped to add to his dissertation, I thought she would pounce on him and render him unconscious. I was surprised when she let him continue unabated. He turned and stopped once more. I considered stopping him and moving on to Klutch before the big lummox could fall asleep from boredom. I instead chose to let Coonts drone on, for some reason finding Sael’s discomfort satisfying.

  “However, with the appearance of Nathan Myers and the human interaction that has followed, I have been enlightened to the point I now have a new galactic outlook. It is my intention to see to it that my people will eventually share my assessment as well. While it is only a theory on my part, and many would consider it speculation, I believe that my Commander’s human predispositions and intuition, has a direct correlation to the unprecedented amount of technological discoveries he has uncovered.”

  Oh man, was he ever laying it on thick. I was surprised he did not mention the Oolaran or Justice for that matter. I hope this was not the start of another feud between him and the A.I. It would be a good idea to shut him up before he let slip we had a Guardian Transponder. As it turns out I didn’t have to, Sael, had reached her breaking point.

  “I have had enough of this mindless scat. I get it! You are angry with me for my actions. I have already explained why, yet you still choose to try and humiliate me. I need you to trust me on the decisions I have made. Once I have secured an agreement to finish the experimental spacecraft, there will be no more games. When the experimental ship is moved to Alpha Base, you will be able to make demands of my council that they will ultimately have to concede to you for fear of the project being halted. Please Nathan, look at the endgame and not the trials you must endure to get there.”

  That was an interesting statement. If I had heard correctly, she just alluded to the fact we could hold her people’s project for ransom. I thought about it for another minute and decided it was time to move on. The best way to do it was to cut to the chase.

  “Justice, alert the Grawl scientists that the Chaalt will be bringing their project to Alpha Base and they’re to start on the project as soon as possible”

  The look of surprise on Sael’s face turned to a small smile, mine turned to a frown. “Just remember, no more games. You’re an ally, not our designated leader.”

  Her smugness had me a little pissed, and I considered bearding the lion once more out of spite, but Justice interrupted.

  “Commander, we will be exiting hyperspace in sixty seconds. I will activate our comm buoy and establish a link to Tam Lin’s secure network.”

  It looked like Sael was going to get her wish and our mental spanking would finally come to an end. Justice projected a large view screen on the wall and Tam Lin’s image appeared on it. Tria and Sael both scrutinized the pretty Earth girl.

  “Nathan, it is good to see you are still among the living. The Sig and I were just talking about you. The rumor mills are rife with stories of the alien demon. It seems he destroyed a convoy of Scrun and Murlak ships. The pieces of sewage have the audacity to claim they were on a peaceful mission to rescue members of their races trapped on an outpost with failing life support systems.”

  Sael let out a snort that was loud enough to get Tam Lin’s attention. “So, is this the rest of your crew you spoke so highly of? It looks like an interesting mix. With the exception of the Grawl, it looks like you chose well. Chaalt females have a reputation as some pretty badass warriors.”

  Coonts took exception to the comment and stood up to protest the slight aimed at him. I gave him a stern look and motioned him back to his seat. He slowly sat back down.

  “Tam, as I have mentioned before, the Grawl who work with me work for the good of all. You cannot blame the whole Grawl race for your abduction. Besides, if it were not for you being kidnapped, you would not be the most successful interstellar entrepreneur in the galaxy.”

  The frown slowly slipped from her face and was replaced by a small smirk. “Yeah well, whatever, who are the Chaalt warriors?”

  I reached over and put my hand on one of Tria’s. “This is Tria. She is my second in command.”

  Tam stared at me for a moment then said, “Judging from the Earth-boy sparkle in your eyes, she is a lot more to you than second in command.”

  Everyone except Sael gave Tam a small acknowledging smile. I felt my cheeks warm. I let the comment pass but did not let go of Tria’s hand either. I gave a quick nod to the other end of the table. “This is Sael Nalen.”

  That earned me a frown and a barking laugh. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re getting your crank yanked. I don’t know who you got riding around with you, but she it is not Sael Nalen. It is common knowledge that Sael is a grizzled old bitch that just as soon kill you as look at you. The Sig say she once had offspring, but the murderous old hag ate them. No one in their right mind would dare call her by her real name — she is called Kala Mor Dee or some such shit.”

  Sael sprang out of her chair. “You would do well to mind your tongue Earth girl, or I will make it a point to cut it out!”

  Tam Lin just laughed. “I got to give it to her, that is probably something that would come out of Kala Mor Dee’s mouth.”

  The smile disappeared from Tam Lin’s face. “Whenever you grow a set of nuts big enough, come on over to Haras and take a crack at it.”

  With that comment, Sushi and Pasta both leaned into the picture. The looks they were giving Sael would have stripped the new paint from my old pickup. I held up my hands to both sides.

  “WHOA! That will be enough from both of you, we are all allies here and I don’t want any more bickering. We have more important things to do. Tam, I can assure you that this is Sael Nalen. She is soon to be released from her military commitment and I have plans of adding her to my payroll.”

  That brought a sobering look to Tam Lin’s face. She stared hard at me then looked once more at Sael. She let out a shrill whistle that made me flinch.

  “You aren’t shitting me, are you?”

  “No, I’m not, this is the Senior Operative herself. Not everything you have heard about her is true. I know for a fact she hasn’t eaten any of her offspring because no one is crazy enough to mate with her.”

  My comment earned me a venomous stare from Sael. I think she was more than ready to move on to another subject, but Tam Lin was not.

  “Man, you sure know how to pick ’em. Did you know she had a run-in with some Sig mercenaries? They were a bloodthirsty crew and had thrown in with a bunch of evil bastards that kidnapped some big Chaalt dignitary. They were trying to bargain for tech or credits but got Kala Mor Dee instead. She and her crew managed to kill more than twenty Sig mercenaries along with the Kasulla slugs that masterminded the whole thing. The word going around is that the leader of the Sig mercs almost took Sael’s head off with one of those big swords they call fighting knives. They say if it were not for her crazy cyborg reflexes, he would have succeeded.”

  I looked over at Sael, and she was absentmindedly rubbing her jaw with one of her hands. When she noticed me looking, her hand dropped back to the table. We needed to quit reminiscing about the past and plan for the future.

  “Tam, we are prepping for our attack on the Scrun slave distribution center. We can’t pull this off without help from the Sig. Once we go in, I am going to need the orbitals secured and a way to move the slaves to safety.”

  “The Sig have already agreed to help you. Tell Sushi your plans, and as long as it is not some suicidal nonsense, they will back you.”

  “That is why Sael is here. She has planned hundreds of these operations. If we can take the facility intact, the Sig can take possession when we withdraw.”

  Sushi leaned back into the picture. “That is an acceptable bargain and you have our backing. We will move one of our fleets to a location of your choosing. Send us the coordinates and we
will prepare signal codes for communication purposes.”

  I turned to the Senior Operative. “You’re up.”

  33

  With Sael’s plan ironed out, I said goodbye to Tam Lin and ended the transmission. I glanced around the table and locked my eyes on Klutch: he had fallen asleep again while Sael was laying out the details of the attack. I was considering ripping him a new ass in front of everyone, but Coonts cued us in on his odd behavior.

  “Commander, Klutch has spent most of his sleep periods working out in the new battle armor. He seldom sleeps more than an hour before he goes back to training.”

  Well, that explained his habit of falling asleep at our briefings. I could not have him half-awake on a combat op. I would put a stop to it since we were so close to mission go time.

  “Klutch! Klutch, wake up! KLUTCH!

  The Tibor bolted upright, and yelled out, “I AGREE WITH TRIA, THE OPERATIVE ACTS LIKE A THROGG!”

  I knew Sael was developing a sense of humor, but not in this case. The Tibor’s exclamation was accompanied by my crew’s snickering and Klutch’s eyewatering scent. We rushed to evacuate the room, but not before Sael gave Klutch a slap on the top of his bullet head that sounded like it was meant to hurt. To his credit, Klutch just shrugged it off with a big toothy smile.

  Justice jumped us back to Sael’s flagship so she could prep for the attack. She agreed to meet us at a predetermined position near the Scrun base. The Sig were moving a fleet into the sector and would contact us when they were ready. We transitioned to the rally point and made our own preparations. Since we were still set up for the last mission scenario, we had little to do until the Operative jumped to our location. The Chaalt had surveillance drones hidden all over the sector gathering data on the target. We were hoping to find minimal traffic patterns to time our attack. It would be advantageous to take the base before anyone came calling.