by T. W. Embry
“He just got appointed and probably hasss not had a chance to move all the way in,” hissed Snarth.
“The director will be with you in a moment,” said the administrative mech in its metallic version of Galactic standard. Then the mech left them alone to wait.
After several minutes, Howler strolled into the office flanked by two more administrative mechs who were busy implementing Howler’s orders. “That will be all for now,” said Howler, dismissing the mechs, and they scurried away to do whatever mechs do until called for.
With his arms outstretched toward Snarth, Howler said, “Snarth, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Do I have to have a reassson old friend?” responded Snarth.
Smiling, Howler crossed the room to embrace Snarth, pounding him on the back while giving him a bone-crushing bear hug. “And Rowl, you old son of a bitch, how are you? I haven’t seen you since we were just pups.” Howler repeated the ritual hug with Rowl; complete with backslapping that would have injured a lesser being.
“I am doing well Howler. It is good to see you again.”
Howler opened a file on his pad and sat down behind the desk, the only furnishing in the room besides two chairs. Motioning them to sit Howler asked, “I thought you were a professional fighter now, not doing bodyguard service.” This immediately put Snarth on alert. Perhaps the Cult of Eli business was not as finished as he hoped.
“I have won a few fights,” answered Rowl, “But I prefer to work for Snarth. It pays better.”
“So what they say about that business involving the Cult of Eli is true,” said Howler staring straight at Snarth.
“If you are referring to the death of the Cult’sss leader, he brought that on himssself,” said Snarth flatly, dropping all pretense.
“How so?” asked Howler. “Perhaps you had better start from the beginning.” Howler’s chair creaked as he leaned back with an expectant look on his face.
“And I thought thisss wasss a friendly visit,” hissed Snarth.
“It is, old friend, I just want to get the facts straight,” said Howler.
So Snarth began his tale, starting with his finding out where the artifact was, how he stole it from Shorty and its subsequent sale to parties unnamed. Snarth carefully left out the part that I played in the artifact’s theft. “And that leadsss usss up to where we were trying to mislead ssSniggle and the cult leader about who hasss the artifact. I could not on my honor tell them, or you for that matter, who I sssold the artifact to.”
“So this is where AArat accused you of recruiting from an emerging planet?” asked Howler.
Thinking carefully Snarth paused before answering.
“It is of no consequence to me, Snarth, if you are or not. I am just trying to get to the bottom of the Cult’s involvement in the Galactic Senate. Stopping that is my only concern. I have explicit orders from the executive branch to use any means necessary to achieve that objective. I am not interested in anything as trivial as recruiting orphans,” said Howler, revealing that he knew far more about Snarth’s activities then he let on.
“You are very well informed, old friend,” replied Snarth. “It’sss true; I have recruited two orphansss from a planet called Earth. I have alssso engaged the ssservicesss of a ssstealth massster to train them. The leader of the Cult of Eli managed to capture the ssstealth massster and tortured her. One of the Humansss ressscued her. Once ssshe wasss free, ssshe killed the leader in an act of vengeance. What happened on the planet after isss no fault of mine,” hissed Snarth.
“And which one of them killed AArat?” asked Howler.
“AArat wasss a fool. He sssent an asssasssin mech to kill me,” hissed Snarth. “Inssstead it targeted one of the Humansss, who dessstroyed it. He claimed vengeance againssst AArat. AArat was ssslower and got himssself killed,” hissed Snarth finishing his explanation.
“That’s pretty much how I see it, old friend. That human of yours must be pretty good to get the drop on AArat.”
“He just got some enhancements done and I hope I never have to fight him in anger,” chimed in Rowl, confirming Howler’s suspicions. “After all, I taught him how to fight. And the feline master considered him her equal before his enhancements.”
“Well that’s good enough for me. I call this case closed,” said Howler as he closed the open file on his pad. “Who’s hungry?” he asked. “I know this place that serves the best food you have ever had. My treat,” he offered his two friends.
“That is the best thing you have said all day,” woofed Rowl, accepting the invitation.
“How about you, Snarth?” asked Howler expectantly. “Come on old friend, loosen up, it will be like old times.”
“You are ON,” said Snarth with a huge tentacle wiggling grin.
Later after much food and drink and as Rowl snored on the eating couch, Snarth asked Howler “How bad isss it?”
“Well, let’s just say that we caught the members of the Cult of Eli in the final planning stages of a full scale coup against the executive branch. I doubt they would have been able to pull it off without help inside the executive branch. But I don’t know who the inside man is. I will find out even if I have to search every planet in the galaxy,” answered Howler resolutely. “If you hadn’t forced their hand we may not have known about it until it was too late. I for one will never forget the part you played in the discovery of the Cult’s plans.”
“Old friend,” hissed Snarth, “it wasss purely chance that I am involved at all. I wasss just trying to get back sssome profit owed me.”
“Well, I accept your explanation. If you say that’s the way it happened, that’s good enough for me. However, there are others who will not believe you,” slurred a now very intoxicated Howler. “Watch your back old friend, watch your back. Unless you come work for me.”
~
“You know that azsss long azsss the current executive branch isss in charge I can never come back to the agency,” hissed an equally intoxicated Snarth, putting an end to the night’s festivities.
There was a message waiting for Snarth once he and Rowl returned to the ship. It was from the stealth master. She was requesting that Snarth contact her at once. Why she had not contacted him on his personal communicator was a concern, so Snarth, as intoxicated as he was, signaled for the Stealth master. She answered immediately.
“Snarth, you must return at once,” she mewed. “The main perimeter has been probed twice in the last few long time units. The sensors are unable to get an accurate reading. But Human Tom’s nose and mine agree. It is rodents, possibly mercenaries hired by AArat’s family.”
ssSon of a mud sssucking newert cursed Snarth silently. “How many, do you think?” he hissed.
“My guess is about a dozen judging from the scent trails,” growled the stealth master.
“ssSecure the perimeter and I will be there azsss fassst azsss I can,” hissed Snarth.
Turning to the console at his elbow, Snarth barked “Captain, to my essstate with the bessst possssible time.” Within minutes they were under way with no time for a good-bye to an old friend. “Mud sssucking rodentsss,” hissed Snarth as he popped a sober up capsule to clear his head; he would need his wits about him very soon.
Snarth’s ship landed at his estate in half the time it took him to get to Howler’s headquarters, straight into the hanger barely pausing, then hard on the reverse thrusters to burn off all that extra delta V.
~
I was awakened suddenly by the squawk of the intercom. “Human Tom, something just probed the main perimeter,” hissed the stealth master.
“I will be right there,” I answered as I kissed Tasha good-bye and hurriedly dressed.
Then I double-timed it to the main control room. I arrived at the same time as the Irishman to find the stealth master geared up and ready for action. “I can’t be sure from here but I think it’s the rodents again,” she purred. Then looking at me she purred “Feel like going hunting?”
“Hell yes,” I
said; I was dying to try out my new night vision.
To the Irishman she said, “Wait here for Snarth’s return. Once we are past the perimeter, arm all defenses, just in case there are more than I think there are.” The Irishman nodded his acceptance of the stealth master’s orders. “We will contact you once we are done so you can deactivate the perimeter defenses.” Then like a puff of smoke, she disappeared to begin the hunt.
I have to admit I was a little uneasy about disobeying Snarth’s orders but with the stealth master’s help maybe we could end this before Snarth arrived. As we made our way out of the main gate, I was amazed at how bright and clear my new night vision was; it was almost as if it were daylight rather than darkness.
I was struck by a smell that was almost overpowering as soon as we started around the main perimeter. I remembered that smell, RODENTS and lots of them.
The scent trail led into the tropical swamp just outside the main gate. Then I caught the smell of smoke, a wood fire burning. My first thought was a trap. I could not believe anyone would be stupid enough to light a cook fire on a stealth mission. I was wrong.
After an hour’s creep, we came across a group of rodents doing what appeared to be cooking dinner over a small fire. I counted 10 rodents of various species. The biggest one was only 5 feet tall or so and fat. It was however very well armed and not to be underestimated.
The stealth master signaled that she would circle around to the opposite side of the campsite. Then we would attack. I crept closer to the fire waiting for the stealth master’s signal to attack. Suddenly one of the rodents went flying away from the group and landed with a sickening thud, followed by another and then another.
The stealth master was in the middle of the group killing anyone she could reach with her claws and feline blade. As the group scattered in surprise I saw one rodent on the edge of the fight raise a hand weapon.
Without thinking, I drew my blaster and fired, cutting him down. That brought my position under fire from several of the scattered and now concealed rodents. I rolled into a new position and fired, killing another rodent as it scurried to a new hiding place trying to escape the stealth master, forgetting in the excitement of the firefight that I was cloaked.
Then just as quickly as it started, it was over. All of the rodents were down, now we had to see if any were left alive for questioning. As it turned out the leader was the only one left alive, although very badly wounded by the stealth master.
“Who sent you?” spat the infuriated stealth master as she shook the wounded leader.
“AArat,” was the only word he managed to say before he died.
Later as we piled the bodies into the pit we had dug, I picked off the rodents’ weapons out of curiosity. I found one very finely made very large knife. It would have been considered a sword to the small rodent I found it on. As I hefted its weight in my hand, I admired its balance and the wickedly sharp and exotically shaped blade. I decided to keep it, not as a trophy but as a weapon, replacing the standard military issue dagger I carried since I was in the S.E.A.L.s.
Seeing the knife caused a hiss of surprise from the stealth master. Thinking I had overstepped my boundaries, I offered it to her.
“That is a feline weapon. If you like I will train you in its use. Wear it well Human Tom,” she said to me, declining my offer of the weapon.
Now I have never been much of a knife man but this blade called to me in an almost spiritual way. So I put it back in its sheath and fastened it to my belt.
After we finished burying the rodents, the stealth master and I headed back to the main estate house. We could both use a bath. Before we approached the main gate, I called the Irishman to tell him to deactivate the perimeter defenses.
“How did it go, your hunt?” asked the Irishman; so I filled him in with the short version. “Snarth is on his way back and wants you both in the briefing room after you are cleaned up. He didn’t seem very happy when I told him where you two were,” added the Irishman.
The stealth master seemed completely untroubled by the Irishman’s news. I however had butterflies in my stomach. I mean after all we had disobeyed Snarth’s orders. I was nervous about just how he would react.
The Irishman, who had a big smile on his face, met Snarth. Confused, Snarth asked, “What’sss got you ssso happy? How many did you kill?”
“I never got the chance to fire a shot,” answered the still grinning Irishman. “Tom and the stealth master surprised a group of rodent mercenaries about two clicks outside the perimeter. It wasn’t much of a fight,” added the Irishman.
“Any other casssualtiesss?” asked Snarth.
“No sir just the rodents. Tom and the stealth master are getting cleaned up” finished the Irishman.
“Have them meet me in the briefing room,” hissed Snarth angrily.
~
Snarth was waiting for me when I arrived at the briefing room; the stealth master was already there. I fully expected to be chewed out for not following Snarth’s orders and I stood at attention, waiting for it. To my surprise it did not come.
“Sit down Human Tom,” said Snarth. “I have gone over the eventsss of thisss evening with the ssstealth massster and you both acted in my best interessstsss. ssSo azsss far azsss I am concerned the matter isss over and done with. I will however, caution you both about being recklessss. You are both young and I would like to sssee you live a while longer. You sssee, there are many old warriorsss and many bold warriorsss but there are no old, bold warriorsss.”
“Yes sir, it won’t happen again,” I answered. The feline master remaining silent, busily cleaning her face and paying absolutely no attention to Snarth’s lecture at all.
As I wondered what would happen next the canine master, the Irishman and SSlice, joined us. A sense of excitement was building in the briefing room. Were we about to get another mission? I hoped so. I wanted to put the business on Xarra behind me finally.
“My meeting with Howler went very well,” hissed Snarth, “I believe the trouble with the Cult of Eli isss behind usss. Now we can get back to the busssinessss of making a profit inssstead of revenge. ssSince ssSniggle has ssseen fit to interfere with my busssinessss enterprisssesss, he will be the firssst one we raid. ssSSlice hasss brought to my attention that ssSniggle isss in possssessssion of a document. Thisss document isss in fact a map. Azsss legend hasss it, one that will lead to the treasssure vaultsss of the Onesss.”
Seeing the stunned expressions on the faces of my team members only added to the confusion I felt. “Who are the Ones?” I asked aloud without thinking.
“You don’t know the legend of the Ones?” asked the feline master in disbelief.
“He isss from Earth and they were ssspared the wrath of the Onesss ssso he would not know of the legendsss,” hissed Snarth.
“How about you, Irishman; do you know the legends?” asked the feline master.
“Only what Rowl has told me. I thought they were just a legend,” answered the Irishman.
“No, the stories are true,” answered SSlice. “I have seen the ancient texts describing the final battle that ended the Ones’ rule over all known time and space. They were the most feared race in the galaxy. Their empire was vast, encompassing hundreds of thousands of civilized planets. It is written that the Ones ruled even time itself,” he whispered. “But they could not overcome the biological necessity of hibernation any more than they could change their merciless nature.”
“Sniggle has a map to this treasure vault?” I asked SSlice, shaking my head in disbelief. “Back on earth you can buy as many treasure maps as you can afford and each one is just as fake as the next. Snarth, how do you know this isn’t just bait for a trap?”
“Becaussse I don’t think ssSniggle knowsss what he hasss, at leassst not yet,” hissed Snarth. “You sssee thisss map isss written in a language ssSniggle couldn’t decipher in two lifetimesss. In fact, there are only about three maybe four people in the galaxy who can. And ssSSlice isss one of them,” he
hissed. “I know through my contactsss that ssSniggle hasss ssspent a consssiderable fortune trying to decipher what could be a dessscription of the planet where the treasssure vaultsss were kept sssecret.”
“I know thisss becaussse it isss written in the language of the Onesss and probably only one of a dozen or ssso documentsss known to have sssurvived the final battle,” Snarth hissed. “That in itssself makesss thisss document very, very valuable. I would venture a guessss that it isss ssSniggle’sss mossst prized possssessssion. We are going to sssteal it. Who’sss with me?” hissed Snarth with his best tentacle-wiggling grin.
The first to answer was Rowl. “Are you sure that is such a good idea? If you thought dealing with the Cult of Eli was a problem, then can you imagine what finding a treasure of that size will be like?” he growled.
Snarth’s grin only got larger in response. “ssSo Rowl, you’re in?” hissed Snarth.
“Count me in too” said the Irishman, answering for both of them.
“That’sss two, how about you Human Tom?” hissed Snarth.
“I still think it’s a fool’s errand, but count me in,” I answered.
“That’sss three,” hissed Snarth with a huge grin. “How about you ssSSlice, want sssome payback?” he hissed. “Your people sssuffered under the Onesss, now it’sss time for sssome payback,” hissed Snarth, goading SSlice.
“As long as I don’t have to do any combat, I detest violence,” answered SSlice almost reluctantly.
“That leavesss only you, massster feline,” hissed Snarth. “I know that wealth isss not important to you or your people. But think of the knowledge thossse vaultsss might contain. You might find thossse answersss your father wasss looking for.”
The feline master was completely engrossed in sharpening her claws, completely uninterested in the whole matter. Pausing, she said, “I do not yearn for the answers that my father spent his life searching for. But I have a life debt to Human Tom and I promised to teach him how to use that feline blade he is so fond of. Besides, someone has to keep you all from getting killed by being so loud,” purred the feline master.