“So,” William asked as he looked at his two friends. “Who do we trust with All Guns Blazing?”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Stephen, William, Marcus, Cheryl Lynn, Tina, and Yelena all turned to stare at Bobcat. His eyes went unfocused for a moment, then he looked at everyone who was staring at him.
“What?” he asked. “I figure we ask Yelena, Cheryl Lynn, Stephen, and Tina to run it,” he answered, a small smile on his face. “After all,” he jerked a thumb in Yelena’s direction, “she can brew as well—”
“Better,” Yelena cut in.
Bobcat ignored her, but his smile gave away that he had heard her. “As I can, or will with a little practice.” He couldn’t ignore the elbow to his ribs. His voice squeaked just a bit. “Apparently that opinion isn’t universal,” he concluded, to general chuckles around the table.
“Why am I included in this?” Cheryl Lynn asked.
“Marketing,” Yelena replied.
Cheryl Lynn turned to Tina. “Was that why you asked me to come?”
Tina shook her head. “Actually, no, but I’ll get to that in a moment because I think it would be awesome if you got involved in All Guns Blazing, Mom.”
Cheryl Lynn’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“It fits with your present job responsibilities very well,” Tina pointed out. “You are supposed to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s heard and felt about the Etheric Empire, and how better to accomplish that than talking with patrons at a popular bar?”
“Like a bartender?” Cheryl Lynn’s eyes opened wide.
“Sure,” Tina continued. “Short skirt, panty hose…”
“I’LL DO NO SUCH THING!” Cheryl Lynn turned on her daughter, then noticed the barely-restrained smile. “Oh!” She pointed a finger at Tina. “I’ll get you for that. You can be wait-staff and wear tiny tight tops!”
Bobcat and William looked at each other, both trying to push back a little way from the table.
“Sorry, I can’t do that,” Tina answered, putting her hands on the table, “but I have another suggestion.”
Yelena looked at Stephen, who winked at her but kept a blank face.
“And what’s that?” Cheryl Lynn asked. “Bouncer?”
“No.” Tina took a deep breath. “Guys,” she looked from Bobcat to William and lastly at Marcus, “I’d like to formally ask to be a part of Team BMW.”
The room got deathly quiet for a moment as the three guys in question searched each other’s eyes for answers.
Bobcat pursed his lips. “So,” he turned to Yelena, “will you take over All Guns Blazing as primary manager and brewmeister?”
“Only if you let me grow it,” Yelena answered. “I don’t want to have only the one bar.”
“Sonofabitch,” William breathed. “Those are some…” Yelena looked at the big man, “ovaries,” he finally got out.
“I’m in, if I get a cut.” Cheryl Lynn told them. “I like a challenge.”
“What,” Stephen asked from her right, “trying to corral Bethany Anne’s antics isn’t enough?”
“Hell,” Cheryl Lynn replied. “I have all my core responses to anything Bethany Anne does as templates. I just pull out the appropriate template, fill in the details, and have ADAM shoot it to the news agencies and my contacts around the systems. We occasionally add some video if we have it, or if we need to give our news a better shot at being seen.” She shrugged. “Frankly, Bethany Anne doesn’t surprise me anymore.”
“Those sound like famous last words,” Yelena whispered. Bobcat nodded just a little in agreement, she saw from the corner of her eye, and she noted the twinkle in Stephen’s eye and his lip upturned just a bit in amusement on her other side.
Marcus was amused. He hadn’t expected Tina to ask to be a part of the team, but frankly they needed a new catalyst in the group. The three of them had been together too long, and could read each other’s minds. They would be better for some new blood, and if anything, he wanted one more voice on the side of reason.
Bobcat smiled and directed his attention across the table. “Stephen?” Bobcat was surprised when he answered something besides, “Not interested.”
“I think I’ll take the occasional bouncer job, among other things,” he agreed, then smiled. “For a cut.”
Bobcat looked at William, who shrugged. “A smaller percentage of something we don’t have is a bigger amount than a third of nothing.”
Bobcat turned to Marcus. “Do the honors?”
Marcus smiled. “Of course.” He turned to his right. “Tina, would you like to join Team BMW in the science area?”
Her whoop of delight had everyone clapping and laughing as she leaned over to give Marcus a hug, then got up to squeeze Bobcat and William.
Stephen looked around the group and wondered, Just how did Bethany Anne make this stuff happen?
And… Hell, did I just agree to be a co-owner in a company again?
He nodded. Bethany Anne needed Team BMW to make stuff happen. The guys needed to know All Guns Blazing and Yelena were going to be ok.
Stephen sighed. Needs must when Bethany Anne was the driver. Later that evening, when everyone agreed to get back together the next day to hammer out details, he realized he felt ten years younger.
It didn’t hurt that Jennifer wanted to be involved as well.
When she didn’t have to ship out with the Guardians, she figured she could bounce with the best of them.
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Guardians' Workout Area
Peter walked into the workout area and turned to his right. A few of the teams in the huge area nodded to him before they went back to their activities.
Peter’s hackles went up, and he smiled as he stripped off his normal clothes and put on the workout suit. It was made of a resilient material which stretched if he changed forms.
He was careful to not look toward the front door when Gyada came around the corner, but he was straining with his other senses to hear the change in the heartbeats, to smell the chemicals emitted by the other teams, and to generally see if he could sense a difference.
Not surprisingly, there was one.
Further, Peter could hear the almost-silent whispers as many in the teams stopped what they were doing to see what was happening, and tried to determine who was causing the interruptions and curiosity. When those who made killing their business sensed a threat, it was their nature to scrutinize the newcomer.
What they saw confused them. She wasn’t that tall, and she seemed out of sorts within the large group of people. A little uncomfortable, in fact.
But that didn’t hide her easy grace or the eyes flicking from group to group, registering their existence and moving to the next. Peter could sense when her attention turned to him, and he pivoted to face her and nodded.
“Shun?” Peter called. The Chinese team lead was about thirty yards away working with Zhu and Jian. He waved them over. While Jian would easily have heard his request, Shun and Zhu were upgraded humans, not Weres. They were Jian’s backup when the Were changed to his cat.
The three men bowed to their testing team and started jogging in his direction as Gyada approached.
“Gyada,” Peter nodded to her, “I sincerely appreciate—”
She cut him off with a small upraised hand. “The Empress has spoken, and her Shield Maiden will answer.”
Peter looked at her. “Have you worked out with Bethany Anne much?”
The guys arrived and waited as Peter and Gyada finished their conversation.
“Yes. When I first arrived from Earth, she tested me to see how my control of the beast worked. Then she had me change and tested me as a creature as well.”
“And by tested, you mean…” Peter asked.
“She kicked my ass up and down the floor mats,” Gyada acknowledged. “She wanted to make sure I had control before she put me through reconditioning in the Pod-doc with TOM and ADAM.”
“Ok, just seeing if she worked any differently with you than me,” he to
ld her before he turned toward the guys. “All right, you three are going to work with Gyada and form a team with some new recruits we are looking to bring on board. Make sure we think of everything we can, especially how to strengthen the Guards with minimal Weres.” Peter jerked a thumb behind him. “Kiel will meet you four in the smaller training area in 04-2.”
Peter looked at Gyada. “It’s time to remember your berserker training. We might need it.”
Gyada pursed her lips. It had been centuries, but sometimes it felt like last week. She nodded her understanding, and the four of them started heading toward the exit.
Planet Yoll, R’Chkoklet
Drk-vaen pulled open his clothes drawer and picked out two shirts and a hat. He wasn’t sure what he should take, but he didn’t want to be out of fashion if he could help it.
He closed the drawer and turned toward the door as he heard footsteps coming down the hallway.
Then, a knock.
“Son?” the deep voice of his father called.
Drk-vaen walked toward the door and pulled it open. “Hello, Father.”
His father greeted him and Drk-vaen stepped back to allow him to enter the suite. The older male looked around and grunted to himself before turning to his son. “You have decided to join the Empire?”
There was a silence before Drk-vaen answered. “I owe it to him,” he finally replied. “He didn’t save me so I could sit on this planet doing nothing.”
Drk-Zehn tapped his mandibles in agreement. “You have come a long way since the human John Grimes spared your life. Taking the family’s power armor was foolish. The fact that he could understand told me all I needed to know about the Empress and the aliens who took over.” This time Drk-Zehn paused before asking, “Are you doing it for yourself, or because you feel you shamed us?”
Drk-vaen shook his head. “I accepted the shame and I walked my two years in it. If anyone doubts my honesty, they can come tell me personally. I am more than old enough to answer for myself.” He tossed his two shirts on the bed next to the other items he planned to take with him. “When the news told us the humans had accepted a new race into the Empire, I was intrigued. When they went to battle for them, I was impressed.”
Drk-vaen looked out his window, across the city to what planet or star system his father couldn’t tell. “But when they called for those who would fight for others?” Drk-vaen turned to look his dad in the eyes. “My heart burst. I cannot fail to take up the call. I will help. My shame is behind me, and helping others is my future, beyond what I have done so far.”
“Then you should know,” his father began, reaching into a pouch he had clasped around his waist, “that your mother and I are very proud of you. We would have you represent our family.” His father pulled his hand out and opened it, showing Drk-vaen the small gold family sigil that could either be worn on a sash or a shirt and told every Yollin that Drk-vaen’s clan supported him and claimed him no matter what he did.
Basically it was the clan’s crest of trust. With it, Drk-vaen could commit the most despicable crimes and the clan would never turn their back on him. It was rarely shared, and as a young Yollin Drk-vaen had made up stories for himself where he was given the family sigil in a grand ceremony where all would celebrate his awesomeness.
He had long since given up those childish dreams for the reality of his stupidity years before. That his parents hadn’t thrown him out on his ass was something he had finally come to understand as a blessing he hadn’t deserved.
However, he could tell how much he had hurt his father by taking the family’s armor and using it to try to fight the Empress’ edicts. Apparently his father had blamed himself for Drk-vaen’s rash actions.
And yet, Drk-vaen had never felt unloved or unwanted.
Drk-vaen reached out to touch the sigil in his father’s hand, a tear forming in his eye. “I am not worthy of this, Father.” He looked up to see him smiling, a look of pride in his eyes.
“Drk-vaen,” he nodded at the sigil, “no family member who has ever received the sigil has felt they were worthy. If you thought you were, it would be a sign that the person offering needed to pull it back for their own honor.”
“So, your father?” he asked, a question in his eyes.
“Told me the same thing before I myself left.” He nodded at the sigil. “In fact, just before giving me this very sigil.”
Drk-vaen looked down to see his father hold it out to him. Drk-vaen slowly took the sigil and pulled it closer to see the small cut in the bottom corner that hadn’t been visible when his father held it. Drk-vaen closed his hand before he took two steps and threw himself into his father’s embrace.
His father’s voice reverberated in his mind. “You will do us proud, Drk-vaen. Just know that we are already prouder of you than perhaps you ever knew.”
“I will never,” Drk-vaen released his father and stepped back, “fail the family.”
Drk-Zehn touched his son’s chest. “Never fail the Empress, and you will never fail the family.” His father clicked his mandibles together. “Now, come down and eat. The whole family has a surprise for you.”
Drk-vaen grabbed his clothes, tossed them into his bag and slung it over his shoulder, and followed his father out of his room. Together they went down the stairs, and Drk-vaen could hear chattering as he followed his father around the final few steps and looked up to see who was there to send him off.
His father was right. Every family member was present, with one additional guest.
The Guardians’ captain and Empress’ Bitch was waiting in his family’s home, smiling at him.
“I got a call from John Grimes, who is with the Empress,” the human told Drk-vaen in Yollin. “He asked if I would do him the favor of picking up a special package on Yoll. Said he’s been watching you since you guys met the first time.”
Drk-vaen’s mandibles froze. He looked at his mother, who nodded ever so slightly to him, and then at his father, who popped him on the back and smiled. “We have a video from John Grimes himself explaining he would be protecting the Empress and asking if it would be ok if his protégé paid it forward.”
“Protégé?” Drk-vaen finally sputtered.
Peter took a step forward. “Let’s just say you aren’t the first stupid teenager John has saved despite themselves. When we finish here I’ll treat you to a drink at All Guns Blazing and tell you about an idiot by the name of Pete who almost got himself killed. John Grimes saved him from death by youthful stupidity with a wicked punch to the jaw.”
Drk-vaen thought the going-away party was the best experience ever. Then, when the two of them left his father’s house the experience was made better when he came out of the house to find a massive ship sporting the Empress’ skull and fangs logo floating in the air.
Everyone now knew that Drk-vaen had joined the Empress’ Guards and John Grime’s protégé Peter, the captain of Empress’ Guardians, had picked him up.
The ship had been stationed over the house for an hour. There were news people taking video as the two came out of the clan’s gates.
That evening after the news reported Drk-vaen had joined the military, thousands of Yollins tried to shove their way into the recruiting stations to follow the young male’s lead.
A new generation of Yollins was going to war, following an alien Empress into the deep, frozen darkness of space to do the right thing for a species they had never met.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ixtali, High Council Meeting Room
Bethany Anne arrived in the large auditorium and looked around. There had to be twenty thousand seats rising from a circular table in the middle. The chairs at the table faced each other, but there were monitors above that displayed those sitting or standing at the council table to those in the audience.
Bethany Anne had known the council had a public venue, but it was a bit larger than she had expected.
>> We have located four persons with energy weapons and six with obvious metal edged weapons.<<
John’s voice came over the channel. “Ignore the edged stuff for now. Show energy weapons on HUD.”
Three of the locations looked like they were plants, and another was way up in the balcony so that was most probably a personal protection weapon that had been allowed in somehow. That person was highlighted for the Ixtali guards.
“Ok, guys, we are going to take out the other three—”
Bethany Anne interrupted. “You guys get close, I’ll fry them.”
“We kinda need them alive if possible, boss,” John replied as he sent Eric and Scott toward the two ADAM had tagged with his nanospies. Each looked like he was going to take up a spot where the floor stopped and the wall and the seats started going up.
John headed left.
Darryl stayed with Bethany Anne, who had slowed her descent of the stairs as the guys moved ahead. The auditorium’s buzz had increased in volume when Bethany Anne appeared and started coming down the VIP stairs to the floor to meet with the council.
“Ready,” Eric commed.
“Ready,” came Scott’s reply, quickly followed by John’s.
“Here goes nothing,” Bethany Anne exclaimed, lifting her hand as she continued walking.
Patch me into the auditorium’s speakers, ADAM.
>>Done.<<
“Ixtali People,” Bethany Anne’s voice, speaking Ixtali, surrounded everyone in the area.
—
Down below, one of the councilors leaned over and asked Addix, “Did you give her access?”
Addix just shook her head as her mandibles clicked in a “What do you want me to do?” pattern. Addix sat back to watch the show. She had seen the Guards in their formfitting armor suddenly start coming down the steps and surround the table. One of them had stayed with the Empress.
Addix knew the one named John Grimes was behind her, and even though she trusted them all, his presence was causing an itch in the middle of her back.
Bethany Anne’s hand went up and a blue energy glow appeared. The crowd started quieting down at her display.
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