by Max Jager
"Keep them happy and keep them on your side."
As they walked to the meadow where the raider ships were parked Matt asked Walter.
"I didn't know that AK you had was full auto?" Walter snickered,
"Guy I know snuck it home from the first Iraq war. Later, he and his old lady split up and he got nervous thinking she might tell the cops about it so he sold it to me. I was going to sell it to a collector but then you guys showed up out in Nevada. Not knowing where I'd end up I thought it might come in handy."
"Well it certainly did," replied Matt. "However most all of the AK ammo I brought back is for Jezang's RPD light machine gun. Looks like we'll have to buy a ton more next time I go back home. In the meantime go easy on your ammo."
As they stood looking at the raider craft Roy asked,
"Think there's anyone still in them?"
"Possible," replied Matt, "There's twelve dead raiders we know of back there could be more up to the doctor's place. If Brand was here he could tell you haw many crew their ships usually carry." Suddenly they heard the sound of someone running from behind them.
"Hold your fire everyone!" It was the Dyson's coming up from the rear.
"Jeeze doc," Said Roy, That's a damn good way to get yourself shot."
"Sorry everyone, but when we couldn't find anyone…"
"So was there anyone prowling around up at your place?" Asked Matt.
"We sure thought there was Chelsea said she saw shadows moving around but no one tried breaking in or anything."
"Where's Franklin and Tucker?" Asked Matt.
"Don't know," replied Mr. Dyson, "They were around before all the trouble started, I saw Franklin briefly but not Tucker, you don't think anything's happened to them do you?"
Both Roy and Hinald laughed,
"That Tucker could take care of a whole platoon all by hisself, for a robot, he sure is an amazing fellow."
"Don't ever call him a robot to his face," cautioned Matt, "or you might be real sorry. He and Franklin are androids, or 'droids, but never, never call them robots."
"Thanks, I'll remember that," replied Roy.
Both ships were buttoned up but Ircisa quickly played around with the push-button locks and quickly got them to open. They entered one ship at a time and only Clath and his wife did the checking. When they announced "All Clear," everybody entered. Careful searching revealed several forged ID cards, numerous plasma and plaser weapons and data chips that looked promising. Upon entering the second craft, Ircisa suddenly became very suspicious.
"Smells funny, something's not right here." With extreme caution involving Roy, Matt and Hinald to cover them Clath and Ircisa carefully covered every square inch of the ship until Hinald kept shaking his head.
"I keep hearing something, listen…" Finally, Ircisa softly replied.
"I hear it too sounds like it's coming from beneath us."
"Secret compartment," exclaimed Clath. Hinald got down on his hands and knees and kept one ear towards the floor as he carefully crawled around. He also knocked on the deck until,
"Right here, there's someone or something hidden under this floor." Both Clath and Ircisa started looking for a hidden switch, finally discovering one hidden on the backside of a wall panel. Immediately two panels in the floor parted, and a platform rose. The smell was overpowering as everyone jumped back. Chained to the elevator deck were two wretched looking figures covered in their own filth. Holding rags over their noses and mouths Matt and Roy inspected the two prisoners.
"They are alive but just barely," Stated Roy. After releasing them from their bonds Ircisa said,
"Everyone move back please." She then stood in front of the prisoners, and with her hands caused one to slowly rise. She then gently moved the being carefully down the ramp outside where Clath had dragged two mattress's from the crew bunks. When she set the figure down, it moaned softly. Both doctors along with Roy's wife started treating the being. Ircisa then did the same with the other figure. All the while, Matt and his friends watched in amazement as Ircisa levitated the ex-prisoners with little effort. Once the second one was outside, another careful search was made but nothing else was found. Another search of the first ship only revealed that there was no hidden compartment aboard.
Matt and Liam ran back and returned with the "Gator," to which bedding and blankets were placed in the cargo box. Ircisa then carefully raised each individual placing them in the back. With Matt driving and Ircisa sitting in the passenger seat and the two doctors in back, he carefully drove back to town up their new home and office. Once again, Ircisa moved them to beds as directed by Mrs. Dyson. While the doctors along with Roy's wife Ellna treated the hapless victims, The dead raiders were tossed into a pile and burned and another inspection made of their ships.
Later in the afternoon Matt, Liam Walter and Clath went up to check on the ex-prisoners. Ircisa met them at the door refusing them entry.
"The doctors are still trying to stabilize them. If they make it through the night, they should live. Meanwhile, the doctors don't want any of you tromping around in here and disturbing them."
"Can you tell us anything about these people?" Asked Matt.
"Yes, both are female and are Malhazars, one is named Merrinda, the other Honiver, now please leave we will notify you in the morning as to the results."
Matt shook his head,
"Holy mother of god there is going to be hell to pay for this. God damn, is the blood ever gonna flow now!"
"What are you talking about?" Asked Clath. Matt then told him about the Malhazars and how revenge driven they people were.
Liam, Walter, have any of you ever seen the Godfather?"
"Yeah," replied Walter, one of my favorite flicks, although I like the first film the most."
"Yeah well you remember that chick with the white hair who was with us?"
"You mean Holliqua?"
"Yeah, well she's Malhazar. I won't go into details, but the last time raiders messed with them she was involved in blowing up a whole planet. I'm not exactly sure, but Honiver and Merrinda sure sound familiar, and I think their parents are big in the Malhazar government. Jeezist! They are really going to go to the mattress's on this one, I'd lay even money that they offer a bounty on every raider in the galaxy."
He then looked at Clath,
"Clath, we have to notify the Malhazars, If we can just get out into space a little bit, I can contact them."
"Let's go then," replied the Neistrian. As they climbed into the heavens Clath commented,
"You say these Malhazars are the vengeful types?" Matt looked at him and nodded.
"If I knew they were after me I think I'd slit my throat or take poison rather than let them take me alive," replied Matt. Clath grimaced then replied,
"I've been a lot of places, seen a lot of things Matt, believe me having a bunch of Malhazars after me would be the least of my worries given some of the races I've run across."
Matt had no trouble punching into the stellar-com and entering Holliqua's personal code. When the comm computer gave him the go-ahead he spoke into his mic.
"I don't know where you are Holliqua but I need you right now. This isn't about us, but about two members of your race. I wouldn't call you if this wasn't so important. All I can say is that it's bad…Real bad…Matt, out!"
Chapter 108
Titan Stand Chapter 108
It was a long night, Matt invited everyone to his place as they drank bal mok that Roy had found on one of the raider ships, and talked. After what they had seen and done today the talking offered a sort of "comfort" as they got to know each other better. Roy reminisced about the marines and his life on earth, Walter told of his life, and Clath shed more light on the Neistra, as well as the places he'd been to, and the things that he had seen. Early the next morning Ellna knocked at the door with good news.
"They are going to make it. Things were touch and go all night but between those doctors my Elvin knowledge, and Ircisa's ability to heal their m
inds we pulled off a miracle. Roy dear, I'm very tired, walk me home please."
Late that afternoon, the sound of a spacecraft could be heard slowing down for a landing, it was the Malhazars. Holliqua along with a rather severe looking woman and several military types came off the craft. Holliqua didn't look happy as she and the others came up to him.
"This better be important Matt." Holding up his hand, he replied,
"Believe me it is Holliqua. The other day two raider craft landed and tried to overrun us, they were unsuccessful. In one of the craft, we found a hidden compartment. In that compartment were two Malhazar females named Merrinda, and Honiver, who were just barely alive. However through the efforts of several people around here they are going to pull through, both are up at that large gray building which is our doctor's office." Holliqua studied him for a moment then the others. She then said something to the woman who was with her. She in turn ordered five of the soldiers to follow her. Returning to their ship, they soon came back out pushing two floating stretchers heading for the doctors house.
He hadn't noticed it before, but tears had formed in her eyes,
"Oh Matt I'm so sorry I thought you were simply fooling around I had no idea."
"Well once you know me better you will come to see that I don't "bullshit."
He then started to notice the uniform she was wearing. Of the same type as she wore on Tumar-Ju, it looked more "tactical."
"What about the raiders and their ships?" She asked.
"They were pretty well torn up," he explained, "So we burned them we are claiming the two ships as spoils along with any and all weapons. However we did find numerous data chips as well as other information which you are welcome to." At this point, a male officer stepped forward,
"We are going to have to take the ships, evidence and all that."
"But we were planning on using them to get around the planet," exclaimed Matt.
"Yeah," piped up Clath, "They are legitimate spoils and we rightly claim them."
The Malhazar gave him a hard look as Matt quickly added.
"Let it go Clath."
"We are not unreasonable people," stated the Malhazar officer, "Those raider craft will only get you into trouble, so we will swap you the two of them for one shuttle-transport which will be more useful to you anyway." Matt grinned, and thought to himself,
"Making us an offer we can't refuse, ha!" "All right you've got yourself a deal," he then told the Malhazar. Then handing him a box, he added,
"This is all the stuff we found in the ships, maybe you'll find more. Documents, data chips, a couple maps stuff like that. As the officer took the box Holliqua said,
"Thank you Matt, this isn't over, for what all of you have done my government will be most pleased along with the families of those girls, expect to see good things come your way."
By this time, the other soldiers and medics were returning with the two girls lying on the floating stretchers followed by the Dyson's and Clath's wife. The injured females were then taken aboard the Malhazar ship as Holliqua took Matt aside.
Thank you Matt for not notifying the Loridian people before us, it…Would have made things awkward. We will notify them." He looked her dead in the eyes and softly said,
"Look Holliqua I'm no "dummy" I know what's coming next, just don't do anything stupid, I don't want to go looking for you on some god-forsaken "death world." "You be careful." He then kissed her until a voice behind them called,
"Lieutenant…Time to go!" After that, the Malhazar officer warned them,
"Do not fool with those raider ships we will return soon to pick them up at the same time we drop off the transport you were promised."
"We won't touch them!" Called out Matt as he glared at Clath.
The Malhazars left as quickly as they had arrived with Clath sulking about loosing his "loot."
"Let it go Clath the last thing we want is to get on their bad side, believe me, I know what I'm talking about."
"What do you think they will do with those ships?" Wondered Gabe.
"Ever read about the Trojan Horse?" Asked Matt.
"Yeah,"
"Same thing, they will use them to slip some of their special ops types into a raider base then kill every living being, I told you they love their revenge."
"They seemed a little harsh dealing with those poor girls," said Mrs. Dyson, "Rather brusque if you ask me. Matt shrugged,
"What can I tell you Mrs. Dyson it's just how they are; basically you are dealing with the Corleone family." The Dyson's looked at him their eyes wide as Matt casually commented,
"I just hope Holliqua isn't Connie."
Clath was still pissed about loosing his "treasure" but Matt stood firm.
"Sorry Clath, I don't like it either but even with all their faults the Malhazars will keep their word about swapping those raider ships for something more practical to our purposes. Like I said, I want to stay on their good side."
As the Dyson's were starting to head back, Matt asked Mr. Dyson,
"Have you seen Franklin lately, or Tucker for that matter?"
"Why yes, both are up at the house right now. Franklin is puttering around tiding up the place, and Tucker…Well he's not doing much of anything except occasionally chatting with Franklin…Why?"
"Um, no reason, I didn't see them around during all the shooting. Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter, we took care of the problem."
After that, things started to settle back down but Matt remained troubled by the recent raid. Something Clath said about why they just didn't blast New Town apart started to weigh on his mind. Clath got him to thinking. As far as he knew the raiders really had no idea how many people there were or what kind of defenses were available as well. Had the Nora-Lee been here Amber could have probably shot one down and caused the other to run. The more he thought about it the more things were not adding up. The more he thought about it the only thing that made any sense was that they were after him. "Suppose they somehow found out that I know Holliqua? That business on Tumar-Ju…Yeah, that had to be it," he thought. "What was that raider's name? "Alejac Slyr. Maybe he found out I killed his stupid cousin and it's "get even" time?"
The next day he called a meeting where he voiced his concerns.
"When you think about it, it's the only thing that makes any sense," he explained.
"They were going to kidnap me and maybe use me to get to Holliqua."
"From what you've told me about these Malhazars," observed Clath, "Holding you ransom might not draw her out. Just a wild guess, but I think you would be waiting a long time for your rescue." Matt thought about it coming to the conclusion that what they would likely do would be to drop another "planet buster bomb on Tumar-Ju. Malhazars had a nasty habit of bringing guns…Big ones to a knife fight. From that moment on he always made sure he was heavily armed, his CZ75, that wicked knife Yufic had made for him, plus a small plaser pistol he kept in one of the cargo pockets in his pants.
Soon work resumed on the buildings while Clath and his wife flew over to Mindia to poke around and see what they could find. Hinting that he would like to go along, Clath rebuffed him.
"Sorry Matt, Mindia is not a place I can take you just yet, maybe some other time." So while he was gone Matt pitched in helping to repair the dilapidated homes. Walter managed to get a small saw working that appeared to be solar powered however, the battery it used wouldn't hold a charge for very long barely two hours.
By the next afternoon, it was ready to go again for another two hours then poop out once more. On the third day three Malhazar ships landed near the edge of town. Unfortunately, Holliqua wasn't with them. One of the vessels was the transport-shuttle they were promised in exchange for the two raider craft. Another ship was essentially a fighter, while the third resembled the gunship that had given them so much grief. As he and his friends gathered to look over the transport, a Malhazar along with what was obviously his crew approached.
"Who'd in charge here?"
; "I guess I am," replied Matt. The Malhazar then pointed to the transport,
"There's your new ship. It's been checked out, everything is fine, and the power cells are full. I brought two prize crews to fly the raider ships. Now, I need you to sign your name here please." The Malhazar held out a small tablet to which Matt signed his name with his finger. As he did so, he noticed that unlike home where no matter how hard you tried to make your name not look as if a monkey had signed it his signature appeared as if he had signed on a sheet of paper.
"Oh all the codes have been cleared," said the ship's captain, "If you want to code anything you'll have to pre-program everything. Well I'm finished here gook luck to you."