Tales From the Terran Republic

Chapter 131: Monsters

Craxina scampered out of a taxi with a huge smile on her face.

Bryce, with his clothing askew, exited shortly thereafter.

“Thank God that cab was automated,” Bryce chuckled.

Craxina giggled and cuddled him as they walked into the mini tent city that was The Drop of Oil.

***

Geelshan the Plath leaned down against the neck of her kalun’sha as it galloped through the wilderness with a grin, her gill slits flaring with excitement in a most inappropriate display.

She glanced down at the spider-silk satchel that bounced against her leg. The guys were going to love this!

Her mount flexed its two strong legs and bounded effortlessly over a fifteen-meter gully.

She howled with delight and urged it to run even faster.

With a happy snort, it broke into a full sprint. It was a simple creature, born to a simple task. It didn’t mind pulling a cart, but this, this is what it lived for. It bellowed with happiness as it pushed itself to the limit.

To run, to feel the wind, to taste it…

To be free!

***

Gwen the Elder stood beside her granddaughter as they flew closer to her baby’s new ship.

Even she had to admit it was a beauty.

“There it is!” her granddaughter exclaimed, jumping up and down, “Wooo!”

Gwen the Elder smiled sadly. She wished with all her heart, like she had every day since the accident, that it didn’t happen, that her baby-doll was normal…

But she never was, was she? she thought. She was made like this, curse the gods.

“Now remember, baby-doll,” she said, wrapping her arm around the person she loved more than anything in the galaxy, “you’re a fuckin’ Shay. You listen to the captain, but he don’t own you. That is your ship. An’ you don’t do nothin’ you don’t want to do, you hear me?”

“Yes, gram-gram.”

“An’ if you don’t like what’s goin’ on, you call me!” Gwen the Elder said firmly, “I’ll cut that bitch myself if she fucks with you.”

“It’s going to be ok, gram,” her granddaughter said, hugging her. “You’ll see.”

“And you,” she said, turning to a wicked-looking old woman, “you look after her. Don’t be afraid to kill a motherfucker. Remember, you fly with the Angels!”

“You got it, boss,” the woman said with an evil gleam in her eye, “The Angels look over your granddaughter. I’ll kill everyone on that fuckin’ ship if I gotta.”

“Good,” Gwen the Elder said as they approached the docking port.

***

“Where is everybody?” Craxina asked Littlefoot as she waddled up with a cup of coffee.

“What do you mean? Everybody showed up,” Littlefoot said as she pulled out a tablet, “Yep, everyone clocked in.”

“No, where are my people?”

“Oh, most of them went sightseeing,” Littlefoot replied, taking a sip. “Your brother is really fun, by the way!” she giggled.

“I’m sure he is,” Craxina replied, “Did he pay?”

“I gave him a freebie.”

“Littlefoot!”

“What? They are sort of security, right? So I figured I’d give him some ‘employee benefits’.”

“Well, charge him next time,” Craxina replied. “I don’t want them taking advantage, and if you ‘feed’ a stray, it will never leave.”

“That wouldn’t be so bad,” Littlefoot giggled.

A somewhat motley assortment of humans approached with a holo-camera.

“So, Craxina, right?” a woman in a faded sundress asked.

“That’s me!”

“We’re from Bright Star Media,” the woman said, “So where do you want to do this?”

“Right here!” Craxina replied happily.

“What’s going on?” Bryce asked.

“We’re filming a commercial!”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Bryce asked, “I mean, with everything going on and all.”

“No!” Craxina exclaimed happily. “I have no idea what I’m doing! Woo! Isn’t it fun?”

The woman in the sundress smiled the first genuine smile she had in weeks.

***

Geelshan slowed her mount to a trot.

The beast snorted in frustration.

“Build your strength, Voxel,” she crooned. “We have a race coming up.”

The creature’s gills flared. It didn’t know a lot of master words, but he definitely knew what “race” meant.

It meant fun!

Geelshan gave the creature time to breathe and slowly started forward down the barely visible trail.

She cocked her head. She didn’t see him, but then again, she wouldn’t.

There!

There was the faintest rustle in the trees.

“Go!” she shouted.

With a bellow of joy, her mount broke into a sprint. Today was the day!

She was going to beat the shadow!

The beast sprinted at a suicidal pace. It was all Geelshan could do to hang on!

Something darted across the trail just ahead.

Damn it! That bastard was taking a shortcut!

We’ll just see about that! she thought as her mount looked longingly down the slope.

“You wanna go?” she shouted, “Go!” she screamed as she let the reins go slack.

With a howl of joy, her mount left the trail and hurled itself headlong down the slope after the shadowy thing in the trees.

“Hoo!” Geelshan screamed as branches cut at her face and sides, leaving bloody welts. “Go! Go! Go!”

Her mount bellowed as it leaped over a boulder, hurtling down the slope. It barely touched the ground before it jumped again, this time just for pure speed.

Leaves fell. The shadow was getting desperate, abandoning stealth.

Then the leaves started falling down alongside them… then behind.

“Suck it!” she triumphantly screamed in Terran as they continued their suicidal, barely controlled fall down the slope.

***

Gwen, literally vibrating with excitement, skipped onto her new ship.

God, even the inside was beautiful.

“This is our new home, ladies!” she called out to her crew, “Wooooooo!”

“Wooooo!” they all screamed in reply.

A grizzled old man, wearing old-earth style armor, stepped forward.

“Hello, Gwen,” he said, “I’m Captain Marakovich.”

“Hi, there!” Gwen exclaimed, extending her hand. “I’m really juiced to be working with you!”

Boris Marakovich just shook his head.

“It’s uncanny,” he said.

“Yeah,” Gwen replied, “I get that a lot!”

The captain then nodded at the old woman who stepped aboard.

“Arissia,” he said with a curt nod, “you, I am less than pleased to meet again.”

“Likewise, you old fucker,” Arissia growled.

They both then grinned and hugged.

“I am quite surprised to see you still breathing,” Boris said.

“You know what they say, ‘The greater the evil...’”

“The longer it endures,” he chuckled. “That explains us both, I suppose.”

They (reluctantly) released each other.

“I’m sorry to hear about Tanya,” Arissia said. “She was a good woman.”

“Yes,” Boris replied, “The best. Thank you.”

He then turned to Gwen.

“Ok, ‘boss’,” he chuckled, “I suppose you want to see your quarters?”

“Wooooooooo!” Gwen howled.

“I’ll let you settle in,” the captain said as Gwen stepped into her quarters, eyes wide with delight. “I’ll see to your crew.”

Gwen just nodded silently.

Her room was… palatial by any standard, especially a shipboard one!

Lush plants, a fountain!…

And an absolutely HUGE bed.

She giggled and started to unpack.

***

“This is gold!” the woman in the sundress exclaimed as soon as she finished laughing.

“Really?” Craxina squeaked, “I did good?”

“You did better than good! This is awesome!” The woman replied, wiping tears from her eyes. We’ll do the paid spots, of course, but fuck! You need to post this!”

“How do I do that?” Craxina asked in confusion.

“Well, we might be able to help with that...” the woman smiled as credit signs danced in her eyes.

Bryce leaned against the coffee table, laughing and shaking his head.

Craxina looked back and beamed at him.

He smiled and waved back.

Craxina then rushed off to the next crisis.

Bryce’s smile faded, replaced by a very troubled expression.

***

Geelshan’s mount leaped, kicked off of a tree, and bounded into a small clearing where a tiny cottage stood.

“Fuck yeah!” Geelshan shouted at the top of her voice as her mount screamed in triumph.

It beat it! It outran the shadow!

A few moments later, a lean Plath wearing a multi-hued green beret flew from the canopy, landing beside her.

“Are you fucking crazy?” he demanded in Terran as Geelshan dismounted.

“You fucking know it!” she yelled as they jumped towards each other bumping chests with a simultaneous “Huh!” as her mount danced happily around them.

“Yeah, you fucking barn-hopper, you got me,” the male said as he petted the kalun’sha’s neck.

Geelshan quickly pulled a parcel, the saddle, and the reins from Voxel.

“Go and refuel,” she said, patting it on the rump.

It looked at a neatly tended garden nearby.

“You can have two,” she said. “You earned them.”

With a happy snort, it trotted over to the garden and expertly pulled up a long fat tuber.

“She’s getting faster,” the male said.

“So are you, Horta,” Geelshan replied.

“Yeah, it’s weird,” he smiled.

“You aren’t even winded,” she said, “and I never actually saw you.”

“You weren’t supposed to,” he smiled, straightening his hand-knit beret. “Jebus, you look like shit,” he said, looking at her face with concern. “Doesn’t that hurt?”

“Wha?” she asked, a little confused, and then touched her face. “Nah, it’s stopped bleeding already.”

“Weird,” Horta said.

“I guess so,” she replied with a shrug. “You won’t even be able to see the marks tomorrow.”

“Double weird… So, did you get to see Hollister?” Horta asked.

“Yeah,” Geelshan said, “And you won’t believe what he brought!”

“Games?” Horta asked, “Movies?”

“No,” Geelshan said, some of the marks already beginning to disappear, “he says that the Republic is serious about the blockade. They are blowing anything up that even looks at Republic space, especially humans, but….”

She pulled out a data crystal.

“He brought something even better!” she exclaimed excitedly. “You gotta see this!”

***

“All hands, prepare for hyperspace,” Gwen said excitedly into the ship’s intercom.

The displays on the bridge of ‘The Heart’s Desire’ quickly started turning from amber to green as each station checked in.

“All stations report ready for hyperspace, Captain!” Gwen exclaimed, barely able to contain herself.

“Lay in a course for Karith,” the captain replied, smiling indulgently.

“Yes, sir!” Gwen replied as she entered the prepared coordinates (which she plotted herself!).

She beamed at the captain.

“Course entered, standing by for your order, sir!” she enthused.

“Initiate jump at your discretion.”

“Jumping in five, four, three, two, one!” she exclaimed as she engaged the drive.

With barely a shudder, the ship punched a hole in reality and was promptly sucked inside.

“I suppose you would like to be relieved?” the captain smiled.

“Yes, Captain!” Gwen smiled.

“Ok, off with you then.”

“Woooo!” Gwen shouted and sprinted off the bridge.

“Not bad,” the navigator said as she left.

“Not bad at all,” the captain replied.

He smiled. She might look just like her great-grandmother, but she was absolutely nothing like her. He had expected the worst, but Gwen was attentive and almost too eager to learn. She would probably scrub the toilets if he asked her to.

She was absolutely nothing like the “others” he had encountered.

His smile faded as he realized that might not be a good thing.

***

“Put me through to Hades,” Bryce said into his phone as he hid in a porta-potty.

“On whose authority?” Tartarus replied.

“On mine, goddammit!”

“The operation on which you are assigned is led by Pam. Therefore, you should report to her.”

“It’s mission-critical!” Bryce hissed. “I believe this mission is in jeopardy, and Pam is the fucking cause.”

“You know that she will get a report,” Tartarus said in a pained voice, “I don’t have a choice.”

“Fuck Pam!” he hissed. “And I know you don’t. It’s ok. I’ll deal with it.”

“Ok,” Tartarus replied. “Um… Bryce… I think I might know what this is about, and you might want to think about things before you insist. I request confirmation. Do you wish to be placed in direct contact with Hades?”

Bryce took a deep breath.

“I’m more certain than anything in my entire life,” Bryce replied, “Do it.”

“I am authorized to request additional verification,” Tartarus said calmly, “Don’t make me do this, Bryce. You know what she’s like.”

“Do it, Tart.”

“Confirmation received,” Tartarus said after a few seconds. “Placing the call now.”

Hades’s face appeared on the screen a few moments later.

“Bryce? I’m a little surprised to hear from you.”

“Sir,” Bryce said, “I believe that we are making a terrible mistake encouraging a strike on The Drop of Oil by the Harkeen.”

“Oh?” Hades asked as he idly typed on his keyboard.

After a few seconds, he looked up from his screen.

“Quite perceptive of you in deducing the manipulation… and assistance,” Hades replied. “It would be unlike Pam to inform you… or me for that matter. However, I see little harm in it.”

“These people don’t fit the profile, sir!”

“I disagree,” Hades replied. “They are starport trash, whores to boot. They matter little to the Republic, and the potential to lure out Sheloran is definitely there.”

“They just filmed a commercial,” Bryce replied. “According to the film crew, they think it will go viral. There is potentially far too much exposure-”

“Bryce,” Hades said, cutting him off, “What is this really about?”

Bryce took a deep breath.

“Look, sir,” he said, “these people are good people, innocent. They don’t deserve this.”

“Innocent whores?” Hades chuckled.

“You know what I mean, sir,” Bryce replied, “We do horrible things, but we do it to horrible people, people who deserve us, deserve me. These people, they don’t. They’re-”

“People?” Hades snorted, “I hardly consider a bunch of fucking Fed trash people.”

“Well, whatever they are,” Bryce said, “They don’t deserve what is going to happen to them. Pam isn’t doing this for any tactical gain. She is doing it because she’s a-”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Hades replied. “Pam is what Pam is, but she gets results, and that is all that matters to me. If there is the remotest chance that we can snare Sheloran, especially considering her current activities and the potential additional intel she can provide, then I authorize it.”

“But, sir-”

“Tell me, Bryce,” Hades asked with malice in his voice, “Are you incapable of completing your mission. Do you refuse to continue? Are you quitting, Bryce?”

Bryce flinched, his eyes wide with fear.

“No, sir.”

“Then do your fucking job.”

The line went dead.

Bryce just sat there in silence, staring at the wall.

***

Horta and Geelshan walked, laughing, into the cottage.

Inside, an elderly Plath matron smiled at them.

“Goodness, Geelshan,” you look quite the fright.

“It’s just a few scratches,” Geelshan replied, “I won! Totally worth it!”

“Maybe for you,” the elderly Plath replied, “but think of your poor kalun’sha.”

“What do you mean?” Geelshan laughed, “It was her idea!”

The old Plath just sighed and shook her head.

“And was it her idea to raid my garden as well?”

“I told her that she could only have two,” Geelshan replied. “You give her more than that.”

The old Plath looked outside. Sure enough, the kalun’sha only took two horvath roots.

“So you are talking to animals now?” she chuckled.

“I don’t talk talk to them,” Geelshan shrugged, “We just have an understanding, that’s all.”

“If you say so,” the old Plath smiled. “Your friends are all downstairs. I’m doing a mixed bake for you.”

“Smells wonderful,” Horta said, almost drooling. “You do the most amazing bakes, Matron Shuushan!”

“We got something amazing from Terra!” Geelshan exclaimed.

“I’m certain nothing from that accursed place can be amazing,” the matron chortled. “Honestly, you kids and your love for that Hell.”

“It’s where the good games come from!” Horta exclaimed.

“So you have said, repeatedly,” the matron replied. “I still fail to see the appeal of those, all that noise and violence.”

“It’s not real violence,” Geelshan replied.

“If you say so,” the old matron replied with a faint smile. “I’ll bring down some tea when it is ready.”

“Thanks, Matron Shuushan!” Horta and Geelshan replied in unison as they both walked down a stairway and disappeared into the depths below.

The old Plath watched them go and smiled.

Once they were out of sight, she reached into a cupboard, opened a small box, withdrew some twisted black roots, and put them in the kettle.

***

Gwen tried so very hard not to run down the corridors of her ship…

and failed.

She reached the door to her quarters, gasping for breath.

Wasting no time, she ran inside and locked the door.

Almost falling over herself, she ran to the control panel on the wall and started flailing at the controls.

The lights went out.

Shortly thereafter, the titanium panels covering the transparent dome that made up the walls and ceiling of her room started to move, slowly opening…

To reveal the impossible.

She gasped in delight.

It was even more beautiful than she remembered.

She stood there, staring at the glory, the perfection around her…

She could see forever.

***

Bryce stumbled out of the porta-potty and looked around.

In his mind’s eye, he could already see it.

Littlefoot smiled at him and waved.

He winced, imagining what she would look like all too soon.

“There you are!” Littlefoot exclaimed. “Craxi is looking for you.”

Craxi!

“She’s over there!” Littlefoot said as she pointed.

Numbly, Bryce headed that way.

“Hey, lover!” Craxi shouted as she saw him.

Standing next to her was another Careel female.

“Oh no!” Craxi exclaimed, “Not again! Squeeze, squeeze, squeeeeeze!” she chirped as she held him tight. “I thought we got rid of all of those already! What’s wrong?” she asked, looking up at him with big affectionate eyes.

“Oh, nothing,” he said, trying to smile, “just some work bullshit.”

“Again?” Craxi asked. “Well, you need to quit that crappy job. You could work here! I know the boss. I could put in a good word for you,” she smiled as she hugged him again.

If only...

“You were looking for me?” Bryce smiled his cheerful mask back on.

“Yes,” Craxina said gravely. “I need you to settle a disagreement between me and this wood-head.”

“And how can I do that?”

“Well,” Craxina said, “She believes that there is no way that a human could fuck better than a Careel,” Craxina said with an impish grin. “I need you to show her the error of her ways!”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, silly,” Craxina grinned. “You are too good to keep to myself. Go and show her what I’m talking about!”

Bryce looked at the other female for the first time.

He looked at the “collar” around her neck.

An Emperor’s Grenadier’s gorget?

His smile transformed from a staged one to one that was very, very real.

“I would be delighted,” he said with a toothy grin.

The grenadier couldn’t help but smile back. He was so cute!

***

Geelshan and Horta descended into, well…

Calling it a basement didn’t do it justice. It was a large subterranean chamber supported by giant roots that had been lovingly shaped to form a natural arch.

It must have taken decades.

It was lit by naked electric LED bulbs connected by cords hastily attached along the walls and ceiling, all connected to a small fusion power plant, a Terran one, sitting at one end of the chamber.

Inside were three other Plath, one male hunched over a computer monitor, lines of code reflected his large, unblinking eyes, and another male and female connected to a VR rig, which was the room’s central focus ducking and “shooting” frantically.

The one at the computer looked up.

“Hey Geelshan!” he said.

The other two stopped their “combat” and pulled off the headsets.

“Geel!” the other female shouted. “Get anything good?”

“Well, I have more fuel for the reactor,” she said, pulling out a cylinder from the parcel that she had with her, some zip… annnnnnd….”

She produced a crystal.

“This!”

“A game?” The male gamer asked.

“We have plenty of those,” the female said, “is it a movie?”

“Better,” Geelshan grinned, “So much better...”

***

Gwen twirled around happily.

It was all around her.

She rushed up to the transparent dome, pressing her hands against the surface.

It was everything she had dreamed of!

Her breath coming out in ragged gasps, she, falling as she ran, rushed over to the control panel again.

It was time!

She activated the shield controls…

and deactivated them.

Reality collapsed, and it rushed in!

It surrounded her, enveloped her, embraced her…

Entered her…

She cried out in delight.

It was even better than she remembered!

Her eyes started to glow, then her nerves shone through her skin.

“Hello?” she called out. “It’s me!… Are you there?... I came back! I promised I would!”

Out in the impossible, timeless, not-void…

Something moved.

Hearing the call of an old/new friend, it rushed to her.

It was so happy!

***

“I stand corrected,” Cruxana said as she curled up against Bryce. “I can see why Craxina likes to ‘explore’. Such wonderful discoveries!”

“I’m glad you approve,” Bryce said as he caressed her ear.

“Ooo!” she crooned. “Do that some more!”

Bryce smiled and leaned in and gave her a little nibble on the tip of the ear.

She squealed with delight.

Bryce sighed.

“What?” Cruxana asked.

“I really hate to spoil a great mood,” he said.

“I don’t think anything could spoil my mood,” Cruxana purred.

“You’ve already been proven wrong once today,” Bryce said, his smile fading. “I regret to inform you that I brought you here under false pretenses.”

“That usually means that you want to get in my pants, which you have already done,” Cruxana said, raising up partway. “That means that the real fucking happens now?”

“Yes, but not to you, not exactly,” he replied. “I needed to get you alone so we could talk privately.”

“About what?”

“You are a grenadier, right?”

“Yeeeeahhh...”

“That means that you are part of The Emperor’s First Cavalry.”

“The Emperor’s only Cavalry,” she snorted. “What’s your point other than to say that I’m awesome?”

“Are there many more of you about?”

“Only all of us,” she replied, “When Craxina awooed, she caused quite the stir, and well, we did need to do ‘rapid deployment training’, so we gave them a lift. Besides, Terra is fun, and we were due a little R and R.”

“Craxina caused that much of a fuss?”

“Are you kidding?” Cruxana snorted, “She’s like a celebrity back home. Her blog is super popular. So when we heard she was in trouble, we did one of those, what do you call them, ‘crusades’?”

She narrowed her eyes.

“I’m going to hate the answer to this,” she said in a totally professional-sounding voice, “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m about to throw away my life,” he replied.

***

All of the Plath gathered around the holo-projector.

“So, what is this amazing thing you have?” Illandrain, the other female, asked.

“Sheloran was in the news, big time!”

“Really?!?”

“Oh yeah,” Geelshan replied, “She was attacked by the Threen mafia!”

“No!”

“Yup… and things… well… you just have to see!” Geelshan exclaimed, her eyes glistening.

“Your eye did something funny just then,” Maladonna, the computer Plath, said, pointing at her face. Something wiggled.

“Yeah, that’s been happening since I watched the first part,” Geelshan shrugged. “Once I realized what was on here, I held off watching the rest so I could share it with you guys!”

“Well, put it in already!” Horta exclaimed.

“Ok, fellow Hillfern Gunners,” Geelshan said as she inserted the crystal, “Hold on to your berets!”

Upstairs, Matron Shuushan sampled the tea.

It was lovely.

Suddenly, screams could be heard coming up from the chamber below…

And something else…

“Well, isn’t that interesting,” she said with a smile.

She turned towards the still living tree that grew through one of the walls of her cottage.

“I wonder what ‘O Fortuna’ means. I guess I better go and check on them, shouldn’t I?”

***

Gwen strolled through the impossible new landscape of her room, watching things slide in and out of existence.

Now she knew part of what she was looking at, multi-dimensional “things” sliding into and out of her three-dimensional awareness.

It was always like that at first. Soon she would be able to see all of them.

She sensed “movement” and turned.

She squealed with happiness and jumped up and down.

He was here!

“I missed you so much!” she cried.

It pulsed and shifted in reply as it slid past the three-dimensional dome. He just had to step “around” it to get inside.

It flashed impossible colors and changed shape.

“Did you think I would forget?” Gwen laughed. “I got something even better this time!”

She rushed over to a large footlocker and smirked.

She reached “through” the closed chest and pulled out a giant plush bear.

“See?” she asked triumphantly.

The “thing” pulsed brightly and rapidly started changing shape.

Gwen hurried over and set the bear down beside it.

The bear’s eyes started glowing as the thing reached inside it.

Gwen laughed with happiness and threw herself at the bear, wrapping her arms around it.

The bear hugged her back.

***

“Oh really?” Cruxana asked, her lips curling into a decidedly non-Craxina-like expression. “Oh really, now?”

“I’m afraid so,” Bryce replied.

“And you are one of these shit-heads?”

“Yep. I’m a filthy criminal who was stupid enough to, heh, ‘volunteer’. Worst decision of my life.”

“So, why are you betraying them?”

“Cruxana,” Bryce replied, “I’m scum.”

“No argument there.”

“I’ve been scum most of my life. I’ve conned people out of their life savings, leaving them nothing. I’ve seduced women and men alike, robbing them blind, sometimes even abandoning them at the altar. Then, once I joined Cerberus, I added murder to my life’s achievements, strangling lovers as they slept beside me….”

He sighed.

“But in all of that time, all of it,” he said, “I did it to people who deserved it, at least in part. I did horrible things to horrible people or at least unpleasant ones. When I worked with Cerberus, it was pretty much more of the same. The people on our ‘list’? They have almost always been people that this universe is better off without, and when they weren’t, they weren’t… innocent. Craxina is the kindest, warmest being I have ever met and… and… and...”

Bryce took a deep breath.

“And I can’t let this happen to her, to all of them. They aren’t ‘list worthy’. They are just… people, innocent people, and I won’t… I… won’t...”

Bryce hung his head.

“I won’t… not anymore… I’m scum. I deserve what will happen to me… If Craxina and the others are safe, then it’s ok. They can have me.”

Cruxana nodded.

“Bryce, I swear upon the Empress herself,” she said, “if you are fucking with me, you will wish this Cerberus were the ones that got their hands on you.”

“All you have to do is hang around for a few days,” Bryce said calmly, “nothing more. If I’m bullshitting you, I’ve only conned you into staying around for a few more days.”

She looked at him appraisingly.

“Seeing as you are a fucking con artist, I can’t trust my gut with you,” she said. “And any ‘proof’ you give me is worth about as much as your soul… Get out. I’m going to make a few calls.”

Bryce nodded and started to get dressed.

“And if you hurt Craxina, even a little,” she said, “By the soul of the Empress herself, I will make you regret it.”

“I have to hang around, or my handlers will get suspicious,” Bryce replied. “Once she is safe, I’m gone, in more ways than one,” he added with a wry smile.

“Out. Now… Oh, and thanks for the big O. I enjoyed that. Why did you do it? You could have just told me all of this bullshit without it.”

“I learn a lot from someone when I am with them,” Bryce replied, “I needed to know not just what you are, but who you are. I needed to know if you were the right one to talk to. I apologize for the deception, but I’m only going to get one chance to save her.”

“Well, isn’t that just the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard,” she snorted. “If you weren’t so good, I’d kill you for that.”

“If it keeps Craxina and the rest of them safe,” he replied. “I would let you.”

“Well, to make it square,” she said, “if you are one of these ‘Cerberus’ goons, that means you know how to kill, right?”

He nodded.

“Then keep an eye on Craxina, make sure nothing gets to her. Die if you need to.”

“I already have,” Bryce replied and left the tent.

Once he was gone, Cruxana grabbed her communicator.

“This is Colonel Swishtail,” she growled, “get me the General, now.”

***

The Hillfern Gunners just sat there, gasping and clutching their eyes as the singing stopped.

“Holy shit...” Ulennona, the one who was on the VR rig, said in Terran after a few moments. “Holy fucking shit...”

“Your eyes are wiggling,” Geelshan said.

“So are yours,” he replied.

“What was that? Did you see her fucking eyes?” Horta asked.

“Oil in the pool,” Illandrain muttered, “She has become oil in the pool.”

“Oh, Prophet,” Geelshan gasped. “She is the Befouler!”

“So,” Maladonna said, taking a deep breath, “you guys ready to see the rest?”

“No,” Illandrain replied, “but let’s do it.”

“… Oh Prophet… Oh, Prophet...” Horta gasped as the video ended. “Oh, Prophet...”

Illandrain said nothing. She just clutched her eyes and rocked back and forth.

Geelshan, running back and forth, kept screaming, “What the fuck was that? What the fuck was that?”

“Well, that was certainly… something,” an old voice calmly said from the shadows.

Matron Shuushan stepped into the light holding a tray with a teapot and cups on it.

“I thought you kids would like some tea,” she smiled, “but considering everything, I think something else might be in order.”

She set the tray down and pulled a hip flask from her dress. She poured a small measure into each cup and handed them out.

“This will help settle your nerves,” she smiled. “I suppose that was a little confusing, wasn’t it?”

Geelshan nodded as she gulped down the burning liquor.

Matron Shuushan smiled warmly at the group.

“Would you children like to hear a very, very, very old story?”