《The Big Yoink: A Smol Detective Story》


 Chapter One

    In the previous chapter:


    There was no previous chapter, silly.


    In this chapter:


    We meet another Smol.


    We meet her Snekfrens.


    They are on an Adventure.


    <hr>


    ¡°No wonder kids grow up crazy. A cat''s cradle is nothing but a bunch of X''s between somebody''s hands, and little kids look and look and look at all those X''s..."


    "And?"


    "No damn cat, and no damn cradle.¡±


    ¨D Kurt Vonnegut, ''Cat''s Cradle''


    <hr>


    Maria wriggled forward as her narrow shoulders scraped against the rock that closed in around her like a massive fist. If she''d been prone to claustrophobia, her current position would have triggered a nice little panic attack. But any potential fear was quashed thanks to the earlier mapping by camera drones. She knew there should be a larger cavern coming up right about...now.


    The petite woman popped out of the narrow channel of rock into a larger chamber. Maria took in a deep and grateful breath as she pulled her legs out of the crack, then reached back to the rope around her leg and tugged out the small pack tied to the other end. The bright nano-LEDs woven into her headband created huge impressionistic shadows as she looked around the roughly-hewn walls.


    As Maria stretched her cramped arms over her head, the commbead in her ear spoke. The translated voice was underlaid with a rumble that was best described as a purr-hiss.


    "[It looks like you''re in the antechamber. Do you have any injuries?]"


    "Just a scrape or two, Hrathra," she replied. "Nothing worth noting. Looks like Reshy''s mapping is accurate so far."


    Another similar purr-hissing voice now spoke. "[''So far'', [Maria]? I suppose I should be flattered.]"


    She grinned and looked around some more. "I see the cave-in. That must have been how the Karnakians got in here way back when."


    "[I''m sure they didn''t get in the way you did,]" said Hrathra''sstah. "[That crevice would be too small for even the skinniest Jornissian.]"


    "It would be too small for most humans as well. I guess I should be grateful for being teensy."


    Maria did another scan of the room. Along with lighting, her headband held an array of micro-lensed cameras that let her alien colleagues see what she saw. "Those dark marks near the ceiling...do those look like soot to you? It must be from their torches."


    "[That would be my guess as well,]" replied Hrathra. "[It would fit with the age of this place.]"


    Maria slipped on her pack and stepped carefully along the uneven floor. It was coated with countless years worth of dust and debris, making the footing uncertain. Some small alien animals had made a home of this place over the years, so there were also petrified feces to avoid.


    She reached the tunnel leading out of the antechamber. It was thankfully much bigger, as this path once allowed Karnakians into the central chamber of this ancient place. The floor became markedly smoother as she progressed, until eventually it became polished. There was still a lot of animal crap around, so she didn''t let up her careful stepping. It wouldn''t do to slip and crack her head in a place where nobody could get to her without rock-boring equipment.


    The tunnel walls also became smoother, until eventually they widened out again in a large hemispherical room carved into the granite. In the center sat an eroded-looking altar formed from a single block of cloudy crystal. Whatever sacred objects it once held were long gone, but mere trinkets were not the reason Maria was here.


    No, she was here for what else was in the chamber. She set down her pack and pulled out of it a larger LED work-light, then set the latter on the floor. One press of a button filled the chamber with artificial daylight and she blinked in the sudden brightness.


    Then she smiled as she saw the walls. They were covered with a dense crazy-quilt array of angular runes interspersed with drawings. They were all painstakingly etched deep into the solid rock, either by some ancient implement or by some long-dead Karnakian''s claws.


    It was appropriate that ancient Karnakian script reminded her of chicken feet. The pictures were not in any realistic style; they showed stylized Karnakians performing incomprehensible rituals. Everyone faced either to the right or to the left as in paintings from ancient Egypt.


    Hrathra''s voice reached her again. "[If I''m correct then you''re the first sapient being to directly view these carvings in...at least [fifty thousand years]. How do you feel?]"


    These carvings had been buried and forgotten for tens of thousands of years before the great cities of Mesopotamia were even a twinkle in someone''s eye. It was one thing to point into the star-speckled vastness of space and say ''The universe is eleventy-nine million zillion years old''. That was all well and good, but such a statement was just a number. The brain didn''t have anything to hold on to.


    But things which were created, such as this chamber...they grounded the imagination and let one feel the weight of countless eons. When facing such a timeless infinite void, most would shudder and turn back from the edge.


    Maria, in contrast, felt like a starving woman sitting down to a endless buffet. She would never, ever, run out of new things to discover. She spread her arms and showed her teeth to the abyss of time as her voice echoed in the room. "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings! Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"


    Then she dropped her arms and spoke in a more normal tone. "Seriously, boss, I can''t thank you enough for letting me do this."


    "[I still don''t like putting you in such danger, even if the risk is minor. But it was the only way.]"


    "A skinned elbow or two is more than worth it. Speaking of which, I should get to work."


    She rummaged through her pack and withdrew some tools that would have been considered somewhat primitive even back on pre-Contact Earth; a ream of blank paper and a charcoal stick.


    "Where do you want me to start?"


    "[Coil up for a moment, I''m looking at the detailed scans...ah. Do you see the picture of the two supplicants before the altar?]"


    Maria swiveled her head until she saw the appropriate picture. "I see it. The one with what looks like a big apple on the altar?"


    "[I don''t know what an [apple] is, but you are looking at the correct picture. That square patch of glyphs to its left, I''ll need all of that.]"


    "You got it, boss." Maria retrieved a chunk of powered nanofabric from her pack. A few shakes and it snapped into a rigid step stool. Because of the curvature of the ceiling, the requested carvings were at an awkward angle. But Maria managed to get the first paper sheet to completely cover the block of carvings. The soft scribbling of her charcoal filled the quiet chamber as she created a rubbing of the inscription.


    The next couple of hours were filled with taking more rubbings under Hrathra''s remote direction. At the end, Maria packed away her things and took one last lingering look around the chamber before heading back out and setting out on another painful crawl through the crevice.


    On the other side of the long, narrow passage Maria clasped the edges of the crack and pulled herself halfway out of it. As she pushed to get herself further out, two red-and-brown muscular arms gently wound under her armpits; with a casual yet fearsome strength they pulled her out of the crevice and then set her on the ground.


    She was now in the large and echoing cavern where the team (well, the trio) had set up their base camp. It was a naturally-occurring cave, with nary a tool-mark to be seen on the granite walls. But there was a relatively flat portion where they''d put their equipment, and the team had plenty of LEDs to keep the place nicely lit.


    Maria smiled up at her giant helper. "Many thanks, Reshy, but I had it."


    Resh''skk rolled his silvery eyes and gave a Jornissian snort, then nudged his snout at a tear in the elbow of her shirt. His tongue blepped out and back from his mouth as he scented for any blood. "[You''ve hurt yourself. Come with me.]"


    "I can put on a damn band-aid, thanks very much..." She trailed off as the snake-like alien gripped her arm with that same irresistible strength and towed her over to his own pack. He muttered annoyed Jornissian phrases to himself, too quietly for her translator to catch, as he applied a bandage to her slightly-bleeding wound. Resh''skk had a pleasant countenance for a Jornissian, with a chubby, python-like head and a warm red-and brown camouflage patterning on his huge body. But his demeanor tended to be grumpy and put-upon in spite of his friendly appearance.


    As he fussed at her elbow, another equally large and emerald-green Jornissian untied Maria''s pack from her leg-rope and sorted through it with many a pleased hiss. She pulled out the rubbings and her hissing went up an octave while her hood scrunched up in happiness.


    "[Yes! By Sotek¡¯s nethers, these should do nicely.]"


    This was her boss, Hrathra''sstah. Renowned scholar and archeologist, expert at alien languages, best-selling author, and famous throughout much of the galaxy. What with her unblinking red eyes, scaly green eye-ridges, and viper-like skull, Hrathra''s expression was locked into what looked like a perpetual angry scowl. Upon her first meeting with Maria, the human had thought she''d somehow pissed off the snake-woman.


    But she quickly learned that was just a combination of convergent evolution and a misfiring of human pattern recognition. Hrathra was in reality a bubbly, talkative sort who was a pleasure to work for.


    Hrathra turned and gestured to the central work-station they''d set up in the camp''s center. In obedience to the command from her implant, a holographic display appeared of the altar chamber that Maria had just vacated. She zoomed the display to the first section of carvings and held up the rubbing next to it while checking its accuracy. Hrathra''s hood scrunched in even further. "[Excellent work! I knew I kept you around for some reason.]"


    "Oh really, boss? And what about the nights here in the cave? I seem to recall both of you getting quite snuggly on a few occasions."


    Hrathra gave a hissing chuckle. "[True. You also make a good space heater.]"


    "[So these rubbings will be adequate?]" asked Resh''skk as he finished applying an oversized bandage to Maria''s minor scrape.


    "[It''s as good as we can get,]" replied Hrathra. "[The paper is hand-made, as was the charcoal. [Maria] is a sapient being and not some drone, and she made the rubbings with her own hands. If the [Karnakians] don''t allow these into the Claw¡¯s Sanctum, I guess I''ll just have to hire a team to go andstealthe Harsak-cursed thing.]"


    Resh''skk''s countenance did not alter in the slightest. "[Ma''am, I do know several colleagues from my time in the service who would be of use in such an effort...]"


    Maria reached up and slapped Resh''skk on the shoulder. It felt as if she''d smacked a foam-padded concrete pylon. "Dude, she''s joking. You are joking, right boss?"


    Hrathra''sstah quirked up one edge of her hood in the Jornissian equivalent of a cheeky raised eyebrow. "[That''s for me to know and you to find out.]"


    Once her arm was free of Resh''skk''s grip, Maria trotted over to her pride and joy.


    Just as Indiana Jones had his whip and Xena her chakram, Maria Vargas had her ¨¹berduffel.


    She''d bought it after finding out she¡¯d passed the tests and was officially in the OIH placement program. Many an unsuspecting traveler on board that particular Zephyr station suddenly found themselves buttonholed by a five-foot-nothing Latina and mercilessly quizzed on the benefits of their chosen luggage and what environments they''d put it through.


    Maria had been very thorough in her shopping research. She''d made aspreadsheet, withcolor-coded cells. In the end, there was really only one choice in spite of its considerable expense.


    The ¨¹berduffel.


    It was what you got after giving a bunch of bored Teutonic baggage engineers lots of double-strength coffee and access to alien technology. It was made of a dark gray canvas which was woven from nanotube filament and other, more esoteric materials. Thanks to that it was damn near indestructible. Both fireproof and waterproof, the ¨¹berduffel also turned knife blades with ease and shrugged off normal bullets. The whole thing could be rolled up tight enough to tuck into a pocket. Its interior was profusion of pockets, pouches, zippered compartments, nooks, crannies, and straps that meant you could damn near turn the thing inside out and not lose a single piece of gear. It could be configured to sling off of one shoulder or worn like a backpack. Maria usually opted for the latter, even though the size of it when full made her look like an ant hefting an oversized load. What with how much crap she toted around in it, trying to hang the ¨¹berduffel off of one side of her petite body resulted in her Jornissian colleagues making all sorts of concerned hisses and trying to carry it for her.


    Screwthatnoise. She may be tiny, but she was at least gonna carry her own stuff. Maria pulled a fresh shirt out of the ¨¹berduffel, and while she donned it a disquieting thought struck her.


    "Hey boss? The Karnakians won''t let us take any advanced tech into the sanctum. Does that include my commbead?"


    "[Yes. I''m afraid they''re quite insistent on that. They''ll deactivate my implant as well.]"


    "What? That''s bullshit."


    "[It''s progressive on their part. [Centuries] ago they used to surgically remove the implant of any disciple who wished to commune with the Claw.]"


    "So without my translator or your implant...how in the nine merry levels of hell are we gonna talk to each other when we''re in there?"


    "[We''ll make do with simple gestures. You¡¯ll just have to squeak when you want my attention.]"


    "Smart-ass," muttered Maria.


    "[I heard that.]" Hrathra glanced back at her own body. "[And technically I don''t have an ass.]"


    <hr>


    The problem with Karnakians was not that they were huge and fearsome apex predators. It was not that they could move faster than a human could easily track. It wasn''t even that their feet were tipped with sizable and razor-sharp sickle-claws which could disembowel a human in a single vicious swipe.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    (The Karnakians would hasten to add that they would never do such a terrible thing, ever.)


    No, the real problem with Karnakians was that they had nochill. Their attitude was always jammed at 100 percent no matter what they did. When it came to things like ''big floofy hugs'' or ''cheerful optimism'' such behavior was tolerable. But when it came to things like ''first impressions'' or ''calling in the Armada on a newly discovered sapient species before one has all the facts'', that all-or-nothing behavior tended to make things...complicated.


    And it was quite true that humanity hadn''t covered itself in glory during what could be only described as the ''clusterfuck'' of First Contact. But it was equally true that the Karnakians had made a few decisions that could only be called ''mistakes in judgement''. The net result was that during her five years in Hrathra''sstah''s employ, Maria had met maybe six Karnakians in total. And three of those were on board the Zephyr Station where she''d done her training.


    Now she was on the planet of Krr''gritz which was the hub-world in this particular collection of star systems, or ¡®Blessing¡¯, as the Karnakians called it. Here Maria had seen at least a thousand of the raptor-like aliens in the space of ten minutes after disembarking. She had to keep reminding herself that she was with a pair of good friends and that none of these Karnakians bore her any ill will.


    The planet itself was a place of near-perpetual rain. Everything was built for the constant deluge, from the buildings made of solid worked stone to the extra-wide gutters to the drains running down the center of the wide cobblestone boulevards. Her two scaled colleagues did not care if they got wet; Krr''gritz was more tropical than most planets, so the warm rain felt nice to them and slid right off their scales. Maria had an umbrella for herself, just big enough to cover her and the ¨¹berduffel on her back. She felt a little less silly when seeing the fluffier Karnakains toting around their own version of an umbrella, which was more like a shop awning in size and shape. Maria quickly got used to lots of stares from curious raptors, along with lots of fanged smiles.


    Hrathra''sstah and Resh''skk formed a defensive perimeter around her as they proceeded, placing their long bodies on either side of the small human. At first Maria took minor offense at their behavior; shewasan adult, after all. But then a careless Karnakian came at a dead sprint through the crowd. It was only the alien''s version of a brisk walk, but he was so fast that Maria could only see a white feathery blur before-


    Resh''skk''s muscled arm thumped into the raptor''s downy chest. "[Mind your speed, please.]"


    The offender did his version of a gawk at Maria. "[Oh, my! Certainly, I''m very sorry!]" He ducked his snout in a quick bow and trotted around them, giving the trio a wide berth.


    "Thanks," Maria muttered to Resh''skk.


    "[It''s just my job,]" he responded with a little flare of his hood.


    After that little incident, Maria no longer felt offended.


    Eventually they came to one of the largest buildings around, a wide and single-story affair with a tiled ski-slope of a roof that reminded Maria of a Japanese temple. A pair of Karnakians guarded the only door into the place, and they both performed the same quick bow as the team slithered or strode up the shallow stairs to the entrance.


    Maria had learned enough modern Karnakian writing to read the alien script on the marble lintel over that entrance. That script told all and sundry that this was the Most Sacred Temple of the Thirty-Third Path of the Great Spirit, the Last Resting Place of the Mortal Remains of Ta''irrl''qc, and Please Do Mind Your Footing Because the Floor Inside is Quite Slippery when it is Wet.


    She expected one of the sect''s middle management to meet them. Instead they were met inside by a figure which Maria had seen only in holos, a regal-looking Karnakian with feathers the color of a bright new penny. This was the Most Reverend Beacon-of-Light, First-Claw-and-Matriarch-of-the-33rd-Path Ck''Trrk''Ka. Her substantial plumage fluffed out in pleasure as she greeted the three of them, her trilling voice echoing off of the marble walls and floor of the entryway.


    "[Welcome to our humble temple! Please follow me and I''ll get some towels for you.]"


    Maria shook out and then stowed her umbrella into its proper place within the ¨¹berduffel. She had to jog double-time to keep up with her compatriots. They headed in a direction perpendicular to the door, and from what she could see there wasn''t any door leading directly into the temple''s center.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka opened a door and led them into a cheerful little office. "[It''s the rainy season here on Krr''gritz, as you doubtless noticed.]" She grinned as she handed the Jornissians large towels. "[During the dry season it only rains everyotherday.]" She then looked at Maria. "[Do you require a towel as well, little one?]"


    "No, Reverend Matriarch. I''m fine, thanks."


    "[So you were able to find the ruins of that 7th-Path temple after all.]" Ck''Trrk''Ka stated as the Jornissians toweled off.


    Hrathra rooted through her own pack and retrieved a small data stick. "[I said I would. We have a full holographic scan of the dig site for you.]"


    The Matriarch accepted it with a little bow. "[You have our eternal gratitude. Of course, we''ll have to keep this technology in the outer layers of the temple. I understand you wish to carry actual recordings of these glyphs into the central Sanctum.]"


    "[We do,]" replied Hrathra. "[My assistant will show you.]" She swiveled her head to Maria and smiled. "[It is only right that she presents the recordings to you, as she was the one who did the actual work.]"


    One of the nicest thing about working for Hrathra was that she didn''t hog credit from her employees. Maria had already retrieved the rubbings from the ¨¹berduffel, and now she stepped forward to spread them out on the office''s central table. She described her process in detail, and used the holographic map to show the Matriarch the path she''d taken to reach the central chamber.


    "[Amazing,]" murmured the Karnakian after Maria was finished. "[And you wish to take similar recordings of the glyphs on the walls of the central Sanctum?]"


    "[Yes. We would use the same rubbing process, of course. We will also write down the glyphs on the Claw itself. That last part, of course, will not involve any physical contact.]"


    "[Excellent,]" continued Ck''Trrk''Ka. "[Well, I have no complaints. It''s only fair that we live up to our side of the bargain. I imagine you''re anxious to proceed. Unfortunately we can only allow two people to be present in the central chamber at any time.]"


    "[I''d like my [Human] assistant to be the second,]" said Hrathra as she placed a green-scaled hand on Maria''s shoulder.


    The human looked up at her. "Are you sure, boss? Reshy might want to see it too."


    Resh''skk gave a staccato cough that was the Jornissian equivalent of a belly-laugh. "[I''ve been dragged through enough temples and whatnot to last several lifetimes. Go ahead, [Maria]. You deserve this.]"


    "Aw, thanks Reshy. I knew you weren''t a complete grump."


    Maria rolled up the rubbings, adding a few layers of fresh paper to the outside of the roll. The group headed out of the office, still moving parallel to the outer wall. They turned a corner and kept going. Maria knew from prior reading that the inner hallways of the temple were laid out in a big square spiral, leading like the layers of an onion towards the center.


    At that center lay the innermost Sanctum, wherein rested the Sacred Toe-Claw of Ta''irrl''qc, the founder of the Thirty-Second Path. Maria had seen pictures...well, claw-made drawings of the relic. It was a Karnakian rear claw inscribed with millenia-old glyphs which transcribed the very last words of Ta''irrl''qc himself. The knob of bone at the Claw''s root was encrusted with precious gems. The whole thing rested on a velvet cushion in a gold-and-crystal box. Both of the latter items were painstakingly made from scratch by hand (or rather by claw).


    They reached a room with many large cubby-holes set into the walls. The next door was guarded by a couple of bored-looking Karnakians. "[You may leave your baggage here,]" said the Matriarch. "[Please ensure that all holographic storage media are off of your persons before proceeding.]"


    Maria stowed her ¨¹berduffel with a little pang of regret, then patted herself down to make sure that she had nothing on her but the roll of paper and her charcoal stick. "What about my commbead?" she asked.


    "[You may keep it in for now,]" replied Ck''Trrk''Ka. "[As Ta''irrl''qc''s Sutra [Five Hundred and Nine] states¡­?]" She cocked two of her four eyes at the sentries.


    "[Communication is a most high expression of the Great Spirit''s purpose,]" chorused the two guards in unison. They now stood much straighter as they realized they were under scrutiny.


    The Matriarch''s head-crest rose in pleasure. "[Exactly.]" They passed between the guards and continued winding their way into the temple.


    Maria cleared her throat. "Reverend Matriarch, may I ask a question?"


    Ck¡¯Trrk¡¯Ka¡¯s crest rose even higher. "[Of course.]"


    "If communication is such a high expression, why not allow my commbead into the Sanctum, or let Hrathra keep her implant active? I''m not complaining, I''m just trying to understand."


    "[Understanding is always something to strive for. Ta''irrl''qc''s Sutra [Three Hundred and Eighty] states that ''Only by the work of your own claws shall you achieve Enlightenment''. We of the Thirty-Third Path have interpreted this Sutra to mean that as we progress towards his own achievements we must divest ourselves of anything that has seen the touch of the machine.]"


    Hrathra let out an amused hiss. "[I am very grateful for this opportunity, in spite of the restrictions. We''ll just have to make do.]"


    They passed several more doorways, each flanked by more guards. Maria wondered if there were hidden scanners in the walls just in case somebody tried to sneak in some bit of contraband tech.


    Along the hallways were many alcoves, each just big enough to hold a single Karnakian. In each alcove was a small altar-like table holding a lit candle. Each alcove also had a separate phrase inscribed into the wall above. Maria could translate a few of them, and knew that they were the various Sutras of Ta''irrl''qc. Most of the alcoves were occupied, and each Karnakian within turned to give the small group a curious couple of eyes before turning back to ponder their alcove''s Sutra.


    Maria wondered if any of them resented these heretical aliens barging into their midst. It took many years of meditation and testing for a Karnakian disciple to be deemed worthy enough to reach the center of this temple, and here they were just waltzing straight through like they owned the damn place. At least the Matriarch led them, which Maria hoped took the edge off of any resentment.


    They then came to a large room which held a bound ledger. The book looked comically oversized, even for giant aliens. It sat upon a tilted plinth and was about the size of a car. The Karnakian standing next to the plinth was a lean-looking male with green and gray mottled feathers. He gave off an impression of a fussy mustiness; if he¡¯d been human, Maria figured he would have been one of those eccentric members of the British gentry who putter through their half-decayed mansion while wearing spectacles and fingerless gloves.


    "[May i introduce you to Ti''Krrh, Keeper of the Ledger,]" said the Matriarch as she gestured towards the male. He gave them all what was probably supposed to be a welcoming grin, but seeing all those razor-sharp teeth just sent shivers down Maria''s spine and erased any impression of fussiness.


    Ti''Krrh grasped the huge cover of the ledger and pulled it open with obvious effort. There was a white silk marker as long as a bedspread which showed the most current page in the tome. This particular parchment-like page was filled halfway across with the vertical scrawls of Karnakian signatures.


    The Keeper produced a waxy stylus with a magician''s flourish. "[Please sign.]" As Hratha took the stylus and made her way to the book, T''Krrh kept on chattering. "[This is all quite exciting! You''re the first non-Karnakians to be admitted in...oh, well over [two hundred years], isn''t it Matriarch?]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka responded with a single regal nod.


    When it came time for Maria to sign her name, she took the stylus and turned her head so that she could sign ''normally'' but still fit her signature into the vertical space provided. She handed the stylus back to T''Krrh and was proud that she managed to not flinch at the contact of his taloned hands with her fingers.


    The chamber beyond the Ledger room was larger and held several Karnakian-style stools. "[Your colleague must wait here,]" said Ck''Trrk''Ka. "[Beyond the next door is the final place of bathing, presided over by Second Claw Ter''yeik. He will direct you in what to do. You must remove all clothing, bathe yourselves, then don the sacred woven robes that the Second Claw provides. Only then will you be allowed to pass into the inner Sanctum.]"


    Resh''skk didn¡¯t bother with the stools, and instead coiled himself into a comfy pile near the door. "[Have fun, [kiddos]. Make sure you take lots of pictures.]"


    The Matriarch''s crest fell a bit in worry. "[There is no recording equipment allowed...ah, you¡¯re making a joke, yes?]"


    The Jornissian just smirked.


    Maria clutched her roll of paper more tightly as she and Hrathra passed through the door. Beyond lay a white-tiled and steam-filled space which made sweat instantly pop out of Maria¡¯s forehead.


    Hrathra glanced at her curiously. "[Your face has gone all shiny.]"


    "Yeah, it''s like a steam bath in here. I''m gonna sweat like crazy if we stay in here too long."


    Her employer gave a Jornissian laugh. "[No wonder you [Humans] need so much water.]"


    Maria set the roll of papers and the charcoal onto one of the benches along the walls as a white-feathered Karnakian came through the mist towards them. Maria knew enough to recognize a warm-climate Karnakian. He had more cream-colored scales visible than usual, especially on the legs and arms. As opposed to every other Karnakian so far, he was naked save for a small leather pouch at his hip.


    The newcomer bowed. "[Greetings! I am Ter''Yeik, Second Claw of the [Thirty-Third] Path and assistant to the Reverend Matriarch. We were told of your impending visit and have prepared garments for you. Please disrobe.]"


    Maria had known this was coming, but still hesitated. She was a bit shy about getting buck naked in front of strangers, no matter how alien. She took a deep breath and stripped out of her shirt and trousers. After folding them neatly and setting them next to her paper, she shucked out of her underwear and then turned to face the others.


    In the meantime, Hrathra had also stripped off her clothing. Since she was a warm-climate Jornissian, her own emerald body was more streamlined than Resh''skk''s. She glanced at Maria before turning to Ter''yeik. The Karnakian gave them a once-over, looking for any contraband.


    "[We''re ready,]¡± said Hrathra. ¡°[What is required for bathing?]"


    The Second Claw led them over to a shallow brass bowl that looked like a huge brazier. It was filled with a finely-ground and crystalline green powder.


    "[As neither of you are [Dorarizin], you may use this bathing powder without concern for toxicity. We clean all of our feathers with this, but for both of you it will be sufficient to place some on your faces. This will count as ''sacred bathing'' as per Sutra [Eight Hundred and Six].]"


    First Hrathra, then Maria reached in and got a little of the powder on their fingers. Maria smeared a bit on each cheek like camouflage makeup while Hrathra coated the tip of her snout.


    Ter''yeik turned to Maria. "[I must now, with regret, ask for your commbead.]"


    This was worse than being naked. But she just smiled and fished the translator device out of her ear before handing it to Ter''yeik. He bowed deeply and trilled a bunch of nonsense at her...and the expected translation never came. Her brain gave a mental lurch, as if she''d put out her foot for a step that wasn''t there.


    He turned to Hrathra and trilled some more, and in response Hrathra nodded and closed her ruby-red eyes. After a bit, the snake-woman opened them again with another Jornissian nod. Ter''yeik reached into his pouch and withdrew a wand-like device. He waved it around Hrathra''s head before letting forth a pleased chirp. Maria figured that this implant de-activator was probably the only advanced bit of tech allowed this deep inside the temple.


    Ter''yeik trotted off through the steam and returned with a pair of robes fashioned from undyed, homespun fabric. He handed each of them a garment suited for their body shape. It was clear that the disciples hadn''t put much tailoring effort into them. Maria¡¯s robe was really more of a shapeless hooded poncho, while Hrathra''s robe was like a giant tube-sock with the toe cut out.


    Once they were dressed, Maria retrieved her rolled-up rubbings and charcoal. Ter''yeik gave them each a once-over, nodded again, and opened the door exiting from the steam-filled chamber.


    "That was almost as bad as air travel," said Maria as they walked and slithered down the short hall to the inner Sanctum.


    Hrathra gave a long hissing-purr, then smiled and reached over to squeeze Maria''s shoulder. The human had been in the Jornissian''s employ long enough to know when Hrathra was really excited about something. Right now, the alien was about ready to vibrate right out of her scales.


    The door at the end of the hallway sat firmly shut and was made of a single giant slab of hardwood. Hrathra waved towards Maria, then at the door handle. The young woman smiled at the opportunity to be first into the room, and reached out to grasp the horizontal handle of the massive door. It was right about at her eye level. She tugged with no effect, so Hrathra''s hand settled next to hers. Together, they pulled the door open.


    At a wave forward from Hrathra, Maria darted into the room. A hissing bark from her boss stopped her dead in her tracks, and she realized that she still held the rubbings. She unrolled them and handed the sheaf of papers to the Jornissian, then looked around the room in excitement.


    It reminded her of the ruined temple she''d infiltrated, but much less ruin-y this time. The shape of it was not as hemispherical, but the upper edges of the room''s walls curved inwards to form a sort of four-sided dome overhead. The walls were again covered with glyphs, and one block of them in particular had already caught Hrathra''s attention. She was shuffling through the rubbings while reading the symbols, hiss-purring to herself and damn near wriggling in pleasure.


    Maria smiled at her boss''s enthusiasm, and continued looking around the Sanctum. The human''s good mood lasted for the time it took her to finally look towards the center of the room.


    <hr>


    ¡°Baos! De..Ter...DaCLaH;! Iz;..gun! DaCLahiZ! Iz;? Iz? TotLEe Gun! Baos!¡±


    Hrathra''sstah chuckled at the clear enthusiasm in her intern''s voice, but was far too engrossed to turn around. Now that there was no translating from her implant, the cuteness of [Maria''s] odd staccato and warbling speech could be fully appreciated. She had to admit, the little alien had won her over. Hrathra told herself way back when that her reason for requesting a [Human] assistant was so that she could expose the newest species of the Senate to the full majesty of Galactic history. But if she was honest with herself, her request had been more to one-up her colleagues...especially that dry-scaled bastard Ssstalh''tra. Thinking of his jealousy alone had been worth the endless training in [Human] care and handling that she and Resh''skk endured.


    But somewhat to her surprise, [Maria] had proven herself and was now a valued member of her team. Hrathra would never again judge someone based merely on their size.


    And speaking of Ssstalh''tra, he was going tosoilhimself when she published the results of this expedition! Hrathra could now prove just how little sacred [Karnakian] writing had changed over time. They''d get some rubbings from these glyphs, and the side-to-side comparison would be undeniable. As a bonus she and [Maria] would also transcribe the glyphs from the Claw itself, which would prove Hrathra¡¯s theories of Karnakian language development beyond any reasonable doubt.


    "Baos! ;HoLEiE; SheEtTT! Dachahizgun! Da?Mit!Baos!!"


    Hrathra shook her hood and huffed in mild irriation. "<Yes, yes, I understand how exciting this is, [Maria]. Just give me a moment. Hmm, yes, these definitely use the same root-glyph system...>"


    "BAoS!"


    There was limit to how much she''d put up with, no matter how cute [Maria] was. She spun and glared down at her assistant. "<I said hold a moment! I know you can''t understand me, but please be calm. We''ve been allowed plenty of time.>"


    [Maria] danced up and down in front of her, her dark eyes wide as her homespun poncho flapped about her bare legs. She darted forward and plucked at Hrathra''s arm, then pointed towards the center of the room.


    "ITTZ?...;GUN!"


    The Jornissian sighed and patted [Maria''s] head to calm her assistant. "<Look, you know I can''t understand you either. So just breathe and relax...>"


    Hrathra trailed off as her eyes followed her assistant''s pointing finger. In the room''s center lay a single block of milky-white quartz.


    And upon that block was no gold-and-crystal holding case, no velvet cushion. There was for sure no Sacred Toe-Claw of Ta''irrl''qc with its root all encrusted with precious gems.


    The block was empty.

 Chapter Two

    At a younger and more impressionable age Maria watched with wide-eyed fervor a certain set of movies featuring a dashing archaeologist wearing an iconic hat and whip. That viewing doomed her to yearning for a life of adventure, and among post-Contact humanity there was one sure way to achieve that. But just going into space was not enough for her. She wasn''t going to be some glorified go-fer, damn it all. Maria Vargas was heading into the cosmos to be one thing, and that was an archaeologist.


    After six years of busting her ass and getting top grades, she''d applied for the Office of Interstellar Harmony''s placement program and blown through their placement tests with contemptuous ease. And then, to her delight, she''d found the perfect position with Hrathra''sstah. Even better, Hrathra turned out to be a cool person to work for and not an egotistical asshole to her help. The next five years of travelling the galaxy and seeing things no human had ever seen still hadn''t sated Maria''s hunger for adventure.


    Until now.


    Now she was trapped in the type of adventure where Indy needed to come swinging in through the window and save the day. But there were no windows in here.


    She and Hrathra were stuck in some side room deep in this damned temple and she was without her ¨¹berduffel or commbead. After they''d found the Claw gone, Hrathra went sprint-slithering out of the room to get Ter''yeik. The second-in-command had come into the Sanctum, taken one look, and called for the two nearest guards. The guards then spirited the two archaeologists into this side-chamber with impressive speed.


    The cherry on top of this mound of a shit situation was that she was still only dressed in an increasingly itchy home-made poncho.


    "Tllral''snito! Tsnlli''ii''ill''rittta''grlth! Llranrroi''iisni!" yelled Ter''yeik. Now he no longer looked pleased. His white feathers stuck out at odd angles, his fan-like tail projected straight back in anger, and all four of his red eyes were filled with fury. The only thing that kept Maria from curling into a whimpering little ball at the sight of his bared fangs was that Hrathra had placed her long body around Maria like a perimeter fence. The Jornissian crouched her upper torso in between the human and the raptor.


    On each side of The Second Claw were the two guards, who now looked utterly scared and adrift. Their roles must had been ceremonial up until now, and it was sinking in that they now had to do something...something which just might involve laying hands on other sapient beings without their consent.


    "Ssrrnslnnlsnnsrrrrtprhaaalskfuuunrruutthha!" Hrathra screamed back, pointing to both her streamlined ears and then to Maria''s. The message was clear. We can''t understand you, asshole!


    The furious Karnakian was too frothed with anger to get the point. He bared more of his teeth as his toe-claws tapped menacingly on the marble floor.


    "Trril''lrila! LLlll''ttriiseee''rrrt!" This time Ter''yeik''s scream was accompanied by a waving gesture towards the two guards. The latter both looked at The Second Claw with clear uneasiness. Maria wondered exactly what the furious raptor had ordered them to do. Strip-search them? Did the asshole think they could hide something like the Claw''s case under their robes?


    "RRRIITT''TIIL''S!" At that last scream, the two guards looked back at Hrathra with increasing determination.


    Maria huddled up next to Hrathra''s back, and in response the Jornissian reached back to pat her shoulder in an unspoken message of comfort. Hrathra''s other fist clenched with an audible crackle of knuckles.


    The human felt her heart try to climb up her throat as one of the guards took a hesitant step towards them. Hrathra was much stronger and faster than any human, but at the end of the day she was just a scholar and not a trained warrior...


    A high-pitched and penetrating hiss-scream sounded from somewhere behind the door.


    Maria had one brief impression of Hrathra spinning with inhuman agility towards her just before the air was driven from her lungs with an explosive woof. The Jornissian hugged Maria tight to her chest and coiled the rest of her length around them both.


    At the same time the thick hardwood door into the room simply evaporated as the red-and-brown battering ram that was now Resh''skk smashed his way into the room with one powerful, springing lunge. Maria felt a small chunk of the door ricochet off of an exposed bit of her scalp; the rest of her was protected from the flying debris by the ball of Hrathra''s scaled body.


    There was an endless moment of silence, and Hrathra uncoiled herself and immediately began flicking her tongue around Maria while the human wheezed and tried to get her breath back.


    "Sreererruuursssrrfruhhuur?" purred Hrathra. Her red eyes gleamed with concern.


    "I''m...fine, boss...hoo...just...gotta breathe for a bit...whooo...ohhh holy shit on toast that''s not good."


    That last statement was due to Maria viewing what was past Hrathra''s shoulder. It looked as if someone had made a cat''s-cradle using one very pissed-off ex-member of the Jornissian Special Forces instead of twine. In the place of fingers were some Karnakian disciples currently regretting their choices in life. Resh''skk had the tip of his tail wrapped tight around one of the guard''s throat, another coil clamped right around the torso and wing-arms of the other, and with both hands squeezed the minimal fluff around Ter''yeik''s neck as The Second Claw gurgled in clear distress.


    Resh''skk unhinged his jaw right in Ter''yeik''s face and emitted a lower-pitched hiss which sounded like live steam escaping from a boiler on the verge of exploding. Ter''yeik looked like he wasn''t sure if he should hiss back or crap his own feathers, and the scales on his snout started to turn a very interesting shade of purple...


    A single, imperious, and very loud chirp sounded from out in the hallway. Resh''skk closed his mouth and glared out towards the source of that chirp, then very slowly released his captives. The last one released was Ter''yeik, who received another silver-eyed glare from Resh''skk before the Jornissian opened his hands.


    The ex-soldier slithered further into the room, keeping himself between the Karnakians and his comrades. The Matriarch high-stepped through the ruined door, looked around at her own wheezing disciples, then turned to Ter''yeik and gave another imperious chirp.


    Ter''yeik started with a long trilling explanation that was cut off by a single wave from Ck''Trrk''Ka. She held out her clawed hand in front of him, and after a moment he wilted and opened the pouch at his hip. The Second Claw dropped Maria''s commbead into the Matriarch''s waiting palm. She gave another ''give-it-here'' wave of her wing-arm, and he also handed over the device he''d used to disable Hrathra''s implant.


    The Matriarch turned back and bowed deeply to Resh''skk before letting forth a long trilling, warbling stream of sound. Resh''skk responded with a single nod, and she took another careful step closer before handing the Jornissian both of the items she''d taken from Ter''yeik. After that, both she and Ter''yeik fell into a screeching conversation that sounded like the prelude to a gang war between parrots.


    By now Maria was practically dancing with the desire to get her commbead back. Resh''skk took pity on her and handed her the translator before turning to Hrathra. The human jammed her earpiece in just in time to catch Ter''yeik in mid-rant.


    "[?errora?lfr''''?error?frrrr''df?how can you be so blind? It''s clear that they''re agents sent by the Thirty-Fourth Path to steal the Claw!"]"


    "[Steal it how? You said yourself they had nothing on them but the rubbings. Have you asked them if you could search them?]"


    "[I was about to have Irr''''kkts and Tri''rriit search their bodies.]"


    The Matriarch''s crest flattened back against her skull. "[Without their consent? Are you mad? They can''t even communicate! Why not give the [Human] her translator back, at the very least?]"


    Ter''yeik wilted a little more, but then rebounded. "[I had no time! They must have the Claw secreted under their robes...]"


    Maria decided she''d had enough of being referred to in the third person. "Hey, jackoffs!"


    Everyone in the room looked at her in surprise, even the Jornissians. Maria stepped up and over Resh''skk''s body then yanked at her hood, causing the rest of her poncho-robe to ride up off of her body. She wadded the itchy thing up into a ball and threw it on the stone floor in front of the Matriarch.


    "Go ahead! Have a look through that, and have a look at this!" She spread her arms and turned her now-naked body in a circle. "Get a good long gander at this, you pervs! See anything? I can take a dump on the floor, just in case you think I''ve got the Claw crammed up my tuckus."


    The Matriarch sounded flustered for the first time that Maria could remember. "[That is not necessary, I assure you...]"


    Hrathra shrugged and followed suit. Resh''skk gave a little gurgle of surprise as his boss stripped off her ''robe'' and tossed it aside as well. He ducked his head away and all but blushed as she gestured to her long green body. "[My assistant may have put it a little more crudely, but she has the right idea. You see? We carry nothing.]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka clicked her teeth together in thought. "[So I see. May I ask you to bide a while longer in our temple? I fear I must contact this Blessing''s bishop for guidance in this matter.]"


    "[We''re not staying in this room. And he is not to be in charge of us.]" Resh''skk motioned with his snout towards Ter''yeik.


    The Matriarch held up her hands in a placating manner. "[Of course.]"


    Maria raised her hand as well, but this was more to get Ck''Trrk''Ka''s attention. "And can we get our clothes at least? That damn robe itches."


    <hr>


    The two Karnakian guards were still, well, guarding them. But at least they were in a different room, one that was bigger and had an actual window. And Maria was in a calmer frame of mind as well. She''d been allowed access to her ¨¹berduffel long enough to get some proper clothes as well as a stylus and datapad.


    To further take her mind off of their predicament, Maria sat and translated various English phrases into ancient Karnakian script. It was slow going; the way the various runes built on each other reminded her a little of ancient Sanskrit, but with a more alien logic behind it all.


    She scribed a vertical line of runes onto her datapad while sitting on Hrathra''s tail. The Jornissian had offered to be the human''s chair, although Maria wondered if Hrathra was doing so to calm Maria or herself more. Given how Hrathra was unconsciously grooming Maria''s hair, the human judged it more the latter. The human didn''t mind; it just one more thing to keep herself calm.


    The alien reached forward and tapped next to one of Maria''s written runes. "[This rune''s placement indicates a superlative. It needs the cross-bar here.]"


    "Oh, yeah. Thanks."


    It had taken a lot longer for Resh''skk to calm down. He slithered back and forth along the length of the room, pausing every now and then to give the two guards a healthy dose of stink-eye that they studiously ignored. Resh''skk finally gave up his pacing and coiled up with a huff next to Hrathra. "[They''re still blocking the comms on our implants]," he growled. "[I''m giving them until this evening, and then by Sotek-who-circles-the-world I will...]" He glanced over at the guards and dropped his voice. "[Well, I''ll try to break out of here and get word to someone. They can''t keep us incommunicado.]"


    The guards, for their part, acted as if they hadn''t heard the implied threat. Maria did feel some sympathy for them; from what she''d gathered, the Matriarch was keeping the theft a secret. That in turn meant that the guards were effectively stuck in here along with the three of them. She''d tried to pronounce their names and eventually gave up and christened them Frick and Frack.


    "[I''m sure there will be no need to,]" murmured Hrathra. "[Let''s abide a while. There are some perks to being famous, and one of them is that I''m a lot harder to disappear.]"


    "[I don''t trust them,]" said Resh''skk. "[And I don''t like that they threatened you.]"


    The archaeologist shrugged. "[Nothing actually happened, and the guards were very reluctant to carry out [Ter''yeik''s] order. Don''t be too harsh on them. You were a soldier, you know about following orders.]"


    "[I also know that illegal orders can be ignored,]" replied Resh''skk. "[But I''ll follow your lead. No rough stuff...yet.]"


    The two guards at the door looked outside, bowed, and stepped backwards into the room as the Matriarch entered. She gave the three ''guests'' another deep bow.


    "[Well?]" snapped Resh''skk. Hrathra put a hand on his shoulder, and the big Jornissian subsided.


    The Matriarch gave a tired-sounding snort. "[As you can imagine, things have now become even more complicated. This Blessing''s bishop also believes that the Thirty-Fourth Path is behind the Claw''s theft.]"


    Maria looked up from her datapad. "So have you asked the Thirty-Fourth Path?"


    "Not...directly. Due to the long enmity between our Paths, their main temple is in another Blessing altogether. Contact between our two Paths must take place through an intermediary. The bishop of their Blessing has asked them, and they deny all knowledge of any theft or plans for such.]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka feathers drooped, and Maria got a sense of just how exhausted the Matriarch was. "[The Holy Diarchy is now involved, since this is a matter between two different Blessings.]"


    "Don''t you guys have cops?" asked Maria.


    "[Pardon?]"


    "Um...policemen? Peace officers? Detectives?"


    "[Oh, yes! Yes we do, but given how established the Thirty-Third Path is throughout this Blessing it will be difficult to find policemen with no ties to our sect.]"Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "Why would that make a difference...oh, I get it. You want to avoid the Thirty-Fourth Path screaming that you''re trying to frame them for the theft."


    The Matriarch nodded her crest. "[This is a political matter, not just criminal...]" Her crest rose as she stared into the distance. "[Unless...yes, [Maria], that''s a wonderful idea! Please wait here, I must contact the Senate!]"


    She turned and sprinted out of the room, nearly bowling Frick over in the process.


    The two Jornissians looked curiously at Maria, who shrugged. "I guess I''m somehow a genius?"


    <hr>


    Certain accommodations have to be made when having different alien species living together. One of them is that everybody poops, but nobody poops in quite the same way. Fortunately the Karnakian toilets were something that Maria could work with, although she had to use them a little like the squat-toilets she''d dealt with while on vacation in Indonesia. Unfortunately she had to be escorted to and from the jakes by Frack.


    In the hours since the Matriarch dashed off, they''d gotten whatever they''d asked for in the way of food and water. But it was still clear that the trio was under house arrest.


    "Frack still won''t let me have my terminal," said Maria as she re-joined her companions.


    Hrathra drew herself up taller than the two guards and fixed them with a crimson glare. "[You need to allow my colleague time alone with [Human] media. This requirement is mandated by treaty.]"


    Frick gave an apologetic bob of his crest. "[It''s out of our control.]"


    "[I am sure it is. I am also sure that I''ll be making a formal complaint against your organization once this affair is concluded.]"


    Hrathra dropped herself back down and settled a hand on Maria''s shoulder. "[Are you doing all right? I mean, I don''t know if the four hours per day is a minimum requirement or what.]" She blopped her tongue out in a slow, thoughtful motion. "[I really should know that. I apologize for not asking earlier.]"


    Maria leaned back against her boss''s bulk. "It''s okay boss. I''m keeping it together, so far."


    That was not entirely a lie. Maria was usually able to ignore the little screeching voice in the back of her skull that kept telling her she was in danger, that she needed to flee. But she was tired and stressed, not to mention in a situation with some real danger. She figured she had about another day or so of being stuck in a room with a bunch of fanged apex predators before her resolve crumbled and she turned into a gibbering mess.


    Somehow Hrathra sensed her mood. "[Well I''m a little more nervous than you are. Do you mind if I use you to ''keep myself together'', as you put it?]"


    "Um, no?"


    Hrathra scooped up Maria and set her in her pile of coils before giving her a hug. "[Thanks.]"


    Maria smiled, both from the hug and from the way Hrathra made it look like the Jornissian was the one who needed comforting. Her boss was the best.


    The next few hours were filled with Rash''skk kept making ever-more-threatening suggestions while Hrathra kept calming him down.


    At long last the Matriarch re-entered. She looked even more bedraggled and exhausted, but there was clear triumph in her eyes. "[I did it! I convinced them to send a Senate investigation team.]"


    "That''s great and all, but when are we getting out of here?" asked Maria.


    "[I only ask that you wait here for another two days. Once the Senate team arrives I''ll let them decide how to proceed. My guess is they''ll sequester you aboard their ship.]"


    "[You must be very certain of their trustworthiness,]" said Hrathra.


    "[I''ve been assured that this is their best team. Better yet, they''re comprised entirely of [Dorarizin] so there''s no question of their neutrality.]"


    <hr>


    All the other races were big. It was just a fact of life that humanity had to accept. But there was big, and then there was big. Karnakians were tall, but rangy. Much of their apparent bulk was feathers and fluff. Jornassians massed the most, but their bodies were long and they adjusted their upper body off of the ground so that they could look one in the eye. It was a polite gesture that also hid their true size.


    Dorarizin massed less than the average Jornissian, but that smaller mass was compacted into a muscled bipedal package. The dark-green furry alien that followed the Matriarch into their room had massive shoulders, making him look like a werewolf with the build of a gorilla. He wore a close-fitting gray uniform that sported a shoulder patch with a curlicue insignia. The Dorarizin nodded to Frick and Frack with a casual air, then turned to the trio on the other side of the room.


    "[Hi. I''m Ngralh-of-Arzgar, Executive Officer of We-Who-Hunt-Between-The-Spaces.]" He smiled at Maria and her companions.


    His smile didn''t show any teeth which was a good thing for Maria. She was somehow still holding together in spite of multiple days with no alone time, and seeing one more set of huge fangs would have sent her over the edge into Whimpertown.


    "[You must be [Maria],]" he added as he nodded to her.


    Even as strung out as she was, Maria couldn''t pass up the chance to be a smart-ass. She glanced up at each of her two giant companions. "Amazing. How ever did you guess?"


    "[I''m an ace detective,]" he replied before giving her a human-style wink. "[Now, before you meet the others on my crew I''m going to have to scent you. Do I have your permission to approach?]"


    The fact he was asking instead of ordering made her feel a lot better. She remembered something from her orientation about humans smelling like abandoned pups, and figured this was a work-around. "Yeah, as long as we don''t have to do anything weird. It''s just a hug, right?"


    He nodded, and Maria wondered where he''d picked up human nonverbal cues. She hopped up out of Hrathra''s lap and let out a little eep as she was swept up into a furry bear-hug against the Dorarizin''s chest.


    After a few minutes of semi-humiliating hugging while her feet dangled off of the ground, he set her back down. "[That should be sufficient for the moment.]" He turned and called out into the hallway. "[We''re ready, Captain.]"


    The tallest Dorarizin that Maria had ever seen squeezed herself into the room, followed by the fidgeting figure of Ter''yeik. The Second Claw promptly got a double-dose of stink-eye both from Maria and Resh''skk, but the Karnakian was far too agitated to notice.


    "[Reverend Matriarch, that security drone is a little too high in technology to be allowed this deep into our temple...]" he began.


    The Captain''s level purple gaze looked down at him with no emotion, and Ter''yeik trailed off. Her eyes then swept over the room, and she nodded with a casual air at Frick and Frack before staring fixedly at the trio on the other side of the room.


    "[Greetings. I''m Rgrarshok-of-Ngraz, Captain of the ship Furious Claw of Inquiry. I wish we could meet in better circumstances. Do you need any medical assistance?]"


    "[Really, now!]" said the Matriarch with a huff. "[We''ve been supplying them with food and water and any of their belongings as requested. They haven''t told us of any injuries.]" She cocked her head. "[Although the [Human] seems to consume a lot of water for someone her size. Is that normal?]"


    Rgrarshok smiled. "[I can say from first-hand experience that it is...]"


    Maria Vargas received one of the biggest shocks of her life as a cheerful masculine voice sounded from out in the hallway...a voice that her commbead didn''t have to translate.


    "Hey guys, comin'' through!"


    Ter''yeik let out a squawk as something gray and spherical floated into the room and bumped at his tail.


    "''Scuse me, dude. Gotta let Jeeves Junior in there first."


    The Second Claw spun, clearly ready to unleash a furious tirade upon the human out in the hall. Then he visibly swallowed, looked up, and backed carefully into the room.


    The voice didn''t lose a speck of its cheerfulness. "Aw, don''t mind Myra, she looks like that at everyone. Occupational hazard of bein'' a bodyguard."


    The gray sphere of a security drone floated into the room followed by a human male wearing the same uniform as the Captain and Ngralh. On Earth he''d be considered a big, broad-shouldered guy. But here, standing next to his Dorarizin comrades, he was much less impressive. His deeply-tanned face split into a big grin as he settled eyes on Maria.


    "Awesome, another human crazy enough to stick themselves among a bunch of crazy aliens!" His voice held a faint Southern twang. He looked up at the Matriarch. "Sorry about that ma''am, no offense intended."


    Ck''Trrk''Ka''s crest rose. "[None taken, little one. I myself sometimes wonder if I''m overseeing a religious order or an insane asylum.]"


    The man nodded and marched towards Maria and the Jornissians with his hand out. As he moved the security drone kept itself next to his shoulder. Maria walked forward and automatically stuck out her own hand for the shake, but then paused as another Dorarizin entered.


    This female had dark brown fur and was a lot smaller than the Captain, but she held herself with a coiled readiness that somehow got across the message that she could take on anyone in the room and beat them with just her bare paws.


    The newcomer''s deep blue eyes locked with Maria''s. She glanced at Maria''s outstretched hand and nodded. The petite woman was very careful with her resulting handshake, even though there was no way she could possibly hurt this guy. He must have outweighed her by a good fifty kilos.


    "Oscar Williams," he said, still wearing that sunny smile.


    "Maria Vargas."


    He nodded back at his bodyguard. "That''s Myyreh-of-Relgreh." He managed to get in at least some of the proper clicks into the Dorarizin''s name. "Did I get it right?" he called back over his shoulder.


    Myyreh shrugged. "[Close enough.]"


    Maria dropped Oscar''s hand. She crossed her arms and shook her head in mock exasperation. "It figures. I finally run into another human out here and he''s just as big as any alien."


    Oscar gave a hearty laugh and pointed his thumb back over his shoulder at the Captain, who was looming without even trying. "You can say so, but it''s not even close," he said. "So, they treatin'' you folks all right?"


    At any other time Maria would have found his chipper demeanor annoying. But right now it was just what she needed. She felt the ever-growing ball of tension in her gut start to ease itself apart.


    "[We are well, thank you,]" replied Hrathra. "[However, it would be better to be allowed contact with the outside world.]"


    Resh''skk just folded his arms, flared his hood, and glowered at the room in general. He and Myyreh glanced at each other, and some kind of unspoken understanding seemed to pass between them. The bodyguard finally gave a respectful nod which Resh''skk returned.


    Rgrarshok rubbed her ear. "[Ah, yes. Unfortunately the Senate would like to keep this whole affair quiet for the moment. The [Thirty-Third] Path has agreed to our team investigating this matter, and you may communicate with your families and friends. We only request that you keep any mention of the theft itself strictly secret.]"


    Resh''skk opened his mouth, clearly getting ready to give the Captain what-for. Hrathra''s interruption was smooth and unobtrusive. "[We will certainly comply with your request,]" she said with deliberate emphasis. "[But I must insist that we are allowed to at least leave this room. My [Human] colleague has not been allowed her four hours of seclusion for several days now. I''m sure the Senate would not want to have that become an issue.]"


    The Captain nodded. "[I''ve proposed to sequester you three on board our ship until the investigation is complete. Our life-support system is already set up to accommodate a [Human], so there won''t be any problems in that regard."


    Ter''yeik did a double-take, which was all the impressive since he had four eyes. "[What? Matriarch, I must protest!]"


    "[It is decided.]" Ck''Trrk''Ka''s tone was final.


    The Second Claw flapped his arms in distress. "[What is to prevent the [Dorarizin] from simply leaving once these suspects are on board their ship?]"


    Before the Matriarch could reply, Rgrarshok grinned at Ter''yeik in a way that showed all of her fangs. "[I have over [three hundred years] of spotless service on my record. While these three seem like nice people, don''t dare think I''m going to ruin that record just for their sake. We are here to solve your problem. It will get solved.]" The last sentence was said with the finality of a bank vault door slamming shut.


    "[I still wish my protest to be recorded,]" said Ter''yeik, but he looked at the floor while he said it.


    Maria liked the sound of getting onto the Dorarizin ship. It would at least get her out of this damned room. "Not to speak for my friends here, but I''m down with the sequestering. Can we get our stuff back?"


    Rgrarshok''s teeth rippled out and then clicked together in a manner that indicated regret. The way her teeth moved also sent a nice fresh dose of heebie-jeebies down Maria''s spine. Her hind-brain yelled at her that the Dorarizin could bite her head off in one chomp.


    "[Sadly, your belongings are part of an ongoing investigation. Rest assured we''ve taken them into custody and will care for them. In the meantime, anything you want will be synthesized on board the Claw.]"


    Maria told her hind-brain to get stuffed and pointed an un-amused finger at the captain. "I spent a shitload of money on that duffel bag. I better get it back in pristine condition, along with all the stuff in it. Got it?"


    <hr>


    At the entrance chamber to the temple, Maria was brought up short upon seeing the rest of the Senate team. It was a line of Dorarizin of many different colors who had an array of cases and equipment stacked around them. The strangest of them was a huge, brick-red Dorarizin male with the oddest looking facial fur. He''d styled it into protrusions that stuck out from each side of his face sort of like...a handlebar mustache?


    Maria''s puzzling was interrupted when he and the rest of the team snapped to attention then saluted as the Captain strode into the chamber.


    "[We''re on, people. I want statements from these three before we take them up to the Claw.]"


    Maria expected Oscar to take her statement. But instead she wound up talking to Ngralh, while Hrathra spoke with a dusky-blue Dorarizin named Egwreh-of-Grhraf. Rash''skk made his statement directly to the Captain, who stood with her standard imperturbable expression while the Jornissian slithered back-and-forth in front of her while gesturing wildly. From the look of it Resh''ssk was accusing the Karnakians of everything up to and including double-parking in a handicapped zone.


    In the meantime, Oscar just bumbled around the place asking lots of questions about the architecture and in general ingratiating himself with the Matriarch. Ck''Trrk''Ka''s flat crest soon rose again with happiness as Oscar praised the workmanship of the carved marble columns on either side of the entrance. Myyreh stood nearby and kept a close eye on the human as he puttered about, her eyes constantly looking for threats and her ears twitching every which way like radar dishes.


    After the statements were completed, the Captain gestured for her team''s attention. "[There''s no injuries, Kgrashak, so we won''t need you down here for the moment. Please escort our guests up to the Claw and give them a thorough physical.]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka opened her mouth, and the Captain held up a paw to forestall the coming protest. "[You know and I know that they''re uninjured. But if we have it official and on the record that they''re uninjured, that will make your life much easier. Understand?]"


    The Matriarch gave a reluctant nod of her crest.


    Rgrarshok turned to Oscar. "[Is it all right if [Maria] uses your room for her mandated [Human] media time?]"


    "Fine by me," he replied. He winked at Maria. "Just don''t mess with my stuff too much." Maria almost rolled her eyes at his unchanging smile. Didn''t the man realize how serious this all was?


    The Dorarizin shuttle was a sleek beetle-shaped craft parked in the boulevard outside the temple. A lot of curious Karnakians goggled at the procession of one human, two Jornissians, the Dorarizin doctor, and a sleepy-looking pilot named Grawfren-of-Delzreg. Maria figured that keeping this whole mess secret was going to be a fool''s errand. Already the populace in general must know that something was going on in the temple, and sooner or later word would get out.


    The inside of the shuttle was absurdly spacious to Maria, as was typical of her experience since leaving Earth. She appreciated the room to breathe, but she would have happily put up with getting squashed just to get out of that damned temple.


    Grawfren took off with casual competence, somehow managing to avoid squashing any too-curious Karnakian. Maria looked out the forward viewscreen and felt that familiar little flutter of awe as the blue sky turned black. That awe started to unravel the ball of tension in her gut.


    The Furious Claw of Inquiry was an aggressive-looking wedge of a ship that the aliens probably considered on the smaller side. But to Maria it was just as spread-out as the shuttle. The hangar deck alone was as big as a hockey rink.


    Kgrashak''s ''medical exam'' involved the trio sitting in her sickbay while she sniffed at them in turn. Thankfully they were able to keep their clothes on for that process. The doctor took the longest with Maria.


    "[Hmm...yes, you have an older injury on your arm here.]"


    "Eh? Oh yeah, I scraped my elbow about a week ago. Reshy''s the one who bandaged it for me."


    "[Ah. Do you have any pains or aches bothering you? I have a full medical suite tuned for [Humans], so if you have any chronic problems I can take care of them.]"


    Maria demurred, and afterwards the three were shown to their...well, it wasn''t quite a cell, and it wasn''t quite ''their quarters'', at least not in her eyes. At least it was furnished and well-lit. They were free to come and go, as long as they kept themselves to certain areas. There were quite a few security drones keeping tabs on them outside of their room, although Kgrashak stressed that such surveillance was more for the team''s own records and eventual report more than any suspicion on their part.


    "[We''re sure that this is just an unfortunate coincidence,]" said the doctor.


    Maria wasn''t sure if the Dorarizin team really believed that or if they were just putting potential suspects at ease. Either way, as the door slid shut Maria fully relaxed for the first time in what seemed like years. Hrathra''sstah also seemed to lose some tension, but Resh''skk stayed as grumpy as ever.


    "[This is ridiculous,]" he huffed. "[There''s no possible way we could be involved in the Claw''s theft.]"


    "[And they just need to make sure of that,]" said Hrathra. She tapped the tip of his tail with hers in a Jornissian calming gesture, then turned to Maria. "[You should go do your mandated four hours. You''re a few days behind.]"


    Maria hugged herself and rubbed her shoulders. "This is gonna sound nuts, since I''ve been stuck in a room with you guys for a what feels like forever. But...right now being alone is the last thing I want."


    "[That''s understandable. Did you wish to sleep?]"


    Now that they no longer had Karnakians watching them 24/7, Maria realized just how tired she was from all of the stress. "Yeah. Would you mind...?"


    "[Not at all.]"


    "Thanks. It''s just...you guys are so much comfier than a bed, you know?"


    Hrathra made a loose pile of her coils, and Maria clambered carefully into its center.


    "[You seem less excited than I expected in encountering another [Human]," said Resh''skk.


    Maria was already snuggled on top of Hrathra, and she shrugged as she closed her eyes. "Eh, I dunno. Oscar seems nice enough, but he strikes me as a bit of a idiot."

 Chapter Three

    "{What do you mean he can''t bring that in?}" Ngralh had dealt with his fair share of bureaucratic idiocy, but this religious nonsense was on a whole new level.


    His little pack mate was well into his ''adorable but dim'' routine. [Oscar] smiled widely and gestured with one hand at what he held in the other. This was his gift from Bgrarh, what the giant Dorarizin called a ''magnifying glass''.


    "[Yeah, why not?]" asked the tiny-chomper. "[There''s no moving parts, it''s just metal and glass. We primitives had these hundreds of years before we had space travel.]"


    The Matriarch gave an apologetic duck of her head. "[And yet it is made by machines, not by hand. Ta''irrl''qc''s Sutras are quite clear on that matter.]"


    Ngralh looked behind him at the rest of his team, all of whom were in the process of hauling their equipment into the room containing the huge Ledger. The tome''s Keeper, Ti''krrh, looked simultaneously pleased and terrified at all of the unusual visitors. He stood next to the Ledger''s plinth and darted his head back and forth between the Dorarizins and his superior.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka pointed a wing-arm at the team''s cases. "[Our sensors show that all of that has also been nanofabricated, and thus we cannot permit it into the Sanctum.]"


    Ngralh felt a wave of weariness. "{We thought at least we''d be allowed automatic recording tools. I hope you understand the need to establish a proper chain of custody. Every bit of evidence we find within the Sanctum must be tracked for use in any eventual trial.}"


    The Matriarch gave her crest another apologetic bob. "[We are willing to allow you your clothing and to allow more than two to be present in the Sanctum. Apart from that we must insist that our customs are followed.]"


    There was something else that the Matriarch hadn''t mentioned in that ''allowed items'' list. "{Wait. What about our implants?}"


    "[Custom dictates that...]"


    As she prattled on Ngralh took in a deep breath to calm himself. First, he''d give this infuriating [Karnakian] a diplomatically polite tirade about how she was interfering in an investigation intended to help her out. Then he''d get the Captain in here to lean on Ck''Trrk''Ka by doing her ''looming'' thing.


    Instead, Oscar stepped forward and put a hand on Ngralh''s forearm. "[Hey, no problem! We''ll deal with it. I''m used to doing this stuff by hand anyway. Guess there are some advantages to being primitive, eh?]" He gave Ck''Trrk''Ka a human wink. "[So can you [rustle] us up some paper and pens?]"


    The Karnakian tilted her head. "[What does [rustle] mean? Oh, you mean procure? Yes, we can do that!]" She gave an imperious snap of her fangs at the two disciples who''d been guarding the [Human] and Jornissians. "[Find them some paper and writing tools, now!]"


    The two guards looked at each other. "[Honored Matriarch, I''m not sure where we keep such items,]" one of them said. His crest was flattened so much against his head that it conformed to his skull.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka threw up her wings. "[Honestly!]" She was clearly getting ready to launch into more invective when [Oscar] held up his small hand.


    "[It''s cool, we''ll figure it out. I bet Mr. Keeper over there knows where that kind of stuff is stored.]" He turned to Ti''krrh. "[You strike me like someone who''s [on the ball].]"


    Ti''krrh stirred and puffed himself up at the [Human''s] praise. "[Why yes! I can certainly help in that regard.]"


    The Matriarch stalked past the team and began waving her arms. "[Then why are we still standing around! The Claw holds the Last Sutra of Ta''irrl''qc, and I want it back now!]"


    "[Oh, if you have anything like home-made glue that would be great too!]" added [Oscar]. The Matriarch bobbed her head and continued yelling at the other three Karnakians.


    "{What''s the glue for?}" asked Ngralh.


    "[I want to see if we can pick up any DNA from the altar itself,]" replied [Oscar]. "[There was one disciple in there the day before Hrathra''sstah''s group arrived, and nobody''s been in there since. So the theft was only about five days ago. There might still be some skin cells or other such stuff around.]"


    "{No incriminating feathers this time?}" asked Ngralh with a smile.


    [Oscar} gave his strange, yipping version of a laugh and strolled off. The Karnakians were still bustling around gathering supplies, but Ngralh ignored them and instead kept a close eye on his den-mate as [Oscar] made his way over to one of the team''s cases. The [human] made a big show of opening the case and placing within it his magnifying glass. He used that big, obvious motion to obscure several smaller, less obvious motions as he plucked a few small items out of the case and stowed them around his person. He then made another big show of closing the case.


    Ngralh caught [Oscar''s] slight-of-hand, of course. And the Karnakians would have caught it too...if [Oscar] hadn''t gotten them all running around and focused on other things. It wasn''t a matter of speed, but of distraction.


    The XO wondered once again just what would have happened if the [Karnakians] had tried to occupy [Earth]. The [OIH] was mostly successful in its embargo of the nastier moments of [human] history, but Ngralh had heard enough whispers to know that [humans] had built up lots of painful experience with each other in how to fight a larger and more powerful occupying force.


    He thought about trying to fight an insurgency composed of small, stealthy sapient beings who instinctively triggered a protection response in the average person. Yes, they were fragile and slow compared to everyone else. But if they''d gotten ahold of more of the Karnakian''s military technology, and then turned that tech around on their oppressors...


    Ngralh gave a little shudder. All in all, it was good that the Senate races had never found out how that particular fight would have gone. As cute as the [humans] were, they could be devious in ways that he still hadn''t quite grasped.


    The Karnakians finished their rushing about and proudly presented the team with some paper, pens, and a pot of glue. Oscar then made another big show of plucking out his earpiece and presenting it to the Matriarch with a winning smile.


    "[Keep an eye on this, okay?]"


    The Matriarch cooed and bobbed her crest in assent. That was the last coherent sentence that Ngralh heard from his pack-mate for a while, since her next action was to produce a small wand that he recognized as an implant deactivator.


    <hr>


    "{I can''t believe they had a whole bowl of Green just sitting there,}" said Egwreh.


    Ngralh gave his pack-mate and sometimes lover an amused snort. "{It''s not a big deal to [Karnakians]. To them it just smells nice.}"


    "{Nice?}" Egwreh growled. "{I''d like to show them a Dorarizin who''s wasted away after a lifetime of Green abuse and then see how nice they think it smells. Why can''t they use something else?}"


    "{For the same reason we''re unable to talk to our [Human] den-mate right now,}" Ngralh replied. "{Religion.}"


    They both turned and regarded the newest member of their team. [Oscar] puttered around the perimeter of the Sanctum, looking at the carved runes on the walls while Myyreh kept close by and watched him with clear affection.


    "{At least they allowed us in here with our clothes on.}" Egwreh shook her head. "{Feh. Religion. I mean, I''m the first to swear by The First Pack, but that''s just...tradition, you know? I don''t believe in them.}"


    Ngralh let forth another chuckle. "{If there''s one thing [Karnakians] are good at, it''s belief.}" He pointed his snout at [Oscar]. "{You should read up on [human] history. It''s full of many examples of the same thing. Sometimes I think they''re like miniature [Karnakians] what with their willingness to believe.}"


    The source of their conversation came bumbling over, and out of various pockets of his uniform he produced a couple of scanners and a camera drone. [Oscar] handed them to the two Dorarizin with a little bow that made Ngralh chuckle.


    "{You know we can''t use any of the data recorded by these as evidence,}" said Egwreh.


    "{True, but it will help verify our written notes. I suppose we should get started.}"


    For a while the team went through a period of note-taking that Ngralh found very strange. The Dorarizin could easily discuss their observations among themselves, while their [human] colleague just went off and did his own thing. [Oscar] took a couple of their paper sheets and spread a thin layer of the glue on each, then set them aside.


    The Sanctum appeared to be meticulously cleaned; Ngralh couldn''t find any dust anywhere, even in the corners. His sniffing told him nothing, all he got was an overwhelming Karnakian scent that blanketed everything in the room.


    [Oscar] let out a little chirp of speech, and Ngralh turned. Myyreh had hoisted the [human] up with her paws around his legs. He was trying to reach what looked like the room''s only ventilation duct. Its grate was set into the apex of the ceiling, and Myyreh wasn''t quite tall enough. [Oscar] had his arms stretched over his head but he still couldn''t reach the grate.


    "{Need a hand there, Myyreh?}" Egwreh asked with more than a little glee in her voice.


    The specialist snorted. "{Yeah, yeah, I''m short. Um, sweetie? I''m gonna hand you to Egwreh, okay?}"


    The [human] dropped his arms and looked down at Myyreh. Ngralh was still learning [human] facial expressions, but he could smell [Oscar''s] embarrassment from here. Myyreh held his eyes while she motioned with her head towards Egwreh. [Oscar] gave a sigh and nodded his assent.


    Egwreh took hold of [Oscar] with obvious delight. The [human] warbled something at her that was probably something along the lines of ''take care''.


    "{Don''t you worry, cutie, I''ve got you,}" the engineer purred as she held him up towards the grate.


    This time he was able to reach his goal. The grate sat on a lip of metal around the edge, so [Oscar] was able to simply push the grate up and angle it to remove it.


    Egwreh held [Oscar] up up higher, and he was able to get his little head into the duct. The human let forth another stream of warbling speech, and pulled out a contraband flashlight to get a better look down the duct.


    The engineer''s eyes gleamed with happiness as she held him aloft. "{This is a prime opportunity for gossip. He can''t understand us, right?}"


    "{Not unless he''s learned spoken Dorarizin in the last few days.}" Myyreh shook her head. "{Which I wouldn''t put past him. Why do you ask?}"


    Egwreh cleared her throat. "{You and he...I mean, it''s working out?}"


    The normally reserved close-quarters-combat specialist smiled. "{It is indeed, we''re working out very well.}"


    Around the three of the Dorarizin wove a cloud of scents and body language that spoke louder than words. Ngralh picked up on what was coming off of Myyreh and relaxed. The latter was happy for the first time in a long time. If nothing else, [Oscar] deserved credit for that.


    "{I''m very glad,}" he replied, and both his wagging tail and general happy smell got across his true emotions louder than mere words could convey.


    Myyreh wilted a bit. "{I just hope...}" she started, then trailed off.


    "{Come on, sister,}" said Egwreh. "{What is it?}"


    "{Now he''s met another [human], a woman at that. You don''t think he''d leave me for her, do you?}"


    "{What?}" Egwreh sounded shocked at the notion. "{First off, she''s not going to be around forever. Not to mention she''s also suspect. And you know he''s nuts about you. By the Pale Moon, can''t you hear his heart rate whenever he sees you?}"


    Myrreh''s ears lay back. "{I know, but maybe I''m just something exotic to him. Now he''ll be around one of his own.}"


    "{I''ve seen you take down [ten] slavers in an eyeblink,}" said Ngralh. "{It isn''t like you to be so uncertain.}"


    Before Myyreh could reply, [Oscar] let out another warbling comment and motioned for Egrweh to lower him. After he replaced the grate she set him down on the floor.


    By now the glue-sheets had dried to a tacky consistency, and the Dorarizin cut them into strips using their claws. The team applied the improvised tacky-strips with a will onto the empty altar and onto the floor around it, then pulled each up in turn after making sure to note its location.


    They reconvened in the Ledger room, and Ngralh was relieved to get his implant reactivated. [Oscar] looked equally happy to get his earpiece back. Now that they were allowed their usual tech, the team used their camera drones to scan and document both their notes and the glue-strips.


    "{Not ideal for a proper chain of evidence,}" muttered Egwreh. "{But it''ll have to do.}"


    "{What did that duct look like?}" asked Ngralh.


    "[It was a mess,]" said Oscar. "[Probably hasn''t been cleaned in a few [decades]. But something was moved through there, based on how the cobwebs and dust were disturbed.]"


    Myyreh perked her ears up. "{Could the Claw''s case fit through there?"}


    [Oscar] held his hands out in front of him about [thirty centimeters] apart. He stared into space as he pictured the duct. "[It could. Not much else would get through, though. Even [Maria] would find that too much of a squeeze.]"


    Myyreh flicked one ear at the mention of the other [human]. "{Perhaps they used a drone to drag or push the case through.}"


    "[That''s my guess for now,]" said [Oscar]. "[But we should check and see what Bgrarh and the Captain found out.]"


    <hr>


    The temple had a walled garden in its rear where the team had set up a temporary base of operations. The ''base'' consisted of a collapsible canopy to keep the perpetual rain off of the Dorarizin and their gear. As expected from the tropical climate, the garden itself was a profusion of odd-looking plant life. Much of the forms looked the same, but the colorations hurt Oscar''s brain. They were just plain off, hues that tended to reds and blacks instead of the green he was used to.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Bgrarh hunched over a control screen which sat atop a stack of cases. He nodded in satisfaction as Ngralh and the others reached them.


    Just walking from the temple to the awning was enough to get the Dorarizins'' fur soaked. The Captain was waiting with towels for them all.


    Myyreh grumbled in wordless protest as she dried herself off. "[It''s not fair that you don''t have any fur to get wet.]"


    Oscar chuckled. "And it''s also not fair that y''all can crush my ribs just by hugging too hard. Why don''t I trade ya?"


    His lover rolled her eyes but didn''t respond.


    "[What did you find?]" asked the Captain.


    Ngralh straightened up as he also finished toweling off. "[There''s no exits or entrances other than through the bathing room. They have one ventilation duct high in the ceiling, which [Oscar] examined. Something may have been moved through there recently.]"


    "We also took samples from around the altar, just in case we can recover any DNA," added Oscar. "Though we had to improvise the sample-taking itself, so there''s organic glues all mixed up in it. It''ll be a bit of a mess to sort through. Sorry about that, Benny."


    The ''mustachioed'' Dorarizin didn''t look up from his display. "[Zat is all right, mon ami. I will, how you say, make do.]" He pointed at the screen in front of him. "[Ze initial seismic scanning is complete, Madame Cap-tin.]"


    With a touch of a control, the display shot out a beam of light that resolved itself in a holographic display of the ground underneath the temple. Rgrarshok brought her massive head close to the display and pointed. "[Is this a sewer tunnel?]"


    "[Zat is my thinking, Madame. You can see where zhe temple''s own output ees directed to it here, using zis pipe. But I see no evidence of any disturbed earth or secret tunnels apart from zhat.]"


    "Could someone have flushed the Claw down that pipe?" asked Oscar. "They could have had a drone waiting in the main sewer there to catch it."


    "[Eet would be difficult. Zhere iz a waste pre-processing facility just here under zhe temple which would certainly trap zhe Claw.}"


    The Captain stood up again. "[So it''s most likely the perpetrator used the ventilation duct. Bgrarh, have a closer look at the sewer connection from the Temple. I want to make absolutely sure we''re not chasing a false trail. The rest of us need to examine every [inch] of the temple''s ducting. I''m assuming there''s some sort of centralized ventilation system. Do we have any floor plans?]"


    "[Not in electronic form]," replied Ngralh. "[I think it''s all on paper. This place is pretty old.]"


    "[That figures]," sighed the Captain. "[Very well, it looks like we''re going [old-school] for this one.]"


    <hr>


    Maria was feeling as steady as she could in her current situation. She''d been allowed to retrieve her terminal from the ¨¹berduffel and now sat on Oscar''s bed in his quarters. She spent a pleasant few hours laughing herself sick while onscreen a group of Jornissian Marines fought with brave tenacity against a much larger force of invading pirates. She''d muted it so that all she could see was goofy text popping out of their mouths, whether that be ''oof'' as they died or ''heckin'' good!'' upon pulling off some heroic feat.


    She knew the historical context, of course. The defense of Malshak-V was a particular point of pride among Jornissians, an indication of just how fierce and altruistic they could be when required to Do The Right Thing. It was one of the few long movies that the aliens had gifted to the OIH, and thus was a natural target for meme-ing.


    Maria felt a little guilty about watching this particular flick, given that one of her comrades was a former member of the military. In other circumstances she''d turn to some of the less-insensitive memed Jornissian media hidden in her terminal, but after many days without she knew that she needed a good dose of watching giant snake-aliens acting silly.


    Oscar must have a corresponding set of Dorarizin memes. She wondered idly if she''d be cooped up on this ship long enough to need them as well. Maria gave a curious look at the room around her. There wasn''t much of the man in evidence. Apart from an acoustic guitar set up on a nearby stand, the only other bit of ''Oscar'' that she could see was a framed photo of two people she assumed were his parents. She picked up the photo and looked closer.


    It wasn''t a posed shot; the pair were laughing together over some private joke at a barbeque. His father was taller and as big across as Oscar while his mother was shorter and more willowy, with darker skin and black hair that reached down past her shoulders. Her mouth was open in a delighted laugh as she clutched a bottle of beer.


    "You got his size, that''s for sure," she said. "And it looks like you got her color." She set the photo back on the night table and turned back to her memed-up movie. She had about half an hour left of her mandated alone time, and she should be able to watch up to the point of the final confrontation with the would-be pirate queen.


    There was a discreet knock at the door. From the height of the knock it sounded like one of her ''hosts''. She closed her terminal with a slight pang of unease. "Come in?"


    The door slid open, and Ngralh stepped through. It might have been Maria''s imagination, but he looked a lot more downcast than when she''d first met him. But then again she didn''t have a lot of experience with Dorarizin body language.


    "[I apologize for interrupting, but you need to come with me right now.]"


    Oh, shit. That didn''t sound good.


    Maria grabbed her terminal and hustled out the door after Ngralh. Without another word, he led her down the hallway to what appeared to be the ship''s rec lounge. The Dorarizin Captain stood next to the room''s main display with an ominous set to her shoulders. On the other side of the display stood the medic, Kgrashak.


    Hrathra and Resh''skk were also there, both coiled up in tight piles that indicated distress. Neither of them would meet her eyes. Ngralh planted himself in the doorway behind her as if he expected her to bolt out of the room.


    It took quite a bit of her remaining courage to speak up. "Guys? This is starting to worry me."


    "[I have a few questions]," said Rgarshok. "[Please answer them honestly. At any time in the Sanctum, did you approach the altar or the ventilation duct overhead?]"


    "Was there a duct? I never saw one. And no, I didn''t go near the altar. I was in that room for maybe two minutes tops before Ter''yeik yanked us out of there, I didn''t have the time or the inclination to stroll around."


    Rgarshok gave a thoughtful click. "[I see. Kgrashak, you examined [Maria] after she came on board, correct?]"


    The medic nodded. "[She was uninjured save for a minor scrape on one elbow.]"


    "[And this scrape was bandaged?]"


    "[Yes.]"


    "[Did you find any other hint of scrapes or wounds on her?]"


    "[None other than some slight dehydration, but I put that down to the circumstances of her incarceration.]"


    Rgrarshok turned back to Maria. "[One final question. Have you ever been in this temple before this visit by you and your colleagues?"


    Maria felt her heart try to climb up her throat. "Of course not. I''ve never even been to this planet before now! Please, just tell me what is this all about."


    The captain glanced towards the display, which upon her implant''s command promptly showed an image of the crystal block in the Sanctum center.


    "[We took samples from around the altar. The collection method was crude, but we were still able to retrieve several [human] skin cells with DNA that matches [Maria''s].]"


    Maria''s heart beat faster. "Yeah, so? I was in the Sanctum long enough to shed some skin cells. They could have drifted over to the altar before you guys did your sampling."


    Rgarshok didn''t turn around. She gestured, and now the display held an image of a single sliver of clear crystal lying on a metal surface.


    "[It appears something was moved through the duct leading from the Sanctum]," said Rgarshok. "[We traced that duct back to a room which contains the temple''s main air conditioning unit. It''s situated in the rear of the building near the loading dock. In the AC unit we found this piece of crystal. Its type corresponds to that used in the case containing the Claw of [Ta''irrl''qc]."


    Her purple eyes bored into Maria. "Preliminary testing showed there were also a few skin cells on this crystal sliver. We''ve just completed a more detailed analysis. The skin cells are also human. And those cells also match your DNA.]"


    The words thundered in Maria''s ears, and she was surprised that her first coherent feeling was not fear, but red-hot anger. "That''s fucking impossible! I never..." She spun to Hrathra. "Boss, please say you don''t believe this bullshit. I was with you the entire time! For cryin'' out loud, we''ve been living on top of each other for the last six months!"


    The Jornissian gave a regretful twitch of her hood. "[I know you are innocent, but sadly this evidence makes us appear as suspects too.]"


    "What? Why...why would I steal the Claw?" Maria pointed at Hrathra. "Why should she steal it? Money? She''s already rich and famous!"


    "[There are religious considerations as well,]" replied the Captain. "[The [Thirty-Fourth] Path has always claimed ownership of the Claw as well. Perhaps they offered [Hrathra''sstah] access to other artifacts of theirs, provided she procure the Claw for them. For the record, I do not accuse anyone of anything yet. I am merely speculating.]"


    Somehow her mild tone sounded more ominous than any roar.


    Maria''s eyes narrowed as a thought struck her. "So why tell us? Why not just wait until you''ve got your case together?" She pointed again, this time at the Captain. "You''re trying to get us to work against each other, aren''t you? I bet you''ll pull us aside one by one and say that whoever talks first will get the better deal."


    The Captain just gave a Dorarizin shrug and a half-grin.


    Hrathra''s tightly-wound body loosened and she drew herself up to the Rgarshok''s own height. "[I''ve cooperated with this investigation so far, Captain, but only with the understanding that we were not considered true suspects. If that is no longer the case, I must respectfully ask to be allowed to contact my advocate. And we will not be answering any more of your questions until they are present and recording.]"


    Maria half-expected Rgrarshok to respond with a snarl, but instead the huge Dorarizin just nodded. "[That is a quite reasonable request. I''ll have you escorted to the Claw''s communication suite. After that, I''m afraid I''ll have to ask the three of you to be confined to quarters.]"


    <hr>


    Oscar looked up from the screen next to his workstation as the Captain entered the bridge. He''d gone to fetch his guitar after Maria had been summoned by Ngralh, and he was in the middle of noodling on a song. He smiled and gave a few welcoming strums of his guitar. "I saw the whole thing. What''s your take on it?"


    Rgarshok waved at him. "[You first, you''re the [human] expert.]"


    "Oh, she got properly pissed. That''s the kind of anger you get when you''re wrongly accused of something. At the very least I don''t think she''s in on it."


    "[I concur. There was plenty of fear-smell coming off of her when she entered the lounge, but I believe was due to a fear of the unknown. After informing her of our evidence t,hat fear scent changed very quickly to anger. My smell-sense of [Jornissians] is a little out of practice, but their behavioral and scent patterns were the same.]"


    The Captain''s ear twitched. "[And if it turns out they are not innocent, then my theatrics may convince one of them to turn on the others. I confess, I didn''t expect [Maria] to figure out that particular angle so quickly.]"


    Oscar chuckled. "Yeah, she''s a pretty smart cookie. So it''s another damn frame-job?"


    "[At the moment, that theory makes the most sense. [Hrathra''sstah] is a renowned figure in her field. She would not risk her reputation thusly, no matter what the [Thirty-Fourth] Path offered her. ]"


    "Right. Then we need to figure out how somebody planted Maria''s skin cells. Once we figure out the how that should tell us the who."


    The Captain grinned. "[I sense a certain cute little alien is about to make himself well-known to many of the Thirty-Third Path.]"


    <hr>


    Ti''krrh preened himself with one claw as he gestured towards the open Ledger with the other. "[I have been Keeper of this for well over [three centuries], so please be free with your questions.]"


    Oscar smiled at him. "Thanks!" He made his voice as chipper as he could. There were advantages to being thought of as cute and harmless, and he was going to exploit those for all he was worth. He turned and gave another smile to Ter''yeik, who loomed nearby with fidgeting claws.


    Myyreh slouched near the entrance, and if you didn''t know her you might think she wasn''t paying attention. Oscar still had no doubt she could pound the Second Claw into a wobbly mass of pudding in less than a second if the Karnakian so much as breathed wrong.


    The human tilted his head as he read Maria''s signature, the only bit of human writing in a sea of unfamiliar chicken scratches. Above that were two looping lines of non-Karnakian script that he assumed came from her Jornissian colleagues. "So everyone who goes into the Sanctum signs in, right?"


    "[That is correct.]"


    "Wow, that''s gotta be a lot of signatures.]"


    "[Not as many as one might think,]" replied the Keeper. He hooked his clawed hands into the lapels of his vest and puffed out the feathers around his throat. Oscar was reminded of a professor getting ready to launch into an overly-detailed explanation of a beloved topic. "[On average, only [ten] disciples are allowed every [thirty] days. One must demonstrate enough piety and knowledge of our dogma to view the Claw.]"


    "Ah, I see. Forgive me for asking, but have you ever been in there?"


    Ti''krrh''s feathers floofed out a little more. "[Why, yes! Here''s my signature.]" With the dexterity of a Las Vegas cardsharp he reached out and riffled through the giant tome''s pages, coming to a dead stop on the correct one. He pointed at one particular vertical set of sigils. "[This is my signature, here! It was over [a century] ago.]"


    "Wow, that''s amazing! So what was it like, seeing the Claw? I mean, if you''re allowed to tell a filthy heathen like little ol'' me."


    Ter''yeik gave a little grumble at the question, but Ti''krrh just beamed. "[Oh, it was a truly transcendent experience! I remember it like yesterday. It wasn''t just seeing the Claw itself that made such an impression. You see, the Claw contains the only scribed record of the Final Sutra of Ta''irrl''qc, our sacred founder.]"


    Oscar''s brain went through a little mental lurch at that news, and he almost dropped the ''cute'' act. "Huh, I woulda thought you guys would write that Sutra down in more places. What with it bein'' his last words and all."


    Ter''yeik leaned forward, which caused Myyreh to twitch her head over in his direction. "[We keep the Final Sutra a closely-guarded secret. It requires full knowledge and acceptance of Ta''irrl''qc''s other Sutras to properly understand our founder''s final teaching.]"


    The Keeper nodded with his snout split in a happy grin. "[Indeed! One must swear not to reveal the Sutra before one is allowed to enter the Sanctum.]"


    Oscar''s brain went through another bobble. "Wait. I thought whatsername...er, Hrathra? Hrathra was here to make copies of the message on the Claw."


    Ter''yeik''s fidgeting hands clutched together. "[She was only to take rubbings of the other sacred writing in the Sanctum. As for the Final Sutra, she agreed to make one copy for her own research purposes and refrain from publishing it.]" His scaly lip twitched up in an almost-sneer. "[It took much negotiation on the [Jornissian''s] part, and we held a very...spirited discussion within our Path before we allowed it.]"


    "Gotcha. Mind if I look at the newest page again?"


    Ti''krrh did another expert riffle-shuffle maneuver, and the Ledger was back to the page containing the three stand-out signatures. Oscar reached for the page edge, then hesitated.


    "Oh, I''m so sorry, sir. Is it all right if I touch it, or are you the only one who''s allowed?"


    "[Please, feel free! It''s thick parchment; I doubt you''d be able to rip it.]" Ti''krrh gave a trilling little laugh.


    Oscar smiled and gripped the page with one hand. It was as big as a bedsheet and more than a little awkward for him to flip to the next one. He did another scan of the revealed waterfall of signatures and noted one particular pattern that repeated. "Who''s this signature?"


    "[That''s the Reverend Matriarch,]" said Ter''yeik.


    "[Huh, so she needs to sign in too?]"


    "[Of course she signs it!]" replied Ti''krrh. "[The Reverend always follows proper procedure.]"


    Ter''yeik clicked his fangs a little at that statement but otherwise said nothing.


    With a theatrical grunt Oscar flipped back to the latest page. "Getting back on topic, it looks like the Matriarch goes in a lot. Since she was last in there about ten disciples have gone through...so that was a couple of months ago, roughly?"


    Ti''krrh peered at the page. Having a concrete question to answer perked his crest back up. "[I believe you''re correct.]"


    The other notable item on the newest page was a thick black line struck through one of the signatures. Oscar pointed at it. "Oh dear. Did someone die?"


    Ti''krrh''s manner became a lot less cheerful. "[No, It''s not that. You see, that is the signature of Tk''rii''na.]"


    When the Keeper didn''t offer any more information, Oscar cleared his throat. "And, uh, what happened to him?"


    "[That information has no bearing on this investigation!]" snapped Ter''yeik.


    Oscar held up a hand. "Please, sir, I''ve got to ask just in case it does. You can trust my discretion."


    Ti''krrh made a waving motion with his wing-arms. "[He left our Path and joined another.]"


    "Oh. I can see how that''s embarrassing. Was it the, what''re they called, the Thirty-Four Path guys?"


    The Keeper gave a gloomy nod, his crest flat against his head.


    "Aw, that''s too bad, sir. Sorry I brought it up."


    "[What is the point of all this questioning?]" Ter''yeik''s tone became more strident, causing Myyreh to push off of the wall and get ready to move.


    "We''re just double-checking all of your temple''s protocols, sir," replied Oscar. "We need to look at every possible way somebody could get in there. I''m the new guy, so I''ve been stuck with going through the obvious stuff like this."


    The Second Claw snorted. "A waste of time. It''s very clear who stole the Claw, even if the Matriarch refuses to acknowledge it." He leaned down and peered at Oscar. "Are you looking for evidence to clear your fellow [human''s] name?"


    Oscar spread his arms in a who can say? gesture. "Hey, I''m just doing what they tell me to do." He turned to the Keeper. "Thanks so much for your time."


    Ti''krrh gave a deep bow as his crest rose further. The dual action caused him to inadvertently boop Oscar in the nose with his crest-feathers. "[You are very welcome. It was a pleasure.]"


    "Likewise. Come on, Myra, let''s head out."


    He could feel Ter''yeik''s eyes boring into him as he walked for the door. Oscar waited until he was almost out the door, at the point where the Second Claw would start to relax. The human spun back, with one finger raised and his other hand pressed to his forehead in absent-minded thought.


    "Oh, just one more thing, sir..."


    Ter''yeik stiffened, and his fangs visibly clenched. "[Yesss?]"


    "I saw the Matriarch''s signature in there a bunch. That was the only signature I saw repeated, over and over."


    "[Yeeeessss, and what is your point?]" By now Oscar could hear the Second Claw''s teeth grinding together.


    "Well, it''s just weird. Maybe I''m bein'' a dummy, but...you''re in the room beyond this one nearly every day, right? Gettin'' the disciples all cleaned up and bathed and ready to go in so''s they can read the Last Sutra."


    Ter''yeik''s visible irritation vanished as his lower two eyes widened. His jaw dropped as if he was going to speak, but no words came out.


    "And yet in spite of that, I didn''t see any other repeating name in the Ledger. Seems to me if you signed in every day I''d see your signature in there a lot more than even the Matriarch''s."


    Ter''yeik was still dumb-struck as Ti''krrh chirped up. "[Oh, that''s easy to explain! You see, the Second Claw doesn''t enter the Sanctum. Only those going into the final chamber are required to sign.]"


    Oscar grinned and gently smacked his palm against his forehead in mock irritation. "There, you see? I knew I was bein'' a big dummy. Sorry to trouble y''all."


    He turned, clasped his hands behind his back, and strode out of the room while whistling a jaunty tune. Myyreh let forth a triumphant smirk in Ter''yeik''s general direction before following the human.

 Chapter Four

    "[And you saw nothing out of the ordinary?]" asked Rgrarshok.


    Her current interrogatee was a [Karnakian] by the name of Ker''rill''ah. He was a smaller male with black feathers and a white belly. At the moment he was a very scared-looking male, since he''d been the last disciple to go in and commune with the Claw before Hrathra''s arrival.


    He peered up at the Captain, then back-and-forth at the Matriarch and Second Claw who flanked him on either side. Ck''Trrk''Ka gave the disciple what passed for a gentle smile among the [Karnakains], while Ter''yeik stood with crossed arms and a stormy expression.


    "[Go ahead, Brother,]" said the Matriarch.


    Ker''rill''ah glanced once more at Ter''yeik before straightening up. "[All was as it should be in the Sanctum. Please, if I''ve given cause for disciplinary action I must know so that I may properly atone...]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka placed a comforting wing onto the back of the disciple''s neck. "[Be at peace, Brother. There was an unfortunate accident in the Sanctum during the [Jornissian''s] visit, and the [Human] was injured.]"


    The disciple looked genuinely shocked, and his crest went flat. "[Oh, no! Will she recover?]"


    "[We believe she will,]" purred the Matriarch. "[These [Dorarizin] are here to examine our safety protocols and ensure that something like this never happens again. I cannot say more until their investigation is complete. In the meantime, please comply with whatever duties they require of you.]"


    Ker''rill''ah''s crest rose. "[You may count on me, Reverend Mother!]"


    Ter''yeik also laid a wing onto the disciple. "[Of course, we never doubted it.]" The Second Claw now looked much less irritated, he even looked...happy?


    Rgrarshok didn''t think that the Matriarch''s cover story would last more than a few more days. Sure, having an injured [human] would explain why a Senate team was sniffing around, but they were also asking questions that had nothing to do with safety.


    After the [Karnakians] had departed, the Captain retrieved the drone hovering discreetly nearby. Ker''rill''ah''s biometric data flowed into her implant along with an initial analysis. The disciple was nervous as all Hades, but it seemed he was also telling the truth. Which in turn gave more credence to their current suspicion that the Second Claw was the thief.


    If he was the culprit, then it was clear that this affair was more than a simple theft. She walked towards the temple entrance and thought about the Second Claw''s sudden attitude change. Rgrarshok made a mental note to show the video of the interrogation to [Oscar] and see what the devious little alien made of Ter''yeik''s shift in behavior.


    Her inner musing was interrupted when she reached the entrance hallway and saw two uncertain Karnakians standing in front of a very unamused-looking Grawfren. The pilot must have just arrived, since rainwater still dripped from the edges of her poncho.


    "{Is there a problem?}"


    The pilot waved a paw in the direction of the two, who were leaning against each other in unspoken support. "{You tell me, Captain. The Matriarch just came up and asked me to take ''em.}"


    "[We do not wish to be a burden,]" said one of the Karnakians. This was a blue-colored male who looked familiar, but she couldn''t place where she''d seen him.


    "[The Reverend Mother is facing many questions about what is going on,]" said the other, who was colored an equally familiar deep red. "[She wants us completely sequestered and thought your ship would be the best place.]"


    Oh, right. These were the two who had guarded [Hrathra''s] team before her own arrival, and they knew about the Claw''s theft. The captain gave a subsonic clicking-growl. "{My ship is not a damned dormitory.}"


    The first Karnakian all but shrunk in on himself. "[We are both truly sorry.]"


    Rgrarshok sighed. Somehow, it was hard to stay angry at a Karnakian. "{It''s not your fault,}" she said. "{You''re just following your Matriarch''s orders. Grawfren, please take them up to the ship. Give Ngralh my compliments and ask him to figure out accommodations.}" The Captain unsheathed a wickedly-sharp claw and pointed it at the two. "{I''m sure I don''t need to tell you to behave yourselves. If any of my crew tells you to do something, you do it. No questions asked.}"


    <hr>


    Maria sat with her back to the wall. She''d turned to work to distract herself, and right now was in the middle of a tricky bit of translation. Her source was a short Karnakian love poem from over ten thousand years ago. Most of the translation into English was straightforward, but she''d hit a snag. Nobody had come up with a better term than ''soul sight'' for whatever the hell it was the Karnakians saw with their second pair of eyes, and it didn''t help when the raptors described it in roundabout ways even in their own writing.


    She could imagine their frustration when they''d first encountered other sapient beings. Trying to describe soul sight would be like trying to describe the color blue using only words. At least with color one could point to things in the external world as examples, but how could one describe something so subjective?


    At present Maria was torn between ''twinkle-laden'' or ''star-filled'' as a descriptor for the poet''s object of affection. Both fit the meter of the poem, and both got across the same idea...or as well as she was going to with her current skill level.


    She looked up from her datapad as the door slid open and Bgrarh poked his head in. He''d exchanged about ten words total with the three of them, but that was enough for her to notice that he spoke with a strange clipped accent that made him sound vaguely French. Maybe her translator was going bad?


    "[Bonjour, mademoiselle! It is time for your, how you say, constitutional.]"


    ''Confined to quarters'' was an easy thing for the Captain to command, but in addition to her media time Maria also needed to use the bathroom more often than her snakey cell-mates. Plus she figured she was overdue for a scenting by one of the males, and she could take care of both with one trip.


    She set aside her datapad with a sigh and stood. "Right, you two hold down the fort while I''m gone."


    Her two cell-mates looked at her with tilted hoods, then at their relatively small cell, then looked each other with equal puzzlement. "[How is this a fort?]" asked Hrathra.


    Maria ignored them as she walked towards Bgrarh and held her arms over her head. "Up, please."


    Bgrarh''s tail wagged furiously as he reached forward and with great care picked her up and cradled her against his chest. He trotted out the door and down the hallway as Maria leaned back in his arms and fretted.


    She rubbed her face into his mane absently. Dorarizin didn''t smell like dogs, their scent was more like freshly cleaned carpet. If she had to get scent-marked there were worse smells that she could think of.


    Now that she wasn''t distracted, her mind turned again to what the hell was going to happen to her. To all three of them, really. What if she was charged with the Claw''s theft? Would they exile her back to Earth or try her in a Karnakian court? And if she was tried and found guilty, then what? They couldn''t throw her into a Karnakian prison. Given how fragile humans were, she''d be dead within a week.


    The Dorarizin must have picked up on her worried musing, because his arms tightened a little bit around her as he trotted. "[Do not worry. I have a good nose for troublemakers, and you do not smell as such. Zhe Cap-tin, she never stops until she finds zhe truth.]"


    He set her down at the door leading to the ''facilities''. They were thankfully human-sized and made her feel a little less out of place. The only problem was that she couldn''t take a shower, as that would undo all of the scenting she''d just gone through. Maria wondered how Oscar dealt with it. She hadn''t noticed any body odor on him. Maybe he took a sponge bath now and again?


    On the way back from her toilet, the pair ran into another group of three coming the other way, starting with the crew''s taciturn pilot. Behind Grawfren slunk a familiar pair of Karnakians, one blue and one red.


    Maria was at first a little angry and annoyed to see them, since they''d been guarding her and her friends during that horrible time of incarceration inside the temple. But after another few days of being cooped up she was just happy to see familiar faces.


    She straightened up in the cradle of Bgrarh''s arms. "Hey, Frick and Frack! Long time no see! What are you guys doing up here?"


    The translation software matrix in their implants must have properly edited in their real names, because both of their crests perked up in happiness. Frick was the first to speak. "[Hello! It''s a pleasure to see you again as well.]"


    "[Even though these circumstances are less than ideal,]" added Frack. "[I fear we are at present a burden to our Matriarch.]"


    "Oh, she stuck you up here to keep things quiet?" An impulse surfaced again, one that she had managed to suppress ever since landing on the planet and getting surrounded by fluffy raptors. "Hey, can you guys do me a favor?"


    Bgrarh let out a questioning little wurf? as the two Karnakians looked at each other.


    "[Does she count as one of the crew?]" asked Frick.


    "[She''s on the ship, so I say yes,]" replied Frack. He turned back to Maria. "[Yes, we can! Provided it does not involve violating one of our sacred Sutras, of course.]"


    "I''m sure this won''t. Hey Benny, can you put me down for a minute?"


    "[Certainement, mademoiselle. I should perhaps mention that we Dorarizin can run much faster than zhe [humans].]"


    He placed her on her feet. "I get what you''re driving at, Benny. But there''s nowhere to run to, seeing as how we''re in space." Maria marched up to Frick and pointed at him. "Now you stand still for a bit."


    Frick gave a questioning trill, but Maria was already in motion. The Karnakian froze as she took a double-handful of feathers and pressed her face deep into his deep-blue chest fluff. After a long moment, she withdrew and repeated the process with Frack, who also froze with terror at the unexpected contact.


    "[What do I do?]" Frack stage-whispered to his counterpart.


    Maria''s voice was muffled by his chest feathers. "Just shut up and let me have some feather therapy." She pulled her face back and gave his keel-like sternum a forceful pat. "All done now. Thanks." She reached over and gave Frick his own chest-patting. "Thanks to you too. C''mon, Benny."


    Bgrarh scooped her back up and trotted off down the hall. Frick called out after them. "[If you ever need more [feather therapy], please let us know!]"


    <hr>


    "[So then the Captain goes and has them dumped on me!]" growled Ngrarh. "[Where am I supposed to keep them? Certainly not with our other...guests. Maybe one of the storage closets?]"


    The two Karnakian guards looked downcast. For the first time ever, Oscar felt a need to make a Karnakian feel better. "Hey guys, don''t worry. We''ll figure something out." Both their crests rose as he turned back to Ngrahl. "We could have ''em bunk on the hangar deck, right?"


    "[It won''t be very private,]" said Ngralh.


    "[Not to worry! We''ll be fine with that!]" exclamed Frick.


    "[Yes, we don''t wish to be a burden!]" Frack added.


    Ngralh rubbed his forehead. "[I suppose that will have to do. [Oscar] will take you down there. In the meantime I''ll have some proper nesting materials fabbed for you.]" In reply, the two Karnakians all but prostrated themselves as they bowed to Ngralh.


    Oscar regarded the two bowing raptors thoughtfully. "Hmmm...these two aren''t suspects, right?" he muttered.


    "[Not that I''m aware of,]" Ngralh muttered back. "[What are you driving at?]"


    "Do you mind if I borrow ''em for some tests? First I have to hit up Emma for some specialized fabbing."


    <hr>


    As promised, the two Karnakian guards now had a proper nest of pillows set up in one corner of the hangar deck; they''d declared the setup quite comfortable and were content to stay out of everyone''s way.


    But now the pair stood middle of the hangar deck and looked with trepidation at a crate set in front of them. The container was approximately the size of the altar in the Sanctum, and on top of that crate rested a 3D-printed replica of the Claw''s case. The replica case consisted of white and clear plastic and had a rough, unfinished surface. On the other side of the crate stood Oscar, Egwreh, and Bgrarh.


    "[There aren''t any detailed scans or [blueprints] for the Claw and its case,]" said Egwreh. "[But this should be close enough based on its drawings.]"


    The engineer reached into the breast pocket of her uniform and produced another 3D-printed white plastic replica. This was the wickedly curved, sickle-like toe-claw of a Karnakian. She handed the replica claw to Oscar, in whose hands the claw looked like an oversized dagger.


    He walked forward and flipped the top of the case open, then set the Claw inside on a little cradle.


    "How does this look?" he asked. "I''m assuming you guys have been in the Sanctum before."


    "[I was so honored about [one hundred months] ago,]" said Frick.


    Frack shrugged. "[I have perhaps another [twenty months] of study before achieving that honor myself...provided we get the Claw back, of course.]"


    "We''ll find it, buddy," replied Oscar. "We can''t leave you guys without the Last Sutra, can we?"


    Frick trotted forward, cocking his head at all angles as he studied the replica case and claw. "[Yes, its dimensions appear accurate from what I remember.]"


    "[What do you require of us?]" asked Frack.


    "[We need to exercise ze little gray cells,]" replied Bgrarh. "[Zis is to get an idea of how hard eet ees for a [Karnakian] to smuggle zhe case on zhere person.]"


    Frick now looked askance at the replica. "[Oh...perhaps first we should contact our Matriarch or the Second Claw and seek guidance?]"


    "[But these are members of the crew,]" said Frack. "[We agreed to the Matriarch herself to follow their requests.]"


    Frick tilted his head the other way. "[Very well.]" He turned to regard Oscar. "[You wish me to pick up the case?]"


    "Yeah, tuck it under your wing," said Oscar. "Let us know how comfortable it is."


    The Karnakian complied, and the case vanished under his arm-feathers. "[Hmm...it digs into my side a little, but overall it is bearable.]"


    "Great! Now walk away about twenty meters, turn, and come back."


    Frick did so, his blue feathers bobbing in the harsh overhead lighting of the hangar. One thing became quickly apparent; the replica Claw acted as a nice rattle since it promptly fell out of its supports and bounced around inside of its case. Frick looked sheepish as he turned and walked back, rattling all the while.


    "[I fear it is not very stealthy,]" he said.


    "[And his posture was a leetle off,]" added Bgrarh.


    "That''s true," replied Oscar. "But remember that we know Frick''s using the ''ol Armpit Express. If somebody didn''t suspect it, would it be obvious?"


    "[It might be,]" said Frack. "[If someone was carrying such a sacred item, they''d be very nervous. That in turn would be detectable via soul-sight.]"


    "Wait, so one of you guys could read the thief''s mind and know they were stealing it?"


    "[It''s not mind-reading,]" said Frick. "[We can detect if someone is more agitated or less, but not what they are agitated about.]"Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "Got it." Oscar folded his arms and stared at the crate while picturing the empty altar and room in his mind. "So if someone did carry it out, they''d have to have a normal posture while doing so. Then any nervous-aura stuff could be passed off as mere excitement."


    Oscar pondered it further. "Or maybe the thief really did use a drone. They send it in through the ventilation duct and have it drag the Claw and case out back out to the temple''s AC unit. Whoever planted that crystal shard wanted us to think so."


    Bgrarh''s ear flicked. "[Keep in mind, [Ker''rill''ah] said zhe Claw was zhere during his visit. Zhere were no others until [Hrathra''sstah] went in. The theft must have occurred during zhose [two] days.]"


    "[That''s why I think the smart money is on [Ter''yeik],]" said Egrweh. "[He could access the Sanctum without having to sign in, which gave him the opportunity to smuggle out the Claw.]"


    The two Karnakians looked uneasy at the mention of the Second Claw. Oscar couldn''t blame them; the dude must have lot of pull in temple politics. "Don''t worry, dudes. This is just speculation at the moment. Nobody in the Path will know about this, right?"


    Frack opened his mouth a few times as if to speak, while Frick looked away and scratched at his crest with one hand.


    "[Things have not been going well for the Path as of late,]" Frack finally said.


    Oscar put on his friendliest, cutest smile. "Aw, that''s too bad. Is it money troubles?"


    Frick looked up. "[No, it''s that...the debate as to whether or not to admit [Hrathra''sstah] created a lot of strife. The Reverend Mother''s decision was accepted by most, as she is the wisest and most learned.]"


    "Buuut?" prompted Oscar.


    "[But there are still a lot of hurt feelings as a result of that debate,]" said Frack. "[It will fade over time, and we will be one unified Path again.]"


    "Especially when we get the Claw back to you," said Oscar.


    Both of them brightened up at that notion, and Frick put the replica case back on the crate. He then reached into it to place the Claw back in its proper mounting.


    Egwreh tilted her head. "[Why not just take the Claw? Why the case as well?]"


    "My guess is that the thief already planned to plant that piece of crystal, so stealing everything would throw off any investigation." Oscar stepped forward and regarded the case. "Without the case they''d need to plant a piece from the Claw itself, or pry off one of its gems.]"


    Both Frick and Frack shuddered as the human spoke. Oscar looked up and gave them a wry smile. "Yeah, even if Ter''yeik is the thief that''s about the last thing he''d do."


    "[What if they broke the case down?]" asked Egwreh. "[Its corners are just thin metal. It could be folded flat and carried under one wing, then the Claw could be carried under the other.]"


    "[That should make it easier to walk normally,]" said Frick.


    They tried it and found that the folded case was just a little to big to carry concealed. It was Frack who hit on the idea of carrying the base under one wing and the rest of the case under the other.


    Oscar started pacing around the case. "So that implies our thief needed two trips. Let''s run through it again and see if the timing works out. The Second Claw goes in at the end of the day after Ker''rill''ah''s visit. He folds up the case and takes it out of the Sanctum, giving a cheery nod to the Keeper as he goes by. The next day he does the same with the Claw. He knows the schedule of who''s going into the Sanctum, so he''d know when he had the opportunity."


    "[It seems physically possible,]" said Egwreh. "[But even setting aside motive for the moment, the overall timing is strange. After [Ker''rill''ah] went into the Sanctum, there were only two days before [Hrathra''sstah''s] visit. And the Second Claw certainly knew of her planned visit well in advance.]"


    "[I feel we are making too many of zhe assumptions,]" said Bgrarh. "[Are we certain zhat [Ker''rill''ah] is telling zhe truth?]"


    "Good point, Benny. We can''t know for certain, but there is one check we can do. Can we get one of those biomonitor drones in here? We''ll test it on these guys." He turned to Frick and Frack. "If you''re okay with that, of course."


    After their enthusiastic acceptance, Bgrarh retrieved the necessary drone and they performed some test questioning, including a few times where the Karnakians were instructed to deliberately lie. After the tests, the drone''s ability to test truth or falsehood from a Karnakian was demonstrated to everyone''s satisfaction.


    "[So [Ker''rill''ah] is innocent,]" said Bgrarh at the end of it all. "[Zhe Claw was in there during his visit, therefore [Ter''yeik] must have been the one to steal it before Hrathra''s visit.]"


    Oscar stared into space. "That''s not exactly true. All we know is that he was telling the truth as he understood it. Can we call up the video of his interrogation? I need to hear what he said specifically. Then I need to talk to the Keeper again."


    <hr>


    "Tell me more about Tk''rii''na''s departure," said Oscar. Right now he and Myyreh were the only ones in the room. Ker''rill''ah had been assigned as their escort in the temple, but for now he waited on the other side of a firmly shut door.


    Ti''krrh stood next to the Ledger''s plinth and regarded the struck-through signature. "[I''m not sure if I should be the one to say anything. Perhaps we should have the Second Claw here.]"


    Oscar reached up and put a comradely hand on the raptor''s shoulder. "Hey, the Matriarch already thinks you''re plenty trustworthy. You''re one of the few who know why we''re really here, after all."


    The Keeper''s crest hesitantly rose. "[True, but...]"


    "Plus I''m not asking you to air any dirty laundry."


    The Keeper turned to him with a puzzled stare.


    "Er, I mean I''m not asking you to disclose any secrets. I''m assuming Tk''rii''na'' had some kind of disagreement with the Path, but whatever you feel comfortable telling me is fine. Mostly I need to know when he left."


    Ti''krrh grasped his lapels. "[As to when, Tk''rii''na departed the Path [four weeks] ago after a very public disagreement with the Matriarch. As to the details of that argument...well, Tk''rii''na disagreed more vehemently than most with the Matriarch''s decision.]"


    "Got it. I appreciate your trust in me. Now let''s see..." Oscar looked at the Ledger''s most recent page. "He went in after the Matriarch''s last visit to the Claw. Was this before or after her decision about Hrathra?"


    "[It was after. At the time, he professed some misgiving and requested audience with the Claw so that he could meditate and calm himself.]"


    "Huh. It must not have worked, since he had a public blow-up with the Reverend Mother right after his visit." Oscar crossed his arms while continuing to stare at the tome, his mind working through all of the possibilities. "He only had the one visit, right? Not two in a row?"


    "[That''s correct. You would see two signatures if there were two visits.]" Ti''krrh''s eyes widened. "[You don''t think he stole the...oh, what am I saying?]" He gave a trilling laugh. "[I''m such a fool. There have been eight disciples in the Sanctum since then!]"


    Oscar laughed as well. "Exactly!" He pointed at the next signature after the struck-through one. "Who''s this?"


    "[Er? Oh, that''s Ka''iirt.]"


    "Ka''irrt." Oscar rolled the trilling name around in his mouth. "Do you know where I could find him or her?"


    "[I''m afraid she''s not on this planet. After her visit to the Claw she departed to perform missionary work along the frontier of this Blessing. I''ll ask the Matriarch to put her in touch with you.]"


    Oscar patted Ti''krrh''s shoulder. "Thanks, friend, but that won''t be necessary. I''ve heard all I need to."


    <hr>


    Oscar looked up at the main AC unit for the temple. It squatted like a gray amorphous beast in front of him and Myyreh. They''d traced the ventilation duct leading from the Sanctum and found that it ran overhead through quite a few rooms. Anyone trying to drag the case out via drone would have created one hell of a racket, which just cemented his suspicion that the crystal shard was a plant.


    "So even though this is a machine, you let its output air go directly into the Sanctum?"


    Ker''rill''ah gave his species'' equivalent of a shrug, a side-to-side bobbing of his crest. "[It is a necessary compromise. This planet has a tropical climate, so if we did not allow this then the Sanctum''s atmosphere would become unbearable. Especially for cold-adapted Karnakians.]"


    The human turned and surveyed the rest of the space. A shop area sat nearby, which held several worktables and a large wall filled with hanging tools. The latter all looked surprisingly human-like apart from their size. Oscar pointed at the shop. "Is this area for repairing things when you can''t use nanotech?"


    "[Correct! From time to time we need to manufacture or fix items that are located deeper in the temple.]" Ker''rill''ah glanced around to check for others, then brought his head closer to the human. "[Um, can you tell me how the investigation is proceeding? I keep getting questioned by the others. The entire city is whispering about your team''s presence.]"


    Oscar sighed. "I''m sorry, friend. I know it''s difficult, but you should refer anyone to the Matriarch if they have questions."


    "[I do, but she''s not saying anything either.]" Ker''rill''ah sounded peeved, the first time Oscar could remember hearing such a tone from any of the temple dwellers apart from Ter''yeik.


    Oscar figured he''d change the subject. "So are these tools made by hand as well?" he asked as he strolled over to one of the worktables. A few chisels lay on top of it, left behind by whomever had last used the space.


    The Karnakain let out a trill of laughter. "[No, we are not that strict in our interpretation of the Sutras. For use deep in the temple we only require that an object be shaped by hand or hand-held tools. The same interpretation allows us to use normally refined materials.]"


    "Well, that only makes sense. Otherwise you''d need to set up a whole separate industrial base." Oscar picked up one oversized chisel and tested its edge with his thumb. Definitely sharp enough for what he had in mind.


    "So you must have nanofabrication facilities in the outer parts of the temple, correct?" he asked.


    Their escort bobbed his head in assent. Oscar smiled and tossed the chisel back up on the table, then looked down in annoyance at his hand. "Aw, man!"


    Ker''rill''ah''s crest rose in curiosity. "[What is wrong?]"


    "Eh, I just cut myself. That chisel was sharper than I expected." Oscar held out his hand towards the Karnakian, showing a line of blood across his palm. Ker''rill''ah froze for a moment before his feathers started to quake.


    "[Oh no! Oh, this is terrible!]"


    "Nah, no big deal. Just a little bit of blood, see?" Oscar couldn''t resist smearing the blood around his palm with his thumb and then shoving his wounded hand closer towards the Karnakian''s wide and horrified eyes.


    From behind him he heard Myyreh give a barely-audible snicker.


    By now Ker''rill''ah was practically dancing a jig. "[But, no! Oh, Great Mother, this is very bad! I''m responsible for you! I must take you to our medic right away!]" He reached for Oscar but was stopped by a warning growl from Myyreh.


    "[I''ll carry him. You just lead the way.]"


    <hr>


    Cir''ta''ah, the temple''s doctor, had feathers of a type that Oscar hadn''t seen before. They sparkled with the iridescent sheen of oil on water, and the Karnakian all but sparkled in the lights of the the medic''s office. The room had an exam table, although Oscar had to stand on it to be high enough for the medic to examine him.


    Ker''rill''ah stood next to the entrance, wringing his claws together. "[I''m so sorry, Sister! I shouldn''t have let the [human] pick up a sharp implement.]"


    "Hey, it''s no big deal," said Oscar with a smile.


    Cir''ta''ah cocked her head as she stared first at Oscar, then down at his cut. In spite of having no formal training in human-handling, her grip on his injured hand was very gentle. She spread a thin layer of silver goop over the slash; the nano-bandage spread itself out and sealed the wound in seconds. "[The [human] speaks true, Brother. He has suffered some minor loss of blood, but there is no danger of nerve damage. I should check his blood pressure, just to make sure.]"


    "Eh?" Before Oscar could blink, the medic slapped another wad of nano-fabric onto the back of his neck. In another instant it unfolded itself around his neck and inflated, making it look like he now sported a silvery goiter.


    "Hey!" As Oscar reached up to tear the silver cuff off, it squeezed down on his neck ever so slightly. He froze, wondering if it was about to pop his head off by accident.


    Cir''ta''ah gave him a smile, and she was close enough to his face to make Oscar rear back from the sudden display of fangs. "[Fear not, little one! Our biomonitors are updated to account for [Human] fragility.]" The medic stared off into space as her implant informed her of the biodata from the cuff.


    Myyreh grinned. "[You should keep that. It''s a good look for you.]"


    "Oh, har har. I''m just glad that cut wasn''t deeper. I don''t know how you guys would have done a transfusion. I''ll bet Maria''s not my blood type."


    Cir''ta''ah cocked her head. "[What does [transfusion] mean?]"


    "How can you not know? It''s when someone gets hurt and needs blood, so you take it out of someone else''s body and put in into the injured person. We humans have to be careful to use the right blood types, though. I dunno if you guys have to worry about that or not..."


    As he talked both of the Karnakians shrank back in horror, as if he''d launched into a detailed description of necrophilia.


    Cir''ta''ah shivered. "[You expect us to put someone else''s blood in your body? That''s revolting!]"


    Oscar tried to look as dignified and indignant as he could while sporting a puffy silver donut around his neck. "Well, what do you do when someone needs blood?"


    The multicolored medic floofed herself out smugly as she indicated a nearby counter. On it sat a large white box with several spigot-like outputs and a sliding tray. "[This is a standard medical cloner. We''d take a sample of your blood cells and create as many artificial copies as you need. Those are then combined with a neutral plasma to create a blood substitute that would keep you healthy until your own body can regenerate the other necessary blood components.]"


    "Huh, that''s cool. Can that thingamabob do other types of cells?"


    "[Certainly! Skin cells are the next most-common type that it can synthesize, but fortunately you didn''t lose enough of those to warrant cloning more.]"


    The medic reached out and poked Oscar''s collar, which obediently deflated. The human gave an annoyed grunt as he pulled it off over his head...then froze as he heard a chorus of high-pitched chirping from the hallway.


    Ker''rill''ah peered out the door. "[Oh, dear.]"


    Myyreh became instantly on high alert. "[What? What''s wrong? Is it a riot?]"


    "[No, it''s a group of children. It must be a tour from one of the nearby schools.]"


    Oscar had once seen Myyreh face down a huge and drug-crazed Dorarizin berzerker without so much as flinching. Now, however, her face took on a look of horror. "[Oh, no. [Karnakian] children? Get out there and fend them off!]"


    "[Too late, I think they heard the [human], they''re coming this way...]"


    Oscar saw only a dark-brown blur as Myyreh moved. He yelped as his world spun, and he found himself standing on the counter next to the medical cloner.


    Myyreh pointed a furry digit at him. "[Stay up there, it''s safer.]" She moved to the door and stood next to the two Karnakians. The three of them formed a skirmish line just as what looked like an avalanche of vari-colored pompoms crashed into them. The three aliens became blurs as they started playing the galaxy''s fastest-ever game of Whack-a-Mole. Their strikes bounced the incoming fuzzballs back out the way they came. The high-pitched chirping was now interspersed with excited yelling. Much of it was too overlapping for Oscar''s commbead to translate, but he did get a few snippets here and there.


    "[Hee! That tickles!]"


    "[It must be cool if they don''t want us to see it!]"


    "[I saw it! It''s for sure a [human]!]"


    "[I saw it too! It''s sparkly!]"


    "[They really do exist! Cool!]"


    One enterprising chick performed a sneaky carom-style double-bounce and shot past the goaltenders. Oscar crouched and got ready to dodge as the fuzzy gray ball rolled to a stop on the exam table. The fluffball then perched itself up onto two clawed legs, standing almost as tall as a man. Oscar could just make out the kid''s snout poking out of the fluff surrounding his body as he peered curiously at the human.


    "Um, hi there? I''m Oscaooof..."


    He was driven onto his back by a substantial weight slamming into his torso. The chick now perched on top of Oscar''s chest, his chest-fluff all but enveloping the human''s torso. Oscar froze as the kid touched his nose with a fanged snout and peered deep into his eyes.


    "[Your soul is sooooo sparkly,]" the chick whispered.


    Before Oscar could say anything like ''ow'' or ''Your claws are digging into my chest'', Myyreh plucked the intruder off of him and pitched the intruder back into the hallway like a fastball. After another confused whirl of motion, the door was shut leaving Myyreh and Oscar the only ones inside the office. She pressed her body against the door and panted with exertion. From outside they could hear the voices of the two adult Karnakians over the excited screaming of the children. A few thumps against the door showed they were still trying to gain access.


    Oscar sat up, then pulled out his uniform''s collar to look down and check his chest. He had a scrape along one pec, but the kid''s claw hadn''t broken his skin.


    "[I hope you at least got what you wanted,]" said Myyreh.


    "Oh, I sure did." Oscar patted the slick white top of the cloner. "Now that I know what kind of medical gear they have on-site, things just became a whole lot clearer."


    "[Good. We''ll wait for those two to [wrangle] the puffballs and then get you back up to the ship. Kgrashak will need to check your hand over.]"


    "Aw, c''mon! Can''t we just let this be our little secret? Kate always gives me such a look when I show up in the medbay. She keeps threatening me to put me in a hamster ball."


    "[And how exactly do you plan to keep this a secret? She''ll smell the residual blood on you and see the bandage.]"


    "I''ll wash my hand real good, put on a glove, and claim to be imitating a renowned figure from human pop culture."


    She raised one eyebrow. "[Are you asking me to lie to the ship''s doctor?]"


    "It''s not a lie, just not telling the whole truth. Please? I can''t waste time getting fussed on in the medbay, I''ve gotta interview Maria."


    She snorted. "[I''ll bet you do.]"


    "I really do. I need to find out when she...wait. I don''t believe it. You''re not jealous, are you?"


    Myyreh crossed her arms and looked away. She didn''t speak in reply, she just gave out a little huff.


    "You are jealous. Oh, for..." Oscar slid off of the counter and approached her. She turned her body away a bit, keeping her arms crossed. He bumped his forehead into her armpit.


    Myyreh huffed again.


    "Come on, stop being a grumpus." He kept trying to shove his head under her arm until he was rewarded with a giggle. Oscar knew then that he''d won, and kept pushing until she finally relented and allowed him into her arms. Her snout nuzzled at the top of his head while he pressed against her chest and embraced her as well as he could.


    Oscar didn''t speak, instead he trusted in his scent and heartbeat to say louder than words how much she meant to him. Being in her arms like this always felt like coming home. He''d been without a real home since joining the Army so many years ago. His years in Florida now felt more like self-imposed exile rather than putting down roots.


    After a long, silent embrace he finally spoke. "You know you''re the only girl for me, don''t you?"


    "[I know it now. It''s always nice to be reminded. Thanks, sweetie.]"


    "Don''t mention it. Heh." He twisted his head to look up at her. "You do realize Maria is young enough to be my daughter? Shit, maybe even my granddaughter."


    "[But you only have about [forty years] difference in age...oh. I forgot how short your lives are.]" Her arms tightened around him just as the door slid open and Ker''rill''ah staggered back in. His dark feathers now stuck out in all directions and his chest heaved from his recent exertions.


    "[Whew! They''re quite spirited, I must say!]" His quadruple-eyed gaze took in the embracing pair. "[Oh, I apologize for interrupting. If you don''t mind my saying, you form quite a nice pattern.]"


    Myyreh tilted her head. "[What does that mean?]"


    "I think he''s talking about our brain-auras," said Oscar.


    The Karnakian gave an enthusastic nod of his crest. "[Yes! Your patterns mesh together in a very pleasing manner. As Sutra [Twenty-Nine] states, ''A complimentary combination of auras is a the greatest offering one can make to the Great Mother''.]"


    "Is that your relgious way of saying we''re a good match?" asked Oscar.


    Ker''rill''ah straightened up and smoothed his ruffled feathers. "[It is! Part of the Thirty-Third Path''s goal is to show how Karnakians are better at...well, at a lot of things.]" He shook his crest back into place. "[Are you uninjured...well, apart from the hand?]"


    Oscar winked at Ker''rill''ah. "I''m fine. I don''t think we need to let either the Matriarch or the Second Claw know about my injury, do you?"


    The Karnakian gave a noncomittal chirp. "[I mean...I should report it.]"


    "Why? No harm no foul. Anyway, we should be going. Can you show us the way out of here?"


    After they''d gotten back to the shuttle, Myyreh gave a thoughtful click of her teeth as she regarded Ker''rill''ah. The disciple was heading back into the temple at a near-run.


    "[That boy is way too wound up to keep this a secret. You know he''s going to go right to the Second Claw, don''t you?]"


    Oscar''s face settled into a feral smile. "Oh, I''m counting on it. Now we gotta talk to Emma and get her in the loop..."


    <hr>


    "|I see. Thank you, Ker''rill''ah, for being brave enough to tell me of your failure.|"


    The black-feathered disciple bowed deeply in front of the Second Claw. "|Forgive me, your Eminence. It''s true the [human] was injured in my care, but I made sure that he was properly healed. He was almost injured again when we had a children''s tour come by, but by the will of the Great Mother I helped in keeping him safe from any further harm .|"


    Ter''yeik gave a regal nod of his crest. "|You have therefore already atoned for much of your first mistake. Go and contemplate Sutras [Thirty-Five] through [Forty]. I will be by presently to test your understanding of how they relate to this incident, and if I am pleased you will be allowed to escort the [human] again. As a further condition, you must report directly to me every time you escort the [human].|"


    Ker''rill''ah gave a thankful peep, then picked himself up off of the stone floor and hurried out of the Second Claw''s office.


    The moment the door closed, Ter''yeik''s lordly bearing collapsed. He clenched his clawed hands together and gritted his teeth as he paced back and forth like a caged animal. That [damnable], infuriating little alien knew. He knew of Ter''yeik''s crime, and might have even deduced how it had been done. And now Ter''yeik''s planted evidence might have doomed the Second Claw to exposure.


    What could he do? He had to keep up appearances. For sure he couldn''t simply vanish. That would broadcast his guilt as sure as any confession. No, he had to somehow turn this situation around somehow...


    His crest rose as his furious musing hit upon a possible strategy. Yes, that might work...

 Chapter Five

    Matriarch Ck''Trrk''Ka scrolled through yet more tedious forms on her datapad, and her implant electronically signed them with a swift efficiency resulting from long practice. That was unfortunate, since it gave her mind ample time to fixate on her Path''s current predicament. The cover story was holding...barely. The backlog of petitions to see the Claw kept piling up, and she couldn''t use the ''they''re checking safety protocols, please give us time'' excuse much longer.


    There was a soft chime at her office door.


    "Come," she chirped without looking up.


    The door slid open, and Ter''yeik poked his head in. "|You sent for me, Reverend Mother?|"


    She motioned him in with her free hand. "|Yes. Please close the door behind you, will you?|"


    The Second Claw did so, and stood in front of her table with folded claws. "|I sense I''m about to be asked a question.|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka set down the datapad and sighed. "|Your intuition is correct. The [Dorarizin] are still performing their investigation, but in the course of their searching they have uncovered several holes in our internal security.|"


    "|And one of those holes is me, eh?|" Ter''yeik tilted his head. "|That infuriating little [Human] insinuated as much. Very well. I will tell you now, I never laid a single finger on that Claw or its case. I have no idea where it is.|"


    The Matriarch stared fixedly at Ter''yeik''s head while he spoke. The Second Claw''s mental patterns flared and pulsed in her soul-sight. As she stared, he spread his arms and bowed his head. "|If I knew where it was, I would tell you. I wish nothing more than for this matter to be over and our sacred property returned to its rightful location.|"


    She leaned back. "|I see that you speak the truth.|"


    Ter''yeik raised his head. "|And since we are speaking truth to each other, I want to make it known that I don''t trust that [Human]. The Senate team is relying on him too much, and he is too eager to please them.|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka tapped a claw on the table. "|Are you accusing him of fabricating evidence?|"


    The Second Claw shrugged his crest. "|I merely call your attention to the fact that, in spite of hard material evidence of [Maria''s] complicity, they continue to poke around looking for other suspects.|"


    "|Sutra Three Twenty Six: A thoroughness in all matters of one''s life is the same as an eternal prayer to the Great Mother. The Senate team is merely being thorough.|"


    Ter''yeik bowed. "|I will do as the Most Reverend Beacon-of-Light decrees. I merely point out all possibilities. Sutra Six Hundred and Twenty: It is the duty of the disciple of the Path to speak the truth as they see it.|"


    "|Very well. Thank you for speaking your truth. Now I fear I must retire, it has been a very long day.|"


    The Second Claw gave another bow and backed away through the door. After he left, Ck''Trrk''Ka stared at the closed door for a long while without really seeing it. Her mind paced back and forth between the two possibilities. Either she had unknowingly allowed a group of thieves into her Path''s most sacred place, or the one Karnakian she needed to rely on was...


    Her fretting was interrupted by another soft chime. "Enter."


    This time Rgrarshok squeezed herself into the small office, making it feel that much smaller. "[Our biomonitoring showed no deception. He was telling the truth, or thought he was.]"


    "|And my soul-sight also showed no fear. It seems that your [Human''s] supposition was incorrect.|"


    The Captain smiled. "[I wouldn''t say so just yet. There are a few things we''ve uncovered. I fear I have a request to make of you. It''s a strange one, but trust me when I say it''s very necessary...]"


    <hr>


    The trio of investigators stood around the display in the Claw''s recreational lounge. At the moment that display showed a diagram of their best guess as to the theft''s timeline. At the moment there were several large question marks alongside the image.


    Rgrarshok let out a soft, thoughtful hum. "[We''ve scanned for it, but the temple''s too big and there''s too many small hiding places for a physical search to be effective. Plus I''m not sure it even exists anymore. Surely he''d have burned the sample?]"


    Oscar shook his head. "Normally, I''d say yes. But he only had that one chance to get at the source material. We''ve got everything in our custody now, so he can''t get more if he needed to, heh, ''enhance'' the case with more evidence."


    "[It is quite the risk for him, mon ami,]" said Bgrarh. "[If we were to discover it, zhat would collapse his whole attempt to falsely accuse [Maria].]"


    Rgrarshok''s ears rose. "[There is one spot he knew we wouldn''t check.]"


    "[Is madame perhaps speaking of a situation like in zhe ''Purloined Letter''?]" asked Bgrarh. "[Hide zhe incriminating evidence in plain sight?]"


    "[Not quite, Specialist Bgrarh.]"


    Oscar knew from Rgrarshok''s smug expression that she''d thought of something. And he wasn''t about to underestimate the wily captain; after all, she''d gotten him to expose his original undercover assignment in about five minutes flat. "I gotta say, I don''t get what you''re driving at, Captain."


    "[Let me be more specific. It''s the last spot where Bgrarh or I would look]"


    After a moment, Bgrarh''s ears perked up and he got an equally smug smile on his face. After another moment, Oscar gave an annoyed growl. "Aw shit, I must be goin'' senile. Of course!"


    The door slid open and Egrweh entered holding a certain object in gloved hands. "Fresh out of the fabricator," she said. "Is this what you wanted?"


    Oscar trotted over and looked at what she was holding, but was very careful not to touch it or get too near it. "Oh yeah, that looks perfect! Thanks, Emma."


    "[Thank Kgrashak, she did most of the hard work. My part was easy. Now what exactly do you want us to do with this?]"


    "You''re probably the best one for what I have in mind, but you''ll have to head back down to the temple to do it, and you''ll have to do it right now. Time is of the essence, unfortunately. I guess Gertie''s going to be grumpy at you."


    "[Grawfren always looks grumpy, but in honesty she loves getting any excuse to fly.]"


    Oscar looked surprised. "Really? Every time I ask for a lift she gets all annoyed."


    Egrweh smirked. "[So the master detective has some weak spots in his perception. That''s good to know. What should I do when I get there?]"


    <hr>


    The workshop area was quiet, as befitting the late hour. Shadows seemed to follow Ter''yeik as he crept into the room. He didn''t dare turn on a light, but one of the side benefits of having two pairs of eyes is improved night vision.


    With no more noise than a wisp of smoke, The Second Claw crept towards his goal, the workbench in the center of the room. His nostrils twitched as he smelled the faint metallic tang of blood. Yes, it should be on one of these tools...


    He lifted up a chisel and saw the faintest streak of red along its cutting surface. Ter''yeik sniffed it just to make sure, and his lips pulled back in a feral smile.


    Yes, this would do nicely.


    <hr>


    Tri''rrit, known to his [human] friends as ''Frack'', started awake thanks to a poke in his side from his friend and fellow guard Irr''''kttz, AKA ''Frick''.


    "|The [human''s] coming!|" Irr''''kttz whispered.


    Tri''rrit yawned, then uncoiled himself out of the feathered red ball he''d rolled into during his sleep. He blinked the crusty bits out of his eyes as he focused on the little alien walking up to their shared nest. Even in a post-scarcity society, waking up would forever be a pain in the tailfeathers.


    Irr''''kttz smiled at the [human]. "|Good morning! Um, is it morning?|"


    "[It''s very morning,]" replied [Oscar]. "[Sorry for waking you guys up so early.]"


    "|It''s no problem!|" said Tri''rrit as he leaned closer to the [human]. He put on his most welcoming smile. "|Did you require some feather therapy as well?|"


    [Oscar] leaned back from all of the teeth in that Karnakian smile. "[Er, not right now. I need to ask [Irr''''kttz] a question, but I warn you it''s going to sound stupid. And I need to ask it while I have your vital signs monitored.]"


    The blue Karnakian became damn near spherical. "|I will assist in any way I can!|"


    [Oscar] pulled out a small drone and set it to hover nearby. "[Thanks. It''s about the time when you visited the Claw.]"


    "|Yes?|"


    The [human] hesitated. "[Like I said, it''s going to sound stupid...]"


    Irr''''kttz waved a wing. "|Sutra One Hundred and Eight: One must ask the obvious questions to reach the interesting ones. Please, go right ahead.|"


    "[Fair enough. When you visited the Claw, was it there?]"


    Irr''''kttz''s crest raised halfway up, indicating puzzlement. "|I don''t understand. Was what there?|"


    "[The Claw. Was the Claw actually in the Sanctum when you went in there?]"


    "|Of course it was!|"


    [Oscar] nodded and held out his hand. The drone thumped gently into his waiting palm, and he tucked it away. "[Got it. Thanks!]"


    "|What was the point of such an obvious question?|" asked Tri''rrit.


    "[Just getting the timeline figured out. Speaking of time, later today we''re going to get everybody back down in the temple to present our findings. Here''s what I''ll need from you guys...]"


    <hr>


    Maria tapped her fingers impatiently on the table-top. One nice thing about being on board the Claw was that they already had human-scale seating, even if the seats looked a little too much like a toddler''s high-chair. Hrathra sat next to her with a much more serene countenance and with her hands laced together on the same table. Resh''ssk coiled behind them both with crossed arms and a glowering expression.


    The door slid open and Oscar came strolling in, carrying a tall chair of his own. He plonked it down on the other side of the table and hopped up into it with a theatrical grunt of effort.


    He smiled at the trio. "Whoof! Sorry I''m a bit late, folks. Big ship, short little human legs, you know how it is."


    "[What I know is that you''re stalling to make us nervous,]" said Resh''ssk. "[It''s an old tactic.]"


    Oscar shrugged, his pleasant smile never wavering. "Fine by me if you wanna think so. Is your advocate on the line yet?"


    Hrathra''s red eyes narrowed. "[Not yet. And as I said, we will not answer any questions unless he is present.]"


    A soft chime sounded around them, and at one end of the table a sky-blue Jornissian suddenly appeared. The hologram was almost perfect, with only a slight transparent shimmer to let everyone know that the advocate wasn''t physically there.


    "[Esstrass''har,]" said Hrathra with a nod.


    The advocate gave a nod of his own. He was rail-thin even for a viper-style Jornissian, and Maria wondered if he was the snake equivalent of a marathon runner. "[Hrathra, always a pleasure. Before we begin, do you have any complaints about your treatment thus far?]" He turned his bright green eyes towards Oscar. "[I apologize for the question, but it''s my duty to ask.]"


    Oscar gave a casual ''fuggedaboudit'' wave with one hand. "No problem, my man."


    Hrathra''s peaceful face clouded in anger. "[I have no complaints about our treatment from [We Who Hunt Between The Spaces], they''ve been very accommodating...apart from the confinement, of course. But I cannot say the same for the [Thirty-Third] Path. We were in their custody for several days, during which time they did not allow my apprentice her required solitary time.]"


    The advocate''s hood flared out a little. "[That is serious. We''ll lodge a formal complaint at the very least. I know the [OIH] won''t pass up a chance to sue some Karnakians, but the [Thirty-Third] Path is pretty powerful in this region. They can tie up the complaint in the courts for a while.]" Esstrass''har looked at Oscar. "[But that can wait for later. When is the Captain joining us?]"


    "She isn''t," replied Oscar. "I''m performing this interview."


    That news seemed to shock the advocate. "[What? This is very unusual. Does she consider you qualified?]"


    Oscar put his elbows on the table, leaned forward, and smiled at the hologram. For just a moment, Maria saw his pleasant mask slip as his eyes turned steel-hard. "She sure as shit does, bucko."


    He turned to the three actually present. "This interview is of course being recorded, and anything said here may be used in future trial proceedings. Your advocate is present as required by Senate law. You may refuse to answer any or all questions, whether by your own decision or upon consultation with your advocate. Do you all three understand your rights as I''ve outlined? I''ll need a verbal response from all of you."


    Maria now realized that Oscar was very much not the bumbling goof she''d took him to be during their first meeting. "Yes."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "[I understand,]" said Hrathra.


    Resh''ssk gave a little huff at first, then finally said "[Yes.]"


    Oscar smiled, and now he was back to Mr. Cheerful. "Good! I don''t think you''ll object to any of my questions, but like I said feel free to consult with Mr. Esstrass''har before responding." He nodded toward the advocate. "As for you sir, feel free to sing out if you don''t want your clients to respond to any particular question."


    "[Rest assured, I won''t be shy,]" replied Esstrass''har.


    "My first few questions are for Maria. When and how did you hurt your elbow?"


    Maria cleared her throat. "During our expedition to an abandoned temple of the Seventh Path. It wasn''t serious, just a little scrape from crawling through a crevice."


    "And you arrived here on Krr''gritz about five days after that, correct?"


    "That''s right."


    "I''m assuming you were wearing clothes when you were going through that crevice."


    Maria crossed her arms. "That''s not a question."


    Oscar gave a little sheepish nod of his head. "Fair enough. Were you wearing clothes when you sustained that injury?"


    "Of course."


    "Where is the shirt you were wearing at that time?"


    "I put it in my duffel."


    "And you didn''t wash the shirt or throw it away?"


    "No, I had plenty of spare clothes and I kind of...forgot about it." Maria felt a bit of embarrassment and shrugged. "We''d just spent a couple of years trying to get access to the Claw, and it was finally happening. I had more important things to think about."


    "Understandable. I just have another few questions for Hrathra''sstah."


    Hrathra leaned forward and gave Oscar the full force of her fierce, unblinking gaze. The human''s smile still didn''t waver.


    "[Ask.]"


    "The Matriarch of the Thirty-Third Path made her final decision about two months ago, correct?"


    "[Yes.]"


    "And during your negotiations with her, did any of the other disciples of that Path contact you directly?"


    "[No, everything was handled through the Reverend Mother.]"


    "Were you contacted by representatives of any other Path?"


    "[No. I did hear that some of the Thirty-Fourth Path were taking an interest in my request, but that was second-hand and third-hand rumors."


    "Got it. Um, just to satisfy my own curiosity...how many Paths do the Karnakians have?"


    Hrathra sat back on her coils and thought for a moment before replying. "[A lot.]"


    Oscar leaned back. "All right! That was all I had in the way of questions."


    The advocate looked puzzled. "[That''s it? You''re not going to ask them about the theft?]"


    "I don''t need to. We know they didn''t do it."


    Resh''skk shoved his way in between Maria and Hrathra and slapped his substantial hands on the table. "[Then what the [HELL] are we doing here? We''ve been cooped up for days...]"


    "You''ve been cooped up for your own safety," interrupted Oscar. His smile was gone as he faced down the angry Jornissian. "You three have been the target of an attempted framing, and we had to make the thief think that his attempt was successful. Otherwise he might have tried something more desperate."


    Hrathra put a hand on top of Resh''ssk''s. "[It''s all right. Let''s hear them out.]"


    Her touch made the furious ex-soldier''s hood deflate a little, but Resh''ssk still clenched his hands into fists. "[You said ''he''. Do you know who the thief is?]"


    "We have a very strong suspicion as to their identity, and it''s not any of you or anyone you know."


    The ex-soldier''s gaze was even fiercer that Hrathra''s. "[I swear, if you''re just trying to fool us I will make you pay.]"


    Oscar held up his hands, palms out. "I don''t doubt it. But why would I do such a stupid thing? After all, your advocate is here and witness to my previous statements regarding your innocence. If I was to pull a fast one and accuse you anyway, his testimony would be a severe blow to our prosecution."


    Esstrass''har gave a thoughtful purring hum. "[He speaks the truth, Resh''ssk. I could make a very good case for entrapment or straight-up incompetence. And Captain [Rgrarshok] has a spotless reputation. If she or her crew say something, they mean it.]"


    Resh''ssk leaned back from the table, but didn''t reply otherwise.


    Oscar gave the advocate a little bow. "Thank you kindly, sir." He turned to the trio across the table. "I did have one more question related to the case''s background. Can you tell me the cause of the divide between the Thirty-Third and Thirty-Fourth Paths? I tried asking a couple of the Karnakians but it got real confusing real fast."


    Hrathra looked over at Maria. "[Would you mind educating him?]"


    Maria felt as if she''d been suddenly put under a spotlight. "Me? You''ve been deep in it for longer than I have."


    "[True, but I''m not a [Human]. You can put it in terms which are easier for him to understand.]"


    "Yeah, I''m kind of a dummy sometimes," said Oscar with a grin.


    Maria didn''t smile back. "Somehow I doubt that, Mister Williams."


    Oscar relaxed even further. "Not the first time my cover''s been blown. Go ahead, tell me what you can."


    With only a quick glance at Hrathra, Maria took a deep breath and began.


    <hr>


    Once upon a time (said Maria) there was a wise Karnakian monk named Ta''irrl''qc. This wise Karnakian spoke a lot about what constitutes proper Karnakian behavior, what is the nature of truth, what do we define as beauty, all of that stuff. The resulting pile of Sutras became the teachings of the Thirty-Second Path.


    More importantly for our story, Ta''irrl''qc lived in the pre-Contact days when Karnakians thought themselves alone in the universe.


    One of this monk''s most famous sutras revolved around the ability of Karnakians to see sapient brain activity. Ta''irrl''qc decreed that this ability along with sapience itself were gifts from The Great Mother. These gifts in turn meant that the Karnakians had the responsiblity and duty to care for The Great One''s creation. After all, they''d been given the tools to do so.


    As is usually the case, the wise Karnakian collected a large following of devoted disciples during his long and distinguished life. But in spite of his wisdom he was a mere mortal, and eventually Ta''irrl''qc died peacefully in his bed while speaking his Last Sutra. The only ones present at his death were his two most senior disciples.


    Of course, right after Ta''irrl''qc''s death those two most senior disciples promptly went and had themselves a furious row. At the end of that argument they (of course) wound up telling each other to fuck right off. The Thirty-Second Path split itself into two descendent sects, the Thirty-Third and Thirty-Fourth.


    The most common reason given for their argument was that they disagreed on how exactly the disciples of the 32<sup>nd</sup> Path should reveal Ta''irrl''qc''s Last Sutra. The 33<sup>rd</sup> said that one should only be exposed to the Last Sutra after many years of internal meditation and soul-searching. The 34<sup>th,</sup> in contrast, claimed that such an honor should be allowed only after many years of external demonstrations of piety.


    The two sects never reconciled. They grew and developed over many years in adjacent Blessings; while they never clashed openly, their attitude towards each other became that chilly silence of family members who are not on speaking terms.


    And then First Contact happened.


    The fact of other sapient beings existing in the universe was a great shock to many Karnakian religions, including the two Paths under discussion. After a while, the Karnakians settled down and figured out how to incorporate this new fact into their dogma.


    This is where the two sects split further. The 33<sup>rd</sup> Sect interpreted the monk''s famous sutra to include the other races. Jornissians, Dorarizin, Karnakian...the body did not matter. All three sapient races were equally responsible for caring for the universe.


    The 34<sup>th</sup> Sect, on the other hand, rejected this interpretation. None of the other races had the soul-sight of the Karnakians, which meant that they were still lesser beings. The Karnakians should still be the only ones bearing the responsibility of caring for the universe. This care, of course, would include lording it over the other two sapient races.


    <hr>


    "So that''s the basic gist of it," Maria said as she finished.


    Oscar stared into space as he thought. "I can see why the Senate wanted to get involved in this," he said. "I can imagine the Thirty-Fourth Path is not too popular among the other races, seeing as how they want to take over everything."


    "That''s an extreme way to put it," said Maria. "The Thirty-Fourth Path would be the first to gasp in horror at the notion of using something as crude as physical force to achieve their goals. But they do make life annoying for the Senate."


    "[And the [Thirty-Third] Path has the added benefit of possessing Ta''irrl''qc''s Claw,]" added Hrathra. "[It gives them more legitimacy in the eyes of the Karnakian Diarchy.]"


    "And now the Claw is gone," said Oscar. "From what you''ve said, the Thirty-Fourth Path would be very interested in broadcasting such a fact far and wide."


    "[That''s correct,]" said Hrathra. She tilted her hood. "[Now that I think of it, it''s curious that they haven''t done so...if they were the ones behind the theft.]"


    "So it was an inside job?" asked Maria.


    Oscar hopped off of his chair and picked it up. "I''m not sayin'', at least not yet. Oh, by the way we''ll be presenting our findings in a few hours. We''ll need you there, of course. Let us know if you need fresh clothes or whatnot."


    <hr>


    Maria had taken up Oscar''s offer of fresh clothes, but now she regretted it. The new blouse and trousers fit well, but they weren''t ''hers'', which gave an uncomfortable alienating feeling to these already-stressful proceedings.


    It could have been worse; she could have been Ti''krrh. The Keeper looked actually distraught for the first time. He tapped his clawed fingers together and held his head low to the ground as he approached the Matriarch. "[This is quite improper, Reverend Mother,]" he said. "[We''re allowing them in without signing!]"


    "[No one is proceeding into the Sanctum, Keeper,]" she replied. "[We extend the same courtesy to the Second Claw, do we not?]"


    "[Yes, but that''s only one person. This is at least ten!]"


    Part of Maria wanted to just claim illness and go find a corner to hide in. Her fretting eased as a big scaly hand settled on her shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. She looked up in surprise at Resh''ssk, who replied with a human-like smile and slithered off to talk with Hrathra.


    The Matriarch turned to Oscar and Myyreh, who stood next to the entrance door. "[Is your Captain joining us?]"


    "Eventually," said Oscar. "She''s just collecting someone."


    The entrance door slid open and Rgrarshok entered, followed by the sputtering figure of Ter''yeik. He was followed by Frick and Frack, although from their postures it looked more like the two guards were keeping the Second Claw from bolting.


    The Matriarch looked around the room. It was now nearly packed full of alien fur, scales, and feathers. "[Thank you for coming, everyone. We will be adjourning to the bathing chamber so that the [Doarizin] team may make their report.]"


    "[I must protest, Matriarch!]" said Ter''yeik. "[If they have findings, they should provide a written report instead of using these theatrics.]"


    "[Your protest is noted, Second Claw,]" replied Ck''Trrk''Ka. "[Now get your tail into the baths.]"


    The bathing room was a lot less hot and humid today; Maria suspected they''d turned off the steam since there were so many warm bodies present. After they were all in, Frick and Frack stationed themselves in front of the entrance with a calmness that was unlike their uncertainty during their guarding of Maria a few days ago.


    Before she could sidle over and ask them what was going on, Oscar stepped into the center of the room. He was in full-on ''good ''ol boy'' mode, but Maria was not fooled for a second. "Thanks for coming, folks. There will be a few others joining us, but we can get started."


    He tossed a small, spherical drone into the air above him and it started obediently hovering. "Just so y''all know, this is goin'' on the record."


    "[I have to agree with Ter''yeik,]" said the Matriarch. "[No theatrics, just tell me who stole the Claw. Right now all I know is that she is the primary suspect.]"


    Maria felt a prickle of fear as Ck''Trrk''Ka pointed a claw right at her.


    Oscar bowed towards the coppery Karnakian. "I hope y''all will indulge a simple country boy. This here''s a somewhat complicated affair and I need to lay out our reasoning."


    The Matriarch''s crest flattened against her head, but she nodded.


    "We broke it down into two possibilities," continued Oscar. "Either Hrathra and Maria were the ones who stole the Claw..."


    Resh''ssk opened his mouth, but Oscar held up a hand before the Jornissian could protest.


    "Hear me out, please. By using a drone, they could have snuck the Claw and its case out through the ventilation duct and then raised the alarm to avoid suspicion. Not that it helped, eh Ter''yeik?"


    "[That''s what they did!]" exclaimed the Second Claw. "[You yourself found evidence of such! They must have had an accomplice waiting at the end of the duct who spirited away the Claw!]"


    Oscar chuckled. "We''ll leave aside the question of exactly who this mysterious accomplice was, or how they got onto the temple grounds without bein'' noticed. Let''s focus on the one piece of physical evidence we have, that shard of crystal. Its type matches that used in the case, and it was covered in skin cells which matched the DNA of one Maria Vargas."


    He nodded cheerfully in Maria''s direction.


    Maria hunched her shoulders and stared at the floor as she tried to ignore the weight of the stares from the Karnakians in the room. Frick and Frack looked more shocked than the others; they must not have been told about that particular bit of evidence.


    "[What more do you need?]" said Ter''yeik. "[You know she was involved, so interrogate her and find her accomplices! Then interrogate them! That will lead you to the Claw!]"


    Oscar stared without smiling at the Second Claw until the Karnakian looked away. Finally the human continued.


    "As I said at the beginning, there were two possibilities. Either these three somehow pulled off the theft, or it was stolen before they arrived."


    Ter''yeik spread his wings and let out a scoffing chirp. "[If there was some mysterious ''other'' thief, then how did the shard get to where it was and have that human''s DNA on it? She never went into that part of the temple!]"


    "Because both the shard and the DNA were planted," said Oscar.


    Rgrarshok touched her ear. "[We''re ready, Bgrarh,]"


    The big red Dorarizin loped into the bathing room, and Maria could not resist letting out a squeak of delight. Her ¨¹berduffel swung from one of his paws, and she wanted them to stop all this nonsense for a few moments so she could hug it and let it know that she hadn''t forgotten about it. Bgrarh set the ¨¹berduffel down in front of the Matriarch, who looked at it curiously.


    "Maria, would you mind telling the Matriarch where your shirts are stored inside that thing?"


    "I could just open it myself..."


    "It''s better if you don''t approach it."


    She gave Oscar a minor glare, then turned to the Karnakian. "They''re in the side facing you. Pull that top zipper open, and you''ll see a closed compartment on your right..."


    Within a minute, Ck''Trrk''Ka sure fingers found the garments in question.


    "Matriarch, if you would please look through those and see if you find a shirt with a rip and bloodstain in the elbow region."


    The Karnakian gave Oscar a double side-eye, but did as asked. "[Yes, there''s one here with a minor tear.]"


    "Do the edges of that tear line up?"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka fumbled at the garment for a bit as she held it close to her front set of eyes. "[Not quite. It appears there is a small bit of cloth missing.]"


    "From the bloodstains around the tear, is it safe to say that the missing fragment would also be blood-stained?"


    "[Oh yes, I''d think so,]" she replied.


    Ter''yeik shook his crest. "[This is pointless. This injury did not happen on temple grounds.]"


    Oscar nodded. "You are correct. But it''s also true that Maria was still wearing a bandage over that injury when she and Hrathra visited here. You were there when they took off their clothes. You saw her bandage. You realized that you had a golden opportunity to get ahold of her DNA."


    The Second Claw crouched low, the feathers around his neck standing out in rage...and then he straightened up again as the space in front of him was suddenly occupied by a crouching Dorarizin. The alien''s movement was so fast that Maria started back in sudden fear.


    "[Calm yourself. Or I will calm you for sure,]" said Myyreh.


    Ter''yeik''s feathers subsided, but his eyes still held a fearsome rage. "[How dare he accuse me of...]"


    "You''re busted, shithead," said Oscar in a flat tone. "You had plenty of opportunity to go through Maria''s bag during that whole foofraw after she and Hrathra reported the theft. You found that blood-stained shirt and snipped off a little sample. You used that sample plus the temple''s own medical cloner to make yourself a lump of artificial skin containing her DNA."


    Maria was quite unprepared for the rage that now filled her. "It was you! You lousy SON OF A..." She took one step towards Ter''yeik only to realize she was looking right down the barrel of Myyreh''s unsheathed claw.


    "[Just stay right there,]" said Myyreh. The ferocity of her unsmiling face broke for just a moment as she gave Maria a wink. "[Trust me, if someone needs a beating I''ll attend to it.]"


    "You''d better," replied Maria with a wink of her own.


    "[Matriarch, you can''t possibly believe this!]" exclaimed Ter''yeik.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka shrugged and reached into a side pocket. "[Captain [Rgrarshok] asked me to bring a portable DNA scanner, one suitable for multiple species.]" She pulled out a small flat device that looked a little like a smartphone. "[I now understand why she made that request.]"


    "You''re right, Matriarch," said Oscar. "Ter''yeik used that lump of cloned skin plus a shard of crystal from the case to make it look like Maria was guilty. But after that he faced a bit of a quandary. By then we''d arrived and taken possession of Maria''s duffel. So that lump of skin was all he had, and who knows? Maybe he''d need to plant more evidence."


    Ter''yeik rolled his eyes. "[This is purest supposition!]" His anger now seemed to have evaporated, and Maria noted with unease that he seemed a hell of a lot more confident than he had a few moments ago.


    Oscar gave a mirthless laugh. "If it''s supposition, then how come I know that there''s a lump of synthetic skin right in there?"


    He spun and pointed at the huge brazier-like bowl at the entrance to the inner Sanctum.


    The one that was filled with a mound of green powder.


    "You heard that there was a Senate team on the way," said Oscar. "And you heard they were composed of Dorarizin. It was the perfect place to stash it, literally the last place they''d want to look."


    Maria did not like the smug look on Ter''yeik''s face. "[So go ahead and search it, [human]."


    "Oh, I wouldn''t dream of being accused of planting evidence. Reverend Mother, would you please do the honors?"


    After another double side-eye at Oscar, Ck''Trrk''Ka paced over to the brazier and dug a claw down into the green powder. Maria noted that each Dorarizin in the room gave a little shudder as the Matriarch did so.


    "[Hmm...yes, it does appear that there is indeed something in here.]" She pulled out a pale chunk about the size of Maria''s thumb and brushed a few errant grains of green powder off of it. "[This does appear to be synthetic skin. Do you wish me to perform a DNA analysis on it?]"


    "If you would be so kind, Reverend Mother." Oscar''s face was set in grim satisfaction. But Ter''yeik''s expression became even more smug as he floofed himself out into a cream-colored ball.


    At that moment, Maria knew.


    She knew that the Second Claw had planned this all out, he''d wanted Oscar to find that lump of skin. The Matriarch''s scan was not going to work; either it would return a null result or worse it would give someone else''s DNA. Either way it would discredit the whole investigation.


    Maria opened her mouth to yell a warning just as the Matriarch pressed her scanner against the lump of artificial flesh.

 Chapter Six

    Maria felt her stomach turn to ice as the Matriarch''s scanner let out a soft chirp. The human''s half-baked plan to yell...well, some sort of warning dissolved; whatever sneakiness Ter''yeik had planned was already done. The copper-colored Karnakian gave a peep of surprise as her implant received the results of the scan.


    The Second Claw was so smug that his snout was damn near hidden among his feathers. "[Reverend Mother, I believe you have just discovered that the DNA in that skin sample is not that of [Maria Vargas]. Am I correct?]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka turned her head to give her second-in-command a searching look. "[You are quite correct, Second Claw.]"


    Maria turned nervous eyes towards Oscar, who stood at parade rest with his hands behind his back. His face held only mild interest, as if he was watching a tennis match. Ter''yeik''s gaze was on the human investigator as well, and he looked back and forth from the human to Myyreh, his fangs bared in a triumphant grin all the while. The Dorarizin bodyguard still stood between the two, her eyes narrowed and her body coiled in case of attack.


    Maria clenched her teeth in helpless fury as the Second Claw spoke again. "[Please tell us, whose DNA is it? Perhaps it even matches that of our erstwhile investigator.]" He waved a wing-arm with studied slowness in Oscar''s direction, clearly taking care not to trigger any possible attack from Myyreh. "[He''s been very anxious to clear his fellow human of any suspicion. Perhaps he went too far?]"


    "[I wouldn''t say that, Second Claw,]" said the Matriarch. "[It''s mine.]"


    It was as if someone had up-ended a huge bucket of icy water over the Second Claw. Within a second Ter''yeik went from a fluffy smugball to a plucked chicken as his feathers went flat against his body. "[WHAT? What do you mean?]"


    "[The DNA in this cloned skin sample. It''s mine.]" The Matriarch tilted her head as her tone became syrupy. "[And since I''m reasonably sure I had nothing to do with the theft of the Claw, perhaps you might care to explain why this is so?]"


    Maria realized she might be the first human to see a Karnakian shit himself. "[I...what...Reverend Mother, there must be some mistake...it was supposed to be...]" He started backing up as Myyreh followed in a crouch. Ter''yeik darted a look over his shoulder at the unsmiling faces of Frick and Frack, then back forward to Myyreh. The surrounded Karnakian snarled and pointed a claw towards Oscar.


    "[YOU! You...]"


    The human smiled gently. "Me? What did I do? You thought that skin sample was made from my DNA. Now why would you expect such a thing, I wonder?"


    Ter''yeik''s clawed hands clutched at each other. "[I didn''t...It was just a supposition...]"


    "That was no supposition, shithead," replied Oscar. "You knew. That''s because you got ahold of a chisel with a little bit of what you thought was my blood. I''m a little surprised you never thought of this."


    Oscar held up his hands, rotating them to show that he held nothing in them. After a little magician''s flourish, one of his hands was suddenly filled with a large chisel. He looked at the tool in mock surprise. "Huh. Where did that come from?" He made a tossing motion as if to throw the chisel up into the air, but of course it just vanished again.


    By now Maria was more angry than nervous, thanks to her fellow human''s theatrics. ''If you do the ''pull it from behind the ear'' bit on me I will kick you," she said.


    Oscar pulled the chisel back out of his sleeve. "Nah, I think Teriyaki gets the idea."


    "[I still require a full explanation,]" said the Matriarch.


    He gave her a slight bow. "[Certainly, Reverend Mother. See, I cut myself on one of these yesterday. I wanted to get a look-see into what kind of medical tech was at hand in the Temple."


    "[You could have just asked to see our infirmary,]" said the Matriarch. "[Oh...I see, you wanted to keep Ter''yeik in the dark about your suspicions.]"


    "Exactly. Or at least make it look like I was trying to keep it on the low-down. He knew about it anyway, though. He''s a clever boy...aren''t you Teriyaki?"


    By now the Second Claw was almost prostrate on the floor, his feathers slumped in confused anguish. He gave a defeated trill but didn''t respond otherwise.


    Oscar turned back to Ck''Trrk''Ka. "Of course, there was no way I was going to leave a bit of my blood lying around here. Not when Maria had already been the target of a set-up. So when we headed off to the infirmary I palmed the chisel."


    "[But I saw the moves you used just now,]" said the Matriarch. "[Ker''rill''ah would have seen you take the tool, and he would have told Ter''yeik.]"


    Oscar laughed. "Yeah, slight-of-hand is usually pointless with you guys, what with your hella-fast reflexes. But a bit of distraction works wonders. Like, say, when you''re smearing your own blood on your hand and waving it in someone''s face."


    Ck''Trrk''Ka shuddered. "[Please, don''t say such things. So you replaced the original chisel with one covered with my fake DNA?]" She peered up at Rgrarshok. "[I wondered why you requested one of my feathers.]"


    "[I appreciate your showing us such trust, Matriarch,]" replied the Captain. "[I''m sorry I couldn''t tell you why we needed it, but we couldn''t afford the Second Claw getting even a hint of our plan.]"


    Ter''yeik gave a mournful wail and placed his wings over his head.


    "We set up some cameras as well," said Oscar. "So we have some lovely video of Teriyaki sneaking in and stealing the planted chisel. We''ve got more footage of him using the blood from that to make another cloned skin-lump, thinking it was my DNA. He then switched it for the one he''d hidden earlier in the bowl of Green."


    He folded his arms and sighed. "It wasn''t a bad idea, really, not for something he came up with on the fly. It would appear as if I''d gotten so desperate to clear a fellow human that I''d tried to fabricate some evidence and gotten sloppy about it."


    The Matriarch nodded her crest. "[Well. It does appear that my Second Claw is at least guilty of trying to frame both you and [Maria]. But this still doesn''t answer what happened to the Claw of Ta''irrl''qc.]"


    Oscar opened his mouth, but before he could speak everyone in the room started in surprise as the prone figure of Ter''yeik burst out in a loud wail. "[Reverend Mother, please forgive me! I merely wished to...hide the Claw, so that those heathen would not gaze upon the Final Sutra!]"


    "We figured that was the initial motive," said Oscar. "But what we don''t understand is what your game plan was after the theft was uncovered. You knew Hrathra and Maria would raise the alarm, right?"


    Ter''yeik''s arms still covered his face, and they quivered as he sobbed. "[I was planning to replace the Claw while we held them in custody. It would appear as a miracle, the will of Ta''irrl''qc made manifest.]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka strode over to her lieutenant and bapped her snout down into his head-shielding arms, which made her look like an angry hen pecking at seeds. He unfolded his arms just enough to peer up at her furious stare.


    "[You have one chance to make this right. Where is the Claw?]"


    "He doesn''t have it anymore," said Oscar. "He would have put it back by now or ''discovered'' it if he did. That guy who defected to the Thirty-Fourth Path, he took the Claw."


    The Matriarch looked up at Oscar. "[Tk''rii''na?]" She glared back down at Ter''yeik. "[You let that feather-plucker steal the Claw?]"


    "[He wasn''t supposed to really steal it!]" moaned Ter''yeik.


    "And the disciple who went in after him, she was involved too wasn''t she?" asked Oscar. "We figure you needed two people to smuggle both the case and the Claw out of the Sanctum."


    "[Ka''iirt is supposed to be out performing missionary work,"] said the Matriarch. "[But I imagine that little bit of paperwork has been forged.]" She reached down and hauled Ter''yeik to his feet by his lapels, then shoved her snout right against his. "[Or did you simply kill her?]"


    "[What? No! I would never do something as horrible as that!]"


    The Matriarch bared her fangs and growled, a subsonic noise of fury that vibrated right up through Maria''s feet. "[No. I suppose you''re just a stupid thief, not a murderer. You''re in here every day, so why didn''t you take the Claw yourself, you IDIOT?]"


    The Second Claw looked like he was ready to climb out of his own skin. "[In case I was interrogated! I had to be able to honestly say that I''d never touched it!]"


    Oscar sighed. "I was wondering why the theft took place so long before Hrathra got here. You were too clever by half. This scheme had way too many moving parts. Lemme guess...Mr. Feather-Plucker was the key person you needed. He was both pissed about Hrathra getting access to the Sanctum and he was devout enough that he could gain access and go ''commune'' with it on relatively short notice."


    Ter''yeik nodded, his crest drooping down the back of his neck.


    "Which meant you were forced to operate on his timetable, not yours. And Ka''iirt was also down with committing some theft?"


    He nodded again. "[Tk''rii''na and her were...close. He convinced her that to preserve our Path''s piety a little theft was necessary. He took the Claw, and she took the case.]"


    The Matriarch looked ready to take a wet chomp out of Ter''yeik''s neck. "[Then they vanished along with the Claw?]"


    "[Yes, Reverend Mother. Tk''rii''na made his defection public, so I couldn''t conceal that. But I was able to forge the paperwork showing that Ka''iirt was off on mission work.]"


    Her fury subsided for a moment as she cocked her crest. "[Wait. That means the Sanctum has been empty for [months]. Why didn''t someone report the theft before now?]"


    "Because you''ve kept the Final Sutra such a big damn secret," said Oscar.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka let go of The Second Claw''s lapels, and the dejected Karnakian thumped back onto the floor. "[But...Captain, you and I interrogated Ker''rill''ah together! He said it was there!]"


    "[Did he?]" asked Rgrarshok. She gestured, and the recording drone overhead projected a beam of light which quickly expanded into a holographic display showing a nervous-looking, black-feathered Karnakian that Maria didn''t recognize.


    Rgrarshok''s voice came from offscreen. "[And you saw nothing out of the ordinary?]"


    "[Go ahead, Brother,]" said the recorded voice of the Matriarch.


    The unfamiliar Karnakian paused and looked around, then finally spoke. "[All was as it should be in the Sanctum. Please, if I''ve given cause for disciplinary action I must know so that I may properly atone...]"


    The projection winked out.


    "[I see. He said all was as it should be,]" said the Matriarch. Her feathers fluffed out a little in irritation. "[He did not say that the Claw was there.]"


    "And who''s the first person that any disciple sees when they exit the Sanctum?" asked Oscar.


    He pointed at Ter''yeik in a silent answer.


    "I''ll bet you got really good at the song and dance, eh?. The disciple comes belting out of the temple, all scared because the Claw is gone, only for you to give them a speech about how ''the true Final Sutra is in the heart'' or some such."


    "[And then he would swear them to secrecy,]" added the Matriarch. "[Our teachings say that each disciple must go through their own internal journey of discovery, so such an oath would appear sensible to our disciples.]"


    "There is one big thing we still don''t understand, Matriarch," said Oscar. "Maybe you can help us there. We expected the Thirty-Fourth Path to advertise the fact they now have the Claw. Even if they didn''t make it public, their head person would have at least sent you a private message, right?"Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka seemed to deflate, and Maria realized just how exhausted the Matriarch must be. "[Yes, that is curious. I''ve heard nothing from Ma''elge''yk, their Matriarch. She surely couldn''t resist taunting me if she now possessed the Claw.]" She straightened up. "[We must go speak with her in person.]"


    Maria blew out a breath she didn''t realize she''d been holding. "So we''re in the clear?"


    Rgrarshok nodded. "[You, Hrathra''sstah, and Resh''skk have been officially cleared of any charges regarding this matter, and we thank you for your patience. I know this must have been a very trying time.]"


    "You got that right. Hey, boss?"


    Hrathra''s hood perked up. "[Yes?]"


    "Can we splurge on separate hotel rooms tonight? You two are great friends, but if I have to spend one more night in the same room together with you I''m gonna go completely spastic."


    <hr>


    Not only did Hrathra splurge, she splurged on getting Maria a room intended for Jornissians. While the snakelike aliens didn''t bathe as often as humans, they did like to soak in warm water to aid in scale-shedding. That meant that Maria''s room had a tub big enough to hold a major naval exercise. At the moment Maria floated in a lovely steamy bliss as she let the water wash away both the physical and mental crud that had built up over the last week.


    Her commbead pinged, then Resh''skk spoke in her ear. "[Hey [Maria], are you willing to put up with our presence long enough to dine together?]"


    "That depends. Is the Boss buying?"


    "[Better. The Thirty-Third Path is buying.]"


    Maria grinned. "In that case, order a bunch of lobsters for me." She held her breath and dipped below the water''s surface, scrubbing at her scalp and face with her hands in one final if unnecessary cleaning.


    Next to the tub lay several big fluffy towels and an equally fluffy white robe, both quickly-fabricated courtesies from the Karnakians running the hotel. Maria thought the gifts were nice enough to almost make up for being incarcerated.


    The meal was great, even if the arthropod that passed for ''lobster'' on this planet was a little strange-looking. Not two, but five of the ''lobsters'' sat on a platter on a low table in Hrathra''s room, surrounded by more dishes piled high with other food. By now Maria was also used to the sight of Jornissians eating. Compared to the Doroarizin, they were downright genteel in their table manners. The only off-putting part was the sheer size of what the aliens considered ''bite-size'', but right now Maria didn''t care. Her good mood continued even at the sight of Hrathra swallowing whole a chunk of meat the size of Maria''s head. During the repast, the human managed to demolish one pseudo-lobster and do serious damage to a second.


    "[Are you gonna finish those?]" asked Resh''ssk. He pointed to the other ''lobsters'' on the table.


    Maria patted her tummy in satisfaction. "I''m good. Knock yourself out." Within moments the rest of the pseudo-lobsters were gone.


    "So what''s the plan, Boss?" Maria was looking forward to some stress-free downtime. She had a lot of translations to finish, and the thought of shutting away the world and catching up on work sounded just fine to her.


    "[The Dorarizin are heading off to, heh, ''speak" with the Thirty-Fourth Path about the theft,]" replied Hrathra.


    "Yeah, and what does that have to do with us?" Maria''s good mood evaporated as she realized the implication. "Aw, crap."


    Hrathra looked apologetic, or at least as much as a huge viper-like alien could. "[They need an expert who can help authenticate the Claw once it''s retrieved.]"


    "[Just in case someone tries to pull a fast one with a nano-manufactured copy, eh?]" mused Resh''ssk.


    Maria facepalmed. "So that means we have to put up with more crazy-dino religious stuff?"


    "[The Matriarch will be accompanying us as well, so...yes,]" replied Hrathra.


    "Of course she is. Anybody else coming along on this shindig that I should know about? A marching band, perhaps?"


    "[Just the two guards. Oh, and the Second Claw.]"


    "What? That bastard should be in jail!"


    "[I''m not happy about it either, trust me. But the Matriarch is not pressing charges yet and she wants him along to give evidence when she confronts the other Path''s Matriarch. He''s been implanted with a transponder in case he tries to run."


    Maria let out a grumble. "It sounds like the ship is going to be crowded."


    "[Not as much as you''d think. Right now the Dorarizin are refitting the Claw''s interior to make sufficient quarters for everyone. Rgrarshok keeps muttering about her ship turning into a ''moon-cursed dormitory''.]"


    "That means we have some time before we have to leave, right?" Maria asked with a note of hope in her voice. Even a week to just relax by herself and get some actual work done would be a decent break.


    "[Oh, certainly,]" replied Hrathra. "[I believe we''re not departing until tomorrow.]"


    So much for getting even a few days off. "Fuckin'' nanotech," growled Maria.


    Hrathra patted her shoulder. "[Don''t worry, at least we won''t be stuck in the same room together.]"


    Maria snorted. "No, I''m just going to have to cuddle some huge werewolf dudes on the regular to keep some even huger werewolf ladies from freaking out and trying to adopt me."


    Her boss rose from the low table. "[I''ll return shortly. I think hanging out with a [human] for so long has made me adopt your bathroom habits.]"


    "Yeah, yeah. Go ahead, powder your nose."


    Hrathra slithered away with inhuman grace. Resh''ssk watched her leave, and Maria watched him watch her leave. He sighed and began to take a sip of water.


    "You really should tell her how you feel, Reshy," said Maria.


    Given that he was the size of a small car, the resulting spit-take from the ex-soldier was epic in scope. Water sprayed out in a wide arc as Maria flinched down to get clear of most of the blast.


    After a moment of frozen did I do that?, Resh''skk went into action. He coughed and sputtered as he wiped his snout and front with a napkin. "[How...how did you know?]"


    Maria mopped a bit of water from her own forehead. "Dude, we''ve been stuck in the same damn room for days on end. You think I don''t see how you look at her?"


    Resh''skk reached over and gripped her hand. "[Don''t say anything. She can''t know.]"


    "What are you talking about? You''re my friend. I''m not having you mooning around being all miserable for the rest of your life."


    "[No, please!]" For the first time that Maria could remember, Resh''skk looked scared. "[It''s...there''s no way she''d think of me in that way. She''s way too smart to fall for someone like me. I''m a meathead, a grunt.]"


    Maria shook her head. "You are overthinking this. She''s not stuck up at all, you know that."


    "[Please, [Maria]. I beg you, don''t say anything.]"


    She stared back for a moment. "All right, how''s this for a compromise? I''ll keep my trap shut during our trip to go yell at the other bunch of crazy-cult birds. But after this whole mess is over, either you tell her or I will."


    "[You wouldn''t dare.]"


    "Don''t test me. I mean it, Reshy. I''m going to see you happy even if I have to drag you to Hrathra kicking and screaming. Well, at least screaming. I guess you''re not built for the kicking."


    <hr>


    Kgrashak looked up with mild interest as the sickbay door slid open and Oscar came scuttling around the edge. He pressed himself up against the wall next to the door as it slid shut. There were a few tears down one lapel of his jacket, tears with spacing corresponding to that of a Dorarizin''s claws.


    "[Ah, is it that time again?]" she asked. The medic leaned against the wall, a small but real-paper book held in one paw.


    "What the hell''s gotten into her?" Oscar''s eyes were wide with panic, and he edged away from the door as if he expected it to bite him at any moment.


    The medic looked down and restarted her reading. "[Myyreh missed the first time you did the ''Summary Thing'', as Bgrarh puts it. Now she got to see you do it in person. She said something to me about it really getting her ''in the mood.]"


    Oscar looked around the sickbay. There was no way he was going out that door. He pointed to the only other exit from the room. "Could you boost me to that grate?"


    "[What is it with [humans] and crawling through ventilation ducts?]"


    "It''s tradition. C''mon, I''ll buy you a pony. I hear they make pretty good eating."


    Kgrashak didn''t look up as she performed a crisp page-turn. "[I''m not getting involved in this. Besides, you couldn''t fit through the duct anyway.]"


    "Oh, fine." He peered closer at her reading material. "Wait. That''s a human book. Where''d you get that?"


    "[This is a medical text, one of many that I bought when we picked you up from [Earth]," she replied. "[I sensed I''d need a lot of these in the near future, and you have proved me quite correct. I sense I''ll need to apply this knowledge in an hour or so, once Myyreh''s through with you.]"


    "Huh. You can read English?"


    She tapped one of her temples. "[Implants, son. Now stop stalling and get back out there.]"


    Oscar sighed and touched the door control. It slid open, revealing...nothing at all. He peered around the door jamb, making sure that only the merest sliver of his face would be visible to anyone in the corridor. The overhead lighting filled the corridor and showed absolutely nothing at all. It was completely innocent and empty; if the hallway was a person, it would be strolling along with its hands clasped behind its nonexistent back while whistling a jaunty tune.


    Oscar didn''t trust it for a second. He ducked back out of sight and slipped off his uniform''s jacket, then balled it up into a wad. He took a few deep breaths, then tossed the jacket-ball out into the hall at about head-height.


    At the same time he rolled out into the hallway at knee-height. Over his head a dark-brown streak of fur smacked into his decoy and went tumbling. Oscar got to his feet and sprinted down the corridor as he heard Myyreh''s voice call out from behind him.


    "[You better run, monkey...]"


    Just as Oscar reached the junction of two corridors he heard the merest warning thump of paws landing on the deck behind him. He responded by doing a head-fake that would have done any NFL linebacker proud.


    It worked almost perfectly; he faked left but went right as Myyreh''s claw just caught his undershirt at the shoulder. The razor-sharp tip sliced through the tough fabric with ease. He didn''t dare waste time checking himself for injury. His lungs burned as he sprinted for the door to his room.


    He slapped the door control as he passed, and with another perfect head-fake he dove through the opening as the door slid open. Myyreh''s leaping attack this time was close enough to make him feel the wind of her passing as he tucked and rolled into his quarters.


    The door slid shut. Oscar stumbled to his feet and panted as he leaned against the door.


    Maria looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. She was stretched out on his couch with her terminal propped up on her stomach. It looked like she was watching some sort of Elizabethan-era costume drama while working her way through a tub of popcorn.


    "Are we under attack by pirates or something?" she asked.


    Oscar wheezed as he got his breath back. "Nah, I just got myself voluntold for a little, um, playtime. Myra gets bored when we''re underway, and a bored Myra is a frisky Myra."


    Maria''s eyebrow inched higher. "What does ''frisky'' mean, exactly?"


    Before Oscar could reply, a low voice sounded from outside the door.


    "[Let me iiiiinnnn, little monkey. Or I''ll huff, and I''ll puff!]"


    Oscar rubbed his forehead. "I never should have mentioned that story to her. Um, sorry for barging in like this."


    Maria shrugged. "It''s your quarters. I appreciate your letting me use it for my media time. I''m just glad I wasn''t in the middle of a private moment. Maybe I should hang a sock on the door."


    "That won''t work, no doorknobs," said Oscar. As he spoke he took the opportunity to check his shoulder. In spite of the long gash on his undershirt, his skin underneath didn''t have so much as a scrape. Myyreh still had surgical accuracy with her claws; she''d fully healed from the hideous injuries she''d suffered protecting him. "I''ll just make sure to knock in the future."


    The Dorarizin called through the door in a louder voice. "[The longer you deny me, my little monkey, the more I''ll punish you.]"


    Maria looked with mild interest at the door. "Oh, so when you say frisky, you really do mean, er...that?" She twirled her fingers towards each other in a vague but suggestive gesture.


    For some reason Oscar felt a little embarrassed to admit it to a fellow human. "Yes, but it''s not what you think. We really care for each other, it''s not just sex."


    "[Usually it''s not just sex,]" said Myyreh''s muffled voice. "[But right now he is so going to get it but good.]"


    Maria shrugged. "Hey, whatever floats your collective boat. I''m a little surprised. I figured Oscar for being adventurous, not outright masochistic."


    "Oh Myra says ''punish'' but she''s just exaggerating for comedic effect. Isn''t that right, sweetie?"


    "[There''s only one way for you to find out, monkey. Open the door.]"


    "You could just tear the door open," Maria called out to Myyreh as she turned her attention back to the movie.


    "Nah, that would defeat the purpose of the game." He gave her his most winning smile. "I don''t suppose I could ask you to go out and distract her while I make a break for it?"


    Maria looked back over at him with a deadpan expression as she reached into her tub for more popcorn.


    "No, I suppose not. There''s no other exits. The ducts are out. I guess it''s time to face the music."


    He turned to face the door and squared his shoulders, then touched the door control. It slid open as he grinned even wider.


    "Now sweetie, behave yourself in front of our guest..."


    A paw grabbed the front of Oscar''s shirt and yanked him out of the room like a hooked grouper. He managed to get out a single yelp before vanishing from view. Myyreh stuck her snout in the doorway and nodded cordially at Maria, who nodded back with equal politeness.


    "Please don''t break him too much," said Maria. "He did get me out of that jam with the Thirty-Third Path."


    Myyreh grinned, her fanged mouth making her look like a Cuisinart with fur. "[I promise.]"


    Maria un-paused the movie and munched some more popcorn as Myyreh withdrew and the door slid closed. She heard another yelp outside from Oscar, a yelp that quickly turned into a muffled moan.


    "That there''s one brave sonofabitch," she mused out loud as she chewed. "Crazy, but brave."


    <hr>


    Captain Rgrarshok-of-Ngraz looked up as Ngralh entered the rec lounge. The table in front of her contained a Dorarizin-sized chessboard. In the last few years the [human] game became popular among the Senate races, and she was still getting a handle on the strategies involved.


    "{Any luck?}" she asked as she moved a bishop.


    Her XO collapsed into a squat on the other side of the chessboard. "{May the First Pack save me from ever again dealing with Karnakian religious bureaucracy. The Thirty-Fourth Path''s Matriarch has been notified of our approach, and of who we have on board.}" He reached forward and moved one of his knights.


    Rgrarshok smiled. "{Did you at least get to see her reaction?}"


    He rubbed one of his ears. "{I heard it, which was enough. Her scream went right through my skull. Anyway, they insist we meet on neutral ground rather than their temple. There''s a nearby space station that should work, and Ck''Trrk''Ka is agreeable as to the venue.}"


    He paused as if he wanted to add something, but didn''t speak further.


    "{It''s okay, Ngralh. You can talk to me.}"


    Ngralh sighed. "{It''s just that...why are we the ones shuttling these birds around? By the Pale Moon, we''ve solved the crime! Let the Karnakians chase down the Claw and figure out who to prosecute!}"


    The Captain moved a pawn forward as she thought. "{It''s more complicated than that. Both sects have significant political sway in the Diarchy, so the Senate has asked us to handle this until the Claw is back where it should be and any ruffled fur is smoothed over.}" She chuckled. "{Given how my superiors bent the rules for us to have a [human], I can''t very well say no.}"


    Ngralh stretched his arms over his head. "{I suppose not.}" The XO looked under the table and gave an annoyed flick of one ear. "{Speaking of our [human], I need to tell [Oscar] not to leave his clothes around.}" He reached down and pulled out a pair of small trousers. "{Wait. Why did he take off his pants? Oooohhh...}"


    "{Yeah, I wouldn''t blame him too much,}" said Rgrarshok. "{I think those got taken off for him.}"


    Ngralh shook his head. "{I suppose I''ll drop them by the gym later. Can''t have one of our investigators wandering around without pants.}"


    "{I checked, they''re not in there.}"


    "{Where are they this time?}"


    She shrugged and started ticking off locations on her fingers. "{Let''s see, so far they''ve used the Gymnasium, Hydroponics, Water Recycling, Sickbay, the Hangar, Main Engineering...by the Pale Moon, did I got an earful from Egwreh about that...they''ve done it here in the Rec Lounge at least three times, and I strongly suspect they''ve used Oscar''s chair on the bridge. I don''t have proof of that last one, though.}"


    Ngralh stared at his Captain with increasing disbelief as she went through the list. "{By the First Pack! What''s wrong with them?}"


    "{Nothing. In Myyreh''s case she''s making up for lost time after, well, after her last relationship. As for [Oscar], I asked Kgrashak about it. Apparently [human] males are always in season. I think the two things together act as a feedback loop between them.}"


    "{Really? They''re in season all the time?}" Ngralh stared off into the distance as he thought. "{Huh, that sounds exhausting. Maybe that''s why [humans] weren''t that advanced when we found them. They kept getting distracted.}"

 Chapter Seven

    Ter''yeik combed a claw through his crest. The listless, reflexive movement resulted in another cream-colored feather coming off in his hand, and he stared at it in dull surprise before letting it drop to join the many others strewn about the deck. He looked up at the terminal in front of him, the screen of which was half-filled with his meandering thoughts. Thanks to his deactivated implant he was forced to resort to manual entry. He found the process took some getting used to.


    At least his quarters were comfortable, if on the small side. He could hardly complain about the latter. The ex-Second Claw scratched absently at a healing welt on the side of his neck. He could just barely feel the little lump of the implant now nestled close to his spine. It was a small but powerful piece of technology, capable of broadcasting his location if he managed to slip his current prison. More importantly, it could also be commanded to shut down his central nervous system and leave him paralyzed and helpless until he was back in custody.


    Back into a custody that he still didn''t know the end of. Would he be simply sentenced to prison? Would the Matriarch break his toe-claws as a permanent mark of his treachery?


    No, not treachery. He had acted as Ta''irrl''qc had commanded all those [millennia] ago, and he needed to make everyone understand his reasoning. It would do no good to sit in his cell and stress-molt himself featherless. He had to reach people...


    Hmm, perhaps even the other Path''s Matriarch? She might be a heretic, but surely she could be reasoned with? The Karnakian straightened up and began typing again with renewed purpose.


    <hr>


    Tra''nel''ril Station sat in the viewscreen, a slowly-rotating cylinder of dull gray metal festooned with twinkling lights and antennae. Oscar thought it looked rather uninteresting until he saw a Karnakian dreadnought pass in front of it. The miles-long warship looked like a flea when beside the gigantic construct.


    "Whoa." Maria stood next to Oscar''s chair on the bridge as she gazed with awe at the scene projected in front of the crew. "This sort of stuff never gets old. When was this place built?"


    "[It''s fairly new, only about five hundred years in age.]" replied Ngralh.


    Maria''s brow furrowed. "Wait, if it''s that new then why does this place use rotation to simulate gravity? We figured that trick out even before we went into space. Why not use gravity generators?"


    "[Because gravity generators can break,]" said the XO. ["This station has an expected lifetime of about five thousand years, and that assumes minimal maintenance.]"


    By now the petite human was bouncing on her toes while grinning. "We did a couple of expeditions in an abandoned station...well, in what was left of it. I can''t wait to get on board and see how this one compares."


    Rgrarshok let forth a soft whoof that was somehow more commanding than a snarl. "[I''m afraid you''ll have to see it from afar, little one. As will [Oscar].]"


    Oscar had expected the first statement, but not the second. "Hey wait a minute, Captain. I need to be there if I''m gonna get a read on the 34<sup>th</sup> Path Matriarch."


    "[It''s too unsafe. You have no idea of how intense the enmity is between these two Paths. They haven''t spoken directly to each other in [centuries], and we''re still trying to figure out how to set this all up safely. If the meeting goes wrong, I don''t want two [humans] stuck in the middle of a firefight.]"


    "I''ll have Reshy looking out for me," said Maria.


    "Yeah, and I''ll have Myra and a drone. We can program Junior to look after Maria as well, or just get her a drone of her own...]"


    The Captain made a slashing motion with one paw. "[This is not open to debate. [Oscar], surely you remember what happened the last time I allowed you to go into an unsafe area?]"


    He leaned back and shrugged. "Worked out okay in the end." Left unspoken was the fact that he was only alive thanks to some quick thinking and a healthy dose of sheer dumb luck. Not to mention Myyreh had damn near died during that whole mess.


    Rgrarshok put a paw on his shoulder. "[We''ll have plenty of camera drones at the meeting. You can watch from here, it''ll be just like being there.]"


    <hr>


    Ma''elge''yk, known to most as The Most Reverend Beacon-of-Light-and-Matriarch-of-the-34th-Path, smoothed her yellow-hued crest in a preening manner that disguised her great irritation. "|She still insists on only two guards? Impossible. She still hasn''t told me why she''s requesting this meeting, and I''m not about to face that heathen scum with no back-up.|"


    Her Second Claw looked miserable as she lowered her head in genuflection. "|Most Reverend, the other Path''s Matriarch claims that she will also be accompanied by only two guards. She says that there will be one other Karnakian present in their delegation, but he is apparently her prisoner.|"


    The news of the prisoner sounded intriguing. Ma''elge''yk rose and began pacing around her large office. Large windows gave the room a commanding view of the city around it. As opposed to the low-slung approach of the Thirty-Third Path, her Path''s main temple consisted of a huge tower. Her office, of course, was at that tower''s apex.


    "|Do we know the identity of this prisoner?|" she asked.


    "|Not yet, Most Reverend. Their ship is docked at Tra''nel''ril Station but no Karnakians have emerged. I have checked its registry and the ship is that of a Senate investigation team composed of Dorarizin. They are known as ''We Who Hunt Between The Spaces'' and they have a reputation for extreme competence.|"


    "|I see. Were the number of guards all that the Matriarch requested of us?|"


    "|Not quite. She insists that we bring two other Karnakians to the meeting. The names are Tk''rii''na and Ka''iirt.|"


    Ma''elge''yk stopped pacing and tapped one foot-claw on the stone floor in deep thought. "|That first name is familiar...oh, yes! He''s the defector who arrived recently.|"


    "|Correct, ma''am. I''m still trying to find out who this other ''Ka''iirt'' person is. We have no record of her and she certainly didn''t arrive with Tk''rii''na.|"


    The Matriarch stopped her wandering and stared out the window at the sunset which streamed golden rays over the low roofs of the city beyond. She ignored the sight as her brain worked over the political ramifications of this unexpected visit. "|Very well. Contact the head of the Dorarizin and notify her that I am holding them personally responsible for our safety during this meeting. Make sure we send a copy of that message to our bishop. In the meantime, get in touch with our contacts in the Senate bureaucracy. I wish to know everything I can about that team before we meet.|"


    "|It shall be done as you command. I will also make every effort to determine the identity of their prisoner.|"


    Ma''elge''yk relaxed and allowed herself to drink in the vista outside. She bared her teeth without humor. "|I know of one area where we can start asking questions. Have Tk''rii''na brought to me, now.|"


    <hr>


    Rgrarshok looked over the atrium one last time. It was a green and humid place, with several large pools ringed by abundant shrubs. A drone hovered above the center of each pool, casting artificial daylight over the growth. Above the drones stretched a domed ceiling, mostly transparent and overlaid with a metallic latticework. The station''s current orientation meant that the ceiling showed nothing but a star-speckled blackness.


    That exposed ceiling was what really worried her. The two contending Paths were technically pacifist, but each had a congregation numbered in the billions. When dealing with such large numbers, even a vanishingly small percentage of bad actors meant that there was a credible threat of assassination. Having a big window looking in on the meeting seemed like an open invitation for some splinter-group of feathery nut-jobs to go and get creative with a purloined mining laser.


    She turned to Ngralh. "{We''ve planned out each Matriarch''s approach?}"


    Her XO pointed at the two opposite doors leading from the atrium. "{The corridor for each has been locked down, and any corridor leading into them is covered by security drones.}"


    "{Good. How are the station personnel dealing with all this?}"


    Ngralh shrugged. "{Some grumbling.}"


    "{If it gets bad refer them to me. Then I''ll go and refer them to the First-Pack-be-Damned Senate.}" She rubbed absently at one ear. "{Also let the crew know that when this whole thing is over I''m putting in a liberty request for all of us. We could use the break.}"


    He reached up and rested a friendly hand on the back of her huge neck, then squeezed gently to massage of her tense muscles. A [human] would have thought the gesture incredibly forward, but among Dorarizin pack members such a caress was normal.


    "{You need relief,}" he said matter-of-factly.


    She allowed her heavy shoulders to droop a little under the force of his kneading. "{Not right now. I''m the Captain, I can''t afford to play favorites...}"


    "{You can''t afford to run yourself down until you''re furless either. You only need to say the word to any of us, you know that.}"


    Rgrarshok smiled as she reached over and pulled Ngralh into her chest. "{I know, dearest. And I''d happily take any of you to bed...well, except for [Oscar]. He''s a brave little thing, but perhaps too brave for his own good.}"


    <hr>


    Oscar looked on glumly as he strummed his guitar. The atrium chosen for the meeting of the Matriarchs was projected in perfect resolution along one long wall of the Claw''s recreational lounge; it was as if they overlooked the space through a clear window. He still thought it was still no substitute for the real thing.


    "Must you do that?" asked Maria from her seat upon Hrathra''s ''lap'' of coils.


    "Yeah. It helps me think," he replied.


    "[Free Bird!]" said Resh''ssk.


    Oscar looked in shock at the huge Jornissian curled up next to him in a loose pile. "Where the fu...flipping hell did you hear that?"


    Resh''skk motioned towards Maria. "[She says it all the time whenever anyone so much as picks up a musical instrument. She refuses to tell us what it means.]"


    Hrathra shushed them all with a wave of her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the display with laser focus. "[They''re entering!]"


    With a simultaneous precision worthy of a Marine drill team, two pairs of Karnakians emerged from opposing entrances and took up station on each side. Oscar recognized the two nearer guards as Frick and Frack.


    Then with equal precision the two Matriarchs entered almost in lock-step with each other. The copper-colored feathers around Ck''Trrk''Ka''s neck spread out in an instinctive threat display, then laid back flat against her neck. For her part, the yellow-colored Matriarch across the way also had a similarly brief flutter of neck-feathers which betrayed her own anger.


    The two Karnakians paced closer to each other, and Oscar half expected to see them start to circle and get ready to throw down.


    "[The Matriarchs have never met in person before,]" said Hrathra. "[This is a historic moment, regardless of the outcome.]"


    "Hopefully not too historic," muttered Oscar.


    The Dorarizin crew spaced themselves out in an obvious skirmish line between the two Karnakian parties...with one notable brown-furred exception.


    "Where''s your girlfriend?" asked Maria.


    Oscar smiled. "She''s somewhere around there, getting ready to do a ninja attack if somebody acts up. I still don''t know how somebody that big can vanish so well."


    Rgrarshok moved to the exact center of the atrium, then turned to address each of the posturing Karnakians. "[We are recording this meeting, but our records will be held secret as requested by both parties. My team is acting as a mediator for this conflict. I trust there will be no issues?]"


    "[None on my part,]" replied Ck''Trrk''Ka. "[As for Ma''elge''yk, I would advise you to be on your guard. Who can say what sort of schemes she has planned?]"


    "[May you always nest in darkness, Ck''trrk''Ka]" said the other Matriarch. She bowed, and even though he was a human Oscar picked up the sarcasm implied in the alien gesture. "[I see you are the first to resort to insults.]"


    "[At least I''m up front about my feelings, you wretch! Admit that you possess stolen property! GIVE ME BACK TA''IRRL''QC''S CLAW!]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka gestured behind her, and from that entrance Ter''yeik came slouching out. He wasn''t in chains, but from his shuffling posture and downcast head he might as well be.


    The coppery Matriarch turned back to face her foe. "[This fool has admitted that he goaded Tk''rii''na and Ka''iirt into stealing our most sacred object. He intended it to be a simulated robbery, however those two made it a real one. But you know this already, don''t you? Bring those miscreants forward, AND bring me the Claw!]" Her feathers began to rise in fresh rage.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Ma''elge''yk''s front pair of eyes narrowed at Ck''Trrk''Ka''s last imperious chirp. "[Would it surprise you to know that I had no idea of what had happened until you insisted I bring those two?]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka''s feathers subsided. "[What?]"


    "[I am being nothing but honest with you, which is more than you deserve.]" Ma''elge''yk turned and made an imperious gesture of her own.


    The gray-feathered Karnakian that emerged into the atrium wasn''t in chains either, but he walked forward as if he expected to break into shards at any moment. He held his arms against his stomach in a way that Oscar recognized all too well.


    The detective stopped strumming his guitar. "That poor bastard''s been beaten on."


    Maria gave a little gasp. "You think so?"


    "[[Oscar] is correct,]" said Resh''skk. "[I''m guessing he''s taken a lot of body blows, perhaps some joint manipulation. Nothing that would leave a mark or do permanent damage.]"


    Oscar saw Rgrarshok''s paws clench into fists and knew that the Captain had come to the same conclusion.


    Ma''elge''yk pointed at the deck beside her, and the gray Karnakian flopped forward onto his belly on the indicated spot. Oscar winced and felt a sympathy pang in his chest. He''d only gotten one really good beating during his previous career, but it had taken weeks before he could so much as breathe without hurting.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka lowered her head in a way that looked like a bull getting ready to charge. "[Where is Ka''iirt? You will present her immediately or this meeting is at an end!]"


    "[Patience, dear Reverend Mother.]" The yellow Matriarch nudged the prone Karnakian with one foot. "[Well, Tk''rii''na? Tell your former Reverend Mother where your paramour is.]"


    Tk''rii''na mumbled something too softly for the camera drones to pick up.


    "[Louder!]" shrieked Ma''elge''yk.


    He raised his snout and gave a despairing cry. "[She stole the Claw from me on our way here! She''s vanished, I don''t know where she is, but Ka''iirt still has Ta''Irrl''qc''s Claw!]"


    The Dorarizin on the display froze while those in the rec lounge stared in shock.


    Oscar stopped his plinking. "Aw, crapola."


    Ma''elge''yk gestured in a ''there it is'' way down at the sobbing gray form. "[You see? He showed up at our temple claiming to be a refugee from your accursed Sect and that he''d seen the error of his ways. He never mentioned taking part in any theft. We welcomed him into our group and started him anew on the path of true enlightenment.]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka let forth an annoyed grumble. "[You wouldn''t know true enlightenment if it pulled your tail-feathers off.]" She took a few careful steps towards the prostrate Karnakian. "[Tk''rii''na, you and I have had our differences but I am willing to forgive that...]"


    Ma''elge''yk gave a derisive snort, and Ck''Trrk''Ka glared up at her for a moment before continuing.


    "[Help us, please. The Final Sutra is now loosed upon the universe for all to see. Surely you don''t want that.]"


    The miserable Karnakian shook his snout. "|My help is worthless. All I can tell you is that Ka''iirt was the real instigator. She poured honeyed words into Ter''yeik''s ears, convincing him of the necessity to ''pretend'' to steal the Claw. For me Ka''iirt used more, er, direct methods.]"


    "[You knew from the start that the two of you would truly steal the Claw?]" asked Ck''Trrk''Ka.


    He gave a slow nod of his crest. "[I confess to taking shameful delight in tricking Ter''yeik...while never imagining that Ka''iirt was tricking me just as much.}"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka stared into space with a lowered crest and a haunted look in her eyes. "[So we must continue our hunt and track down Ka''irrt. She seemed to be a promising student, if a bit shy and reserved.]" She shook herself out of her musing and glared again at Ma''elge''yk. "[You do realize we''ll need more evidence than this?|"


    "|Of course. Interrogate him yourself, and don''t spare him any pain on my account. I''m still angry he didn''t tell us the truth until you arrived.|"


    Rgrarshok stepped forward again. "[May I remind everyone that this is still officially a Senate investigation. If I hear or see so much as ONE more hint of torture I will take personal charge of this entire matter and pursue every  infraction as I see fit. Trust me when I say that neither of you want that.]"


    She pointed a finger at the cowering figure of Tk''rii''na. "[That man is a key suspect in my investigation and I am taking charge of him. Right. Now.]" The Captain peeled back her lips and showed both Matriarchs all of her teeth. "[Unless someone would like to complain about that? Anyone?]"


    The Matriarchs might be blinded by their hatred for each other but they weren''t idiots. Both of them gave hasty nods of their crests while Ma''elge''yk made as if to nudge the gray Karnakain again. She stopped with her foot halfway to his body, looked up at the grim-faced Captain, and settled her toe-claw back down without touching him.


    Rgrarshok sighed and spoke in a more gentle tone. "[[Tk''rii''na], do you have any idea where [Ka''irrt] might have gone?]"


    He didn''t speak, just shook his crest in a negative.


    "[All right. I''m taking you to my ship, we''ll have our medic look you over and perform a more detailed questioning there.]"


    Tk''rii''na shuddered, and in response Rgrarshok spoke even more quietly.


    "[We''ll just ask questions, all right? You might know something important and not realize it.]" The Captain looked up towards one of the floating camera drones. "[Kgrashak and [Oscar], meet us in the hangar.]"


    Ma''elge''yk raised her crest. "[You would involve a [human] in an internal Karnakian affair?]"


    Rgrarshok narrowed her purple eyes. "[You know of him?]"


    "[I make it my business to know everything about the people I meet. I''m surprised you trust a primitive to run about loose on your ship. Or perhaps you merely use him as a distraction?]"


    Rgrarshok didn''t reply. Instead, she walked over to Tk''rii''na and gently pulled him to his feet.


    "That''s bullshit," said Maria. "You were the one who nailed Teriyaki. Why doesn''t the Captain correct her?"


    "Because she wants them to underestimate me," said Oscar. "And so do I."


    As the Captain began to lead Tk''rii''na away, Ma''elge''yk chirped up again. "[Hold! That creature has brought dishonor to our Path. I insist on being present for his questioning.]"


    "[As do I!]" chirped Ck''Trrk''Ka.


    The Captain performed The Migraine Salute as she gently rubbed her temple with her free hand. "[Okay. You may both be present at Tk''rii''na''s questioning, but only the two of you. No guards. And if either of you so much as raise your voice to me or to each other during my questioning I will invite you both to watch the proceedings from inside our lovely and spacious airlock.]"


    <hr>


    Ma''elge''yk stopped dead as she settled eyes upon Oscar. She was halfway out of her own shuttlecraft; letting the latter land in the Claw''s hangar was a necessary allowance since there was no way they could put the two Matriarchs in the same shuttle. That would just end in a lot of blood and many loose feathers.


    The 34<sup>th</sup> Path Matriarch continued to stare at him for a long moment while Oscar realized, to some mild surprise, that being stared at by an apex predator didn''t trigger a ''flee for the hills'' response in him as it used to. It seemed that humans could get used to almost anything.


    "[What an amazing sight,]" she murmured.


    "Yeah, yeah, humans got a sparkly soul, heard it before. You go stand over there."


    Ck''Trrk''Ka emerged from the Claw''s shuttlecraft parked on the other side of the deck, and Oscar turned to point at a spot opposite the 34<sup>th</sup> Path Matriarch.


    "Ma''am, you go and stand there please."


    He looked up at Kgrashak, and the ship''s medic nodded. "[We''re ready, [Oscar].]"


    He glared at each Matriarch, then hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the dull metal sphere of the security drone hovering behind him. "Okay, ladies. This here''s Junior. He takes it unkindly if anyone comes towards me, and he''s got lots of tasers and nano-net guns with which to express his displeasure. So I''m gonna stand next to Mr. Gray Boy while Kate does her exam and while the Captain talks to him. If either of you get all antsy and approach, he''s gonna take that movement as a threat to my person. Understand?"


    He got two reluctant nods in response. Oscar knew that Myyreh would not be happy with him for placing himself right in the middle of two feuding Matriarchs, but he figured it was a reasonably safe situation. For starters, there were only the two Karnakians to deal with instead of them plus their respective retinues. Second, each of them was trying to act as the ''reasonable adult'' while goading the other into doing something foolish. Oscar figured that their pride wouldn''t allow them to make the first attack. Not to mention that with him in the center there was no way they''d risk harming a human. Again.


    He also made a mental note to treat Myyreh to a nice long ear-rub session tonight as an apology for making her worry.


    While he mused, the Captain stepped out of the Claw''s shuttle while holding Tk''rii''na''s wing. She led him to the center of the hangar. "[This is our ship''s medic, Kgrashak. She''ll check for any serious injuries.]"


    Tk''rii''na still looked miserable, but he did seem to appreciate the attention as Kgrashak stepped forward and began to touch his chest with gentle paws.


    As the doctor and patient murmured to each other, Rgrarshok turned to Oscar. "[What did you make of the meeting?]" she asked in a lowered voice.


    He blew out a breath and responded with an equally low tone. "This is turning into an absolute clusterfuck." He nodded towards the gray Karnakian next to them. "If it turns out he''s telling the truth then it seems this Katy-bird character played everybody for suckers. Do you think money''s her motive? I can imagine the Claw would be worth a lot to the right people."


    The Captain gave a thoughtful click of her fangs. "[It is a unique item. There are certain unscrupulous collectors out there who would pay a great deal for such a thing.]"


    "Would the 33<sup>rd</sup> Matriarch have Katy-bird''s picture and DNA on file?" asked Oscar.


    She nodded. "[I already have Bgrarh and Egwreh scanning public records for [Ka''iirt''s] likeness and DNA. We should be able to correlate it with [Tk''rii''na''s] information and track her from the time she left him.]"


    "[I already tried searching for Ka''iirt,]" piped Tk''rii''na. "[I was hoping that if I could contact her then I could convince her to return the Claw.]"


    "[With respect, our people are very well-versed in this sort of search,]" replied the Captain. "[How is he, Kgrashak?]"


    The medic straightened up from her examination of his wing-root. "[No broken bones or torn tendons, just a few contusions. More painful than anything else, certainly nothing life-threatening.]"


    "[Bunch of savages,]" muttered Rgrarshok. "[They''re no better than the Inquisition.]"


    Oscar was surprised that the Captain would speak of a Dorarizin institution with such venom. She looked down at him with a half-smile at his unspoken question. "[One can be a Dorarizin and still object to their methods.]"


    Her eyes unfocused, and Oscar knew she was thinking of the past. Then she shook herself back to the present. "[Now [Tk''rii''na], let''s go over what happened in detail...]"


    <hr>


    "And she didn''t say anything before she up and vanished?" asked Oscar.


    Tk''rii''na shook his crest. "[No. That last night we nested together as usual, and when I woke she was gone from my arms, and so was the bag that held the Claw and its case.]"


    "[We might be leaping before properly cornering our prey,]" said Kgrashak. "[Perhaps [Ka''iirt] was kidnapped?]"


    "No, she did leave me something,]" said Tk''rii''na. "When I woke I found a note from her along with a crudely-made replica of the Claw.]"


    Oscar rubbed his forehead. "Talk about burying the lede. That''s the first piece of physical evidence we''ve heard of! Why didn''t you say so before now?"


    The gray Karnakian motioned with his snout towards Ma''elge''yk. "[She told me not to speak of it until on board this ship.]"


    Rgrarshok looked daggers at the yellow Karnakian. "[Is this true?]"


    "[Such evidence represents a great deal of leverage,]" said the 34<sup>th</sup> Path Matriarch. "[I knew you would interrogate him here and I wanted to ensure that I was present.]"


    "[You see?]" hissed Ck''Trrk''Ka from across the hangar. "[I warned you of her deception!]"


    "[True, and I warned both of you I was not going to put up with any shenanigans,]" said Rgrarshok. She pointed a claw at Ma''elge''yk. "[If that evidence is not in our hands within [sixty seconds], I will charge you with obstruction of justice and arrest you. I am not bluffing.]"


    The yellow Matriarch bowed. "[I have seen your service record, Captain. I know that you never bluff. And I also know why you object to the type of...physical persuasion that I used on that wretch.]" She settled her red eyes on Oscar and grinned. "[Does he know, I wonder? Have you told him anything of your former career?]"


    Oscar folded his arms and gave her an unimpressed stare. "Lady, are you expecting the cute little human to be shocked by someone''s dark past? You have no idea of the shit I''ve been through. And by the way, you''ve now got thirty seconds left to make with the handing over."


    Ma''elge''yk sighed. "[Very well. Consider this a gesture of good faith.]" She unfastened a side pouch from her clothing and held it out. "[It may not be the most pristine piece of evidence. I haven''t touched it, but other than that I can''t say.]"


    Within moments Rgrashok had the pouch in her paws while Oscar reached into a side pocket to retrieve a few self-sealing evidence bags. The Captain shook the contents of the pouch into separate bags while the pouch itself went into another.


    Once the bags were sealed, Oscar finally took the time to look at their contents over while Rgrarshok looked over his shoulder. The note was on a piece of scrap paper and was of course unreadable to him. The fake Claw was as Tk''rii''na had described, a rough copy of the real thing formed from some sort of red clay.


    He pointed at the note. "Can you read this?"


    The Captain peered closer. "[It says, ''This is the only Claw you deserve, you fool''. It''s unsigned.]"


    "[It''s her handwriting, though,]" said Tk''rii''na. He stared at the deck sadly. "[In the end, I was nothing more than a convenient idiot for her.]"


    Oscar bounced the bagged-up fake Claw in his palm. "Why this, though?" he mused. "The note makes sense, maybe, but this fake Claw bullshit is way too theatrical. There must be some reason she left it."


    He bounced it again. Something was off about the replica, something his hindbrain was yelling about. "Is this clay?"


    "[It appears to be,]" said Rgrarshok. "[It must have been air-dried instead of properly fired. It''s already starting to crumble at the tip, there.]"


    "Yeah..." Oscar bounced it once more, and knew what was wrong. "It''s too heavy."


    Rgrarshok tilted her head. "[Eh?]"


    Oscar held out his palm with the bagged Claw resting on top of it as he judged its weight. "This is too heavy to be just clay. Now you folks might not have noticed, seein'' as how y''all can pick up cars with your pinkies and whatnot. But this feels more like a metal in density."


    He held the bag up so that it was in line of sight of his drone. "Junior, can you do a scan on this and see if it has anything inside it?"


    A grid-work of glowing blue lines appeared over the fake Claw, then the grid collapsed into a single dot in the center of the clay replica. "[There is a metallic device buried in the middle of this object,]" said the drone in a monotone voice.


    "[Does it appear dangerous?]" asked Kgrashak. Her paws twitched as if she was getting ready to grab for Oscar.


    "[The object is quiescent at the moment,]" replied Junior. "[It appears to primarily consist of a Galnet node.]"


    Oscar felt the familiar endorphin rush from figuring out another big piece of a puzzle. "Shit. I was wondering if something like this would turn up."


    Tk''rii''na looked up in surprise. "[You expected such a thing?]"


    "Sure. See, if money''s her motive then Katy-bird can try to sell it to a shady collector. But it would be even better to sell it back to the people she stole it from. Which means she''s got to have a safe way to get in touch with us..."


    "[The device has reacted to this unit''s scan,]" said Junior in the same robotic voice. "[It is becoming active.]"


    Before Oscar could blink the evidence bag was gone from his hand and tossed into the far corner of the hangar. In another eye-blink his world went dark as he was surrounded by dual mountains of muscle and fur.


    "Pthah!" He spit out a mouthful of the Captain''s gray fur. "Guyth, theriously, ith not a bomb." He wriggled against both Rgrarshok and the medic as he tried to figure out which way was up. "Let me out, dammit!"


    From beyond his little cocoon he could hear an unfamiliar voice. It sounded a bit tinny, as if projected from a loudspeaker. "[Eh? What''s that? The signal! Ah-HA! Yes yes yes, it''s about time!]"


    Oscar made a desperate push in the voice''s general direction and managed to pop his head out from an area near Kgrashak''s armpit. He spat out more fur and looked in a hurry towards the bagged fake Claw while the rest of him was still swaddled between a pair of Dorarizin.


    A holographic projection now stood over the bag, a Karnakian with bright green plumage accented by a ''collar'' of yellow feathers around her neck. Her teeth were bared in a triumphant smile as she swept her gaze over those assembled on the hangar deck.


    "[Ka''iirt! You TRAITOR!]" yelled Ck''trrk''ka. "[We know of your crimes! Give back what you''ve stolen!]"


    The green Karnakian peered at the Matriarch, then bowed. "[I''m afraid that Ka''iirt is not my true name, dear Reverend Mother.]" She looked over at Ma''elge''yk on the other side of the hangar, then reared back and let out a trilling cackle as she raised her clawed hands in triumph. "[Both Matriarchs are present! This is glorious, truly a fitting finale to a crime [three decades] in the making! You privileged few are now witness to the greatest criminal feat of the last [five hundred years]!]"


    The Dorarizin unfolded themselves from around Oscar. The Captain held him off the floor with one paw before setting him carefully down on his feet. "[Rgrarshok-of-of-Ngraz, Captain of the Senate ship Furious Claw of Inquiry. Whom am I addressing?]"


    "[And there''s a [human] here too!]" said the projected Karnakian as she gazed at Oscar. "[Even better! The newest species will also be present to behold my triumph. My dear Captain, I shall not be so foolish as to give you my real name. But in due time all shall tremble when they hear of my deeds, of the crimes committed by...]"


    She paused, Oscar couldn''t believe it, the crazy dino actually did a fucking dramatic pause and looked around at all of them while she bounced on her clawed feet like a kid bursting with a secret. She clenched her hands together before screeching out...


    "[THE SILKEN FEATHER!]"


    There was a very long and utterly silent pause on the hangar deck, a quiet which was finally broken by Rgrarshok.


    "[Who?]"

 Chapter Eight

    Oscar took some pleasure in how flustered the Silken Feather looked after the Captain''s single-word question. The holographic Karnakian''s crest bobbed for a moment, but then settled back down in determination as she rolled on. "[It matters not if my fame has not reached your ears...yet. What matters now is that I possess an article of great interest to two separate Sacred Paths. I am willing to give either of them a chance to possess it.]"


    "[For money, of course,]" said Ma''elge''yk. She tilted her head. "[How much do you want?]"


    "[No! There will be NO payments or bartering!]" yelled Ck''Trrk''Ka. "[The Claw of Ta''irrl''qc is the property of the Thirty-Third Sacred Path, and it will be returned to us!]"


    The other Matriarch tilted her head the other way. "[Your possession of the Claw is only a historical accident. The founder of our Sacred Path had just as strong a claim to it, if not for your founder absconding with it.]"


    The Silken Feather tapped her fore-claws together. "[Excellent! It seems we have the start of a very profitable bidding war.]"


    Rgrarshok let out a clicking growl. "[May I remind the 34<sup>th</sup> Path Matriarch that paying for stolen goods is a felony. Even in Diarchy space.]"


    The Silken Feather''s yellow collar of feathers fluffed out. "[True, but that depends on where the transaction itself takes place, hmmmm? Forgive me, dear Captain, but I must cut this amusing conversation short. I wouldn''t want you tracking this signal, that would ruin all the fun! I''ll be in touch.]"


    The hologram winked out.


    Rgrarshok now performed the Migraine Salute with both paws at her temples, then sighed and dropped her hands. "[Kgrashak, [Oscar], please round up the team and meet in the rec lounge. I''ve got to report to the Senate and we need to plan our next steps.]"


    "[I insist on being present for any-]" began Ma''elge''yk.


    "[You will stay in this hangar and not move from it until I say so.]" said the Captain.


    "What about our boy Tarky here?" asked Oscar as he pointed his thumb at Tk''rii''na. The gray Karnakian didn''t look quite as miserable as before, and he even brightened upon Oscar declaring him ''our boy''.


    "[Is he stable?]" Rgrarshok asked the medic.


    "[He seems to be. I''d like to keep him under observation for a [hour] just to make sure there are no internal injuries.]"


    Rgarshok pointed at Frick and Frack. "[You two. Escort him to our sickbay and watch over him. Notify Kgrashak if he is in distress. I''m holding you two personally responsible for his safety.]"


    "[Now hold on! Those two are mine to command.]" said Ck''Trrk''Ka. "[I should be giving them orders!]"


    In response the Captain whirled with surprising grace for someone her size. She then pointed at the airlock door on the far side of the hangar. After that silent threat, she spun again on her heels and marched out without speaking further.


    <hr>


    Since Hrathra was considered a ''subject matter expert'', she was the only non-crew member allowed into the rec lounge for the strategy meeting. The Captain was still off making her report, and sent word to Egwreh to start without her.


    "[Bgrarh and I traced the Galnet signal from the...ugh...''The Silken Feather'' to somewhere in this cluster of stars,]" said Egwreh. The engineer gestured at the rec lounge display, which obediently projected a lattice-like array of pinpricks of light. "[There''s at least three separate colony planets within the cluster, plus the usual profusion of stations and habitats. It''s sparsely populated...call it about sixty trillion souls all told.]"


    "[Is it all Karnakians?]" asked Ngralh.


    "[It''s in Diarchy space, but close to their border. The population is a mixture of the Senate races...minus [humans], of course.]"


    "Of course," said Oscar dryly. "This might be a dumb question, but is it possible this Silken Feather character bounced the transmission through that star cluster from somewhere else?"


    "[She almost certainly did,]" replied Egwreh. "[Given a longer transmission, we might have been able to trace it further. But at least we have a place to start.]"


    Oscar gave the displayed stars a sour look. "Yeah, we''ve ''only'' got to search among sixty trillion people."


    "[Zis is still Diarchy space,]" said Bgrarh. He twiddled one of his waxed ''moustaches'' as he thought. "[Ze ''Silken Feather'' implied that any transaction would occur out of zhe Diarchy''s jurisdiction. Therefore she eez not here.]"


    Ngralh nodded. "[I concur. We''ll need to work it from the other end, when she was pretending to be [Ka''iirt].]"


    "Track her through ship manifests and such?" asked Oscar. "That assumes she didn''t have a ship of her own stashed and ready to go. It''s clear she''s been planning this for decades."


    The XO growled in frustration. "[If it were up to me, I''d just forget this whole affair and let the two Paths sort it out between themselves.]"


    He had just finished speaking when the lounge door slid open to reveal Rgrarshok. She''d clearly heard his statement, and raised one ear in curiosity. The XO just shrugged sheepishly.


    Oscar cleared his throat so as to get attention on himself. "What''s the word, Skipper?"


    The Captain walked into the center of the lounge. "[This has become even more of a political mess. Now there is a concern of an economic dislocation in both Blessings if these two Sacred Paths get into a bidding war for the Claw.]"


    Oscar gave a disbelieving laugh. "What, seriously?"


    "[They both have significant investment portfolios, [Oscar]. If they each try to pull together cash in a hurry, the resulting sell-off of properties could flood the markets and create a serious problem.]"


    Oscar rubbed his forehead and thought about what they''d have to do next. "We''re gonna need some additional manpower on this. Tracing that Galnet signal was a bust, so we''ve got to track Katy-bird''s movements from when she ditched Tarky."


    Rgrarshok looked at the star cluster in the display and smiled. "[Was our trace really a bust, though? Let''s think it through.]"


    "[Ah, yes, Cap-tin!]" Bgrarh began pacing in front of the display. "[We must consider zhe fugitive''s requirements for a hiding place. First, eet must be a planet or station that does not look too closely at one''s identity. Ideally, eet should be outside not only the Diarchy but outside of Senate space. Third, eet should have a thriving black market.]"


    "[Why that third requirement?]" asked Hrathra.


    "In case a deal with either Matriarch fell through," said Oscar. "She''d already be in a good place to sell the Claw without taking the risk of more travel."


    Rgrarshok pointed at the display, and at the unspoken command from her implant the star cluster slewed out of view. More stars whipped past until the middle of the display was taken up by a red giant. Alien text pointed first at the center star, then at a near-invisible speck orbiting nearby.


    "[Oh dear,]" said Ngralh. "[You really think that...he''s involved?]"


    Rgrarshok gave a negative flick of her ears. "[No. That one tries to stay out of affairs that could bring attention from the Senate. I''m sure the Silken Feather is just using it as a convenient base of operations. It''s close enough to that star cluster to bounce a Galnet signal through it. But he doesn''t know that she''s there.]"


    Oscar folded his arms. "Does this mystery man have a name?"


    Rgrarshok gestured again, and the tiny speck expanded into an arid-looking planet. The globe consisted of tan-colored desert with almost nonexistent polar caps. A thin band of green around the equator was the only visible vegetation, and that band was broken up by regular and perfectly circular oceans. The latter were clearly artificial, and Oscar felt the hairs go up on the back of his neck as he was reminded once again of just how powerful the xenos were. They sculpted planets to order.


    "[This planet is ruled by a [Jornissian] named [Sssnnathor],} she said. "[He''s old, over [eight hundred] [years] in age. I''ve dealt with him in the past. He''s a...what''s that [human] phrase...a nasty customer.]"


    "Is he like a pirate king or something?"


    "[No piracy,]" replied Ngralh. "[At least not directly. That planet is in unclaimed territory, so in theory the Senate has no jurisdiction there. [Sssnnathor] wants to keep it that way, so he walks a very careful line when it comes to actively supporting piracy or slavery.]"


    Oscar blinked in surprise. "Wait, you guys still have slavery? What the fuck for? It can''t be for labor, you guys have lots of drones and robots for that...oh. Oh no."


    "[Oh, yes,]" said Rgrarshok sadly. "[It''s not common, and the market for slaves is thankfully very small. Those who desire such sadistic hedonism tend to be older, which is one reason we discourage those seeking immortality.]"


    While they spoke, Hrathra slithered closer to the display and fixed her unblinking eyes on the desert planet. "[I have heard of this man, this Sssnnathor. He used to be a powerful politician in our Federation, but as he aged he became more cruel and was forced to retire. He''s quite the connoisseur of ancient artifacts, so I agree he would make a logical back-up customer.]"


    "[Zis is all still just an exercise of ze little gray cells,]" said Bgrarh. "[We should make sure of our hypothesis.]"


    "[I agree,]" said the Captain. "[That''s why we''re going to backtrack a bit and see what we can find out. [Tk''rii''na] has told us where this ''Silken Feather'' character left him. We''ll head there, collect what evidence we can from her departure, and then use that information to track her movements forward and confirm that this is her current abode.]"


    "Sounds like a good plan," said Oscar. "Let''s go kick the Matriarchs out of our hangar and get going. The Thirty-Third Path guys can hitch a ride back or something."


    Rgrarshok rubbed the back of her neck. "[Ah, yes. That was another directive from the Senate...]"


    Ngralh''s mane fuzzed out in irritation. "[No. No, no, and no. There is not enough ''no'' in the cosmos for that idea.]"


    "[It''s not an idea, it''s an order. They want [Ma''elge''yk] to join this...expedition, or whatever one may call it, until the Claw is in our custody. I have already spoken to her, and she has agreed.]"


    The XO stared at his commander in shock. "[You have got to be kidding me!]"


    "[I have to say I agree with them, Ngralh. {Ma''elge''yk] might go behind our back and cut a separate deal with the thief. Keeping her on board will mitigate that.]"


    "[She''s gonna want two guards,]" grumbled Ngralh. "[Because the other Matriarch has two guards, and we can''t have an imbalance there, oh no.}" He put his hands on his hips and stared off into space in thought. "[The First Pack alone knows where we''re gonna fit in the new quarters. We''ll have to squeeze in on the rec lounge...maybe the gym too?]"


    Myyreh''s ears perked up. "[The gym? No way! How are we supposed to remain in combat-ready condition without exercise?]"


    Rgrarshok grinned. "[I have faith in your inventiveness, seeing how you and [Oscar] keep finding new places to have your fun.]"


    Oscar and Myyreh coughed simultaneously and looked at the floor.


    <hr>


    The humans wound up among those invited to the ''seeing-off ceremony'' for the 34<sup>th</sup> Path Matriarch. Officially, Ma''elge''yk was going into seclusion for a period of meditation and spiritual renewal. Maria was still uneasy around Karnakians in general, but the invite was a not-to-be-missed opportunity to see some genuine Congretory Speaking.


    Oscar had already seen one of these during a Karnakian funeral. He didn''t quite understand her excitement, much to her irritation. He strolled along beside Maria with a carefree air. "I mean, it was nice, sure, but it was just a bunch of trills and such."


    She rolled her eyes as their surrounding Karnakians escorted the group from the Claw out into the main chamber of the Temple of the 34<sup>th</sup> Sacred Path. That entrance arch led to a gently-sloping stone ramp that ran down to a raised circular dais. Around that dais and under the dome-like roof, thousands of Karnakians packed themselves together into a feathered quilt of every color.


    "What you saw was like the first impromptu jam session of a new garage band," said Maria. "These are the professionals. Most of these disciples have been practicing together for longer than we''ve been alive."


    The group were directed to a viewing platform that overlooked the huge expanse. Ma''elge''yk already stood in the center of the dais, and after the visitors from the Claw were seated she gave them a deep bow.


    Maria replied with an equally deep bow, and after a moment so did the rest of the crew. She grinned in anticipation as she reached up and fished the translator bead out of her ear. As she pocketed the device, she noticed Oscar staring curiously at her.


    "Do it," she said. "The translation matrix will be useless anyway once they get started. It''ll just interfere with your hearing."


    "Why''s that? This is just a bunch of them singing together, right?" he asked. But he did follow her lead and reached up for his own earpiece.


    "No, I''ve heard recordings of this, their language changes when they speak together. It has elements that incorporate counterpoint harmonics, and they can fit huge amounts of meaning into a single musical phrase. It''s like giving an entire doctoral dissertation in one verse of song. Now shush."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Yes ma''am," he murmured with a grin, then fell silent.


    Ma''elge''yk pointed her muzzle to the heavens and let out a low trill. The first rows of Karnakians arranged around the dais also raised their heads and responded with a higher, more harmonic note which thrummed through Maria''s feet.


    Her breath caught as the song spread through the ranks of aliens, their feathers raising in time with the outward spiral of song. The harmonic logic of it was odd but utterly captivating, like a repetitious Bach chorale set to an alien key.


    She now understood the reason for the dome-like shape of the chamber''s roof; it acted like a resonant amplifier that made her bones shake with the united alien song.


    The meaning of that song hovered just out of her grasp, there were elements of frustrated longing, of recognizing the majesty of the cosmos and yet being unable to reach final communion with that majesty. She at last just gave up and lost herself in the song, swaying slightly to the syncopated beat suggested by the sea of bobbing crests before her.


    At some unknown signal, the whole congregation stilled. The chamber was still for a minute, then Ma''elge''yk lowered her muzzle in another bow to those present. She hopped off of the dais, and the Karnakians obligingly parted to make room for her as she trotted up the ramp and out of the chamber.


    Beside Maria, Oscar finally let out a shaky breath. "Holy fuckin'' shit."


    She resisted the urge to smirk when she saw Oscar''s pole-axed expression. "There''s a very old Karnakian legend that says if every Karnakian spoke at once they could say the true and full name of God." She turned and patted his substantial forearm. "But that''s just an old story."


    <hr>


    "|You will be in charge of the day-to-day operations until I return,|" said Ma''elge''yk.


    The Second Claw took another and much more uncomfortable look around the Matriarch''s office, which was now going to be his office for a significant while. "|But why make this trip, Reverend Mother? Our Sacred Path has been cleared of any wrongdoing. Let those heretics chase after their stolen property. We should stay out of this whole affair. It''ll make us appear as the more magnanimous Path.|"


    She reached forward and nuzzled at his neck, soothing his ruffled feathers. "|It''s not just about the Claw. Ta''iirl''qc''s Final Sutra is engraved upon it. One of our most precious secrets is now out in the open for all to see! Not to mention it''s a priceless opportunity to get ahold of the Claw itself.|"


    "|The heretics won''t like that,|" he replied. "|For generations we''ve avoided direct conflict between our Paths. Keeping the Claw would bring that peace to an end.|"


    Ma''elge''yk''s snout stretched into a sly smile. "|And if we were to perhaps gain possession of the Claw and then return it to the heretics? How much more magnanimous will we appear then in the eyes of the Diarchy? Or even the Senate?|" She rubbed her clawed hands together. "|That accursed Ck''Trrk''Ka will be forever and publicly in my debt!|"


    <hr>


    Almost all was well in Maria''s world. On the plus side she had been exonerated of a serious crime. More importantly, she''d been reunited with her beloved ¨¹berduffel. On the minus side the ship was now even more stuffed with crazy Karnakians. Poor Ngralh was tearing out his fur trying to keep the current housing situation from blowing up into an all-out dino-war.


    Maria had suffered through the divorce of her parents, and the current atmosphere on board the Furious Claw of Inquiry felt just like that chilly, awkward period which happens after the relationship is definitely dead but before one of the parties can move out of the house. There was a lot of double-checking by the Dorarizin crew to make sure that the two factions didn''t co-habitate the same spaces by accident. Meals had once been a communal affair, but now there had to be two shifts per meal.


    To her surprise, Tk''rii''na was one of the 34<sup>th</sup> Matriarch''s guards. Maria gave the mother of all double-takes when she saw him on board after their departure. She waited until the day after departure, when the two of them met each other in the main corridor. He gave her a stately nod of his gray-feathered crest as he passed, while Maria glanced around. There was nobody else in sight, so she reached up and grabbed at his arm.


    "[Eh?]"


    She began pulling him towards a secluded side-corridor. It was like trying to single-handedly tow a barge, but after a moment of puzzlement he allowed her to pull him out of view.


    "[Have I given offense?]" he asked.


    Maria let go of his feathered arm and glared up at him. "What the hell, dude?" she hissed. "Why are you here guarding that she-bit...the Matriarch? She had you beaten!"


    Tk''rii''na lowered his head to her level but didn''t meet her eyes. "[My sins are great. I have wronged two Sacred Paths, and I must atone. Not only in my heart, but I must also show external contrition and a desire to serve.]"


    She shook her head. "I don''t get you at all. Aren''t you scared she''ll hurt you again?"


    "[I was not hurt that badly,]" he replied. Now he did look up, peering into her eyes. "[And if I obey, she will have no cause to hurt me again.]"


    Maria swallowed hard. They were now almost nose-to-snout, and she could feel his warm breath wash over her face. She wondered what her ''soul aura'' looked like to him right now. "Sometimes people don''t need a reason, Tarky. Some people just like hurting others. I wanna make sure you''re okay."


    He pulled back his snout. "[Why should you care? I''ve wronged you as well, even if it was only indirectly.]"


    She summoned all of her courage and brought her hand up to rest on the pebbled skin of his snout, right above his fanged mouth. The huge creature froze at the contact, his eyes going wide.


    "I know you remember what it felt like when the Matriarch and her goons beat on you." she whispered. "Am I right?"


    Tk''rii''na let out a single wordless croak, then nodded once.


    "You felt helpless and alone, am I right?"


    There was a long pause, and he gave another single nod.


    "I''ll tell you a secret. I feel like that all the time." She stroked her hand further up along his muzzle. "I''m stuck in the middle of a pack of creatures who could end me without a thought. I know none of you ever would, of course, but my fear is still there. I don''t want anyone else feeling like that, not ever. If you need help, Tarky, you will let me know, won''t you?"


    Her caresses must have hypnotized him, because it was several seconds before he shook himself and nodded. Maria got only the briefest glimpse of his claws reaching out before her face was mashed into his chest-fluff.


    Before she could protest, his voice thrummed through his chest and into her body. "[I will. And I will also protect you, you have my oath on that. As Ta''irrl''qc said in his Ninety-First Sutra, ''The strong have a duty to protect the weak.'' Please believe me, [Maria]. I will die before I allow you to come to harm.]"


    Maria thrashed ineffectually, and after a bit Tk''rii''na realized her distress and released her. She spat out a bit of dino-fluff as she regained her composure. Maria didn''t have the heart to give him a tongue lashing for the unexpected hug, so instead she pointed a finger right between his first pair of eyes. "I''m gonna hold you to that, you twerp."


    <hr>


    At first Oscar was nonchalant about the Claw''s gym getting halved in size. Then he found out that, among the casualties from that change, the first would be the human-sized weight equipment. His protestations fell on deaf ears, so now he was down to using elastic bands for his strength training. The rest of the gym was taken up with two treadmills plus a complicated weight-training machine...all of which were Dorarizin-sized.


    "This sucks," he grumbled. Right now he was doing bicep curls while standing on the band to get more resistance out of the thing.


    Maria was doing a light jog nearby on one of the alien-sized treadmills, which made her look a bit like a hamster in too big of a wheel. She grinned upon hearing his complaining. "You could always use their equipment."


    "It''s not the right proportions for me," he replied. "Plus I might barely be able to use that thing at its lowest settings."


    "I don''t know what the big deal is with using rubber bands. Resistance is resistance, right?"


    He shrugged. "Yeah, but it''s harder to fine-tune the amount of weight. Plus the plates feel like I''m actually doing something, you know?"


    Maria wiped some sweat from her forehead. "The bands aren''t manly enough for you?"


    Oscar chuckled. "Hey, I''m perfectly secure in my masculinity. I''d better be, around this bunch."


    As if to illustrate his point the door slid open and Myyreh stalked in. Even though she was small for a Dorarizin, her body seemed to take up much of the gym''s unused space. She took in the reduced room and sighed. "[Um, how much longer will you be?]"


    "Almost done, just a few more sets," said Oscar.


    "And I''m done now," said Maria. She reached up and tapped the treadmill''s control panel, then slid off the end of the belt as it slowed to a stop. The treadmill obediently folded itself flat into the floor as Maria finished mopping her head with a towel.


    The two women then leaned against the wall and looked on as Oscar wrapped each end of the band up around his forearms and started doing squats. He tried to concentrate on his form, which was harder than it should have been since he could feel two sets of eyes on him.


    "I''ll be done in couple minutes, honest," he said in between reps.


    Myyreh gave a little rolling click of her teeth. "[Oh, take your time sweetie. I''m just admiring the view.]"


    "So you do like that?" asked Maria. "I mean, I''m a human so I''m supposed to find him attractive."


    "What''s that ''supposed to'' crap mean?" asked Oscar as he grinned back at the leaning pair.


    Maria snorted. "It means you are too old for me, Muscle Boy." She looked up at Myyreh, who was still staring with laser-like focus at Oscar. "You really are ogling him! But he''s got no fur or claws or any of that."


    "[True, but he''s adorably clever and cheeky.]"


    "You forgot to mention devastatingly handsome," grunted Oscar in mid-rep.


    "[Quiet, you. Over time I''ve come to appreciate the [human] form. Surely you are attracted to at least some aspects of us and the other races?]"


    "I mean, I guess so? You guys and the Karnakians are fluffy and give nice hugs. The Jornissians make great beds. But I don''t find any of you attractive in, er, that way. No offense intended."


    "[None taken. I''m surprised, though. [Humans] are getting quite a reputation for being adventurous.]"


    "Wait, what?"


    Oscar figured he''d heard enough of this particular conversation and with great ceremony finished his final rep and stepped off of the band. "The gym''s all yours, sweetie."


    Her paws settled on his shoulders as she moved behind him. "[You''re not going to stay and watch?]"


    "Nah, I figure I''ve ogled you enough in the past."


    He could hear the pout in her voice. "[Aww, but I like it when you ogle me.]" Her nose touched to his ear. "[If you stay I''ll do that thing with my tongue that you like,]" she whispered.


    "Well fine, if you''re gonna twist my aaaaarrrm." His last word wavered up in pitch as she gave his earlobe a teasing lick.


    Maria shook her head and pushed off of the wall. "You crazy kids have fun. I''m gonna go and ruin my hard work with some namptha balls."


    She didn''t get far, as the door was suddenly filled with a Resh''skk-sized blockage. "Reshy! Wanna go eat something unhealthy with me?"


    The big Jornissian poked his hood through the door. "[Er, I was hoping to work out but it seems there''s no room.]"


    "[I won''t be too long,]" said Myyreh. "[Just going through a little reflex exercise.]" As she spoke, she folded the rest of the equipment into the floor while Oscar pressed himself into the corner next to the door. He''d seen her do her this before and knew that she needed the space.


    Both Maria and Resh''skk watched from outside the room as Myyreh used her implant to call up several blue hard-light target spheres around her, each the size of a baseball. Oscar had once listened to an explanation from Egwreh of how solid holograms worked; after about three sentences in he''d gone all cross-eyed.


    Myyreh took up a crouching ready-stance in the middle of the ring of floating blue balls. "[Ready.]"


    The spheres began careening around Myyreh like a swarm of bumblebees on methamphetamine, and in response Myyreh turned into a blur of action. She struck at each sphere with the closest arm or leg, and every successful strike was accompanied by an orange pulse from the struck hologram along with a ''beep''. That metronome-like beeping filled the room as Myyreh beat the hell out of her holographic foes.


    Oscar leaned against the wall and felt a goodly amount of smug pride as he watched his girlfriend work for a few minutes.


    "[Second stage!]" yelled Myyreh from within the blur of hard-light holograms.


    Instead of merely zooming around, the spheres now began to teleport at random. Myyreh turned into a brown-furred maelstrom as she went even faster. Each successful strike now removed the offending sphere from existence. Within seconds Oscar gave up trying to keep track of Myyreh''s moves, and instead looked over at the door to see the others'' reactions.


    Maria''s eyes were wide as saucers as she instinctively clutched at Resh''ssk''s arm. The Jornissian, in contrast, had his hood tilted thoughtfully as he took in the simulated bout with a practiced eye.


    Maria had to raise her voice to be heard over the chorus of beeps filling the room. "That seems a little extreme for exercise."


    "[This is a standard program,]" said Resh''ssk with a tone which was just as thoughtful as his expression. "[It''s handy for when you don''t have the room to spar properly.]"


    After another two minutes of effort, the last of the holographic targets fell to Myyreh''s claws. She stood up from her war-crouch, perhaps breathing a little more deeply than usual but otherwise showing no signs of stress.


    "[Where did you train?]" asked Resh''skk. "[You must have been with a front-line unit.]"


    Myyreh paused, then shrugged as if to say the Hell with it. "[Grnar''gh''s Growlers.]"


    The Jornissian''s hood spread out, an indication of shock. "[Oh. So you were one of those who survived...]"


    "[That''s right.]" Myyreh''s interruption was her only outward sign of stress; her voice and face were otherwise calm. "[How about you? You were in special forces too, I''ll wager.]"


    "[Admiral Var¡¯Shrak''s personal team,]" replied Resh''skk.


    "[He''s a hard-charger,]" said Myyreh. She gestured to the center of the gym as she walked over to Oscar. "[Have a go, if you like.]"


    Resh''skk gave her a very respectful bow of his hood and slithered into the center of the room. He coiled himself into a tight and complicated knot. "[Reset to second stage, please.]"


    Myyreh folded her arms and gave a skeptical little wurf as the Jornissian became suddenly surrounded by a swarm of blue orbs. They blinked to random points in space around his coiled body as he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.


    Then he spoke a single word. "[Ready.]"


    Oscar had the briefest glimpse of Resh''skk''s long body exploding outward, whipping around in all directions towards every sphere at once...


    The gym resounded with overlapping beeps which merged into one angry blatt of sound. Resh''skk then spun to a stop in the center of the room with a smug grin on his snout.


    Every single holographic target was gone.


    Myyreh let out a barking laugh. "[Show-off.]"


    The Jornissian bowed again. "[Just a cute little party trick, nothing more. It''s a pity there''s no room on the ship to properly spar.]"


    "[Agreed,]" replied Myyrah. "[Perhaps we can have a session some time in the future?]"


    "[It''s a date,]" said Resh''skk.


    <hr>


    "[Hey, do you want to talk about it?]"


    "{Hmm?}" Myyreh had been staring at the ceiling for a while without really seeing it. Instead she''d seen faces from her past...and one face in particular she hadn''t thought about for a long time. She could still imagine with laser-like clarity his cheeky grin and carefree air...an attitude, she realized, that matched [Oscar''s] quite well.


    She looked down at the small creature nestled into her chest. "{Talk about what?}"


    "[Don''t [play with your prey], you know damned well what I mean.]"


    With a caution resulting from long practice Myyreh hugged him closer and mashed his tiny head under her chin. [Oscar''s] scent washed over her, a complex m¨¦lange of individual smells which filled her head.


    There was her own residual scent, of course, along with those of her pack. It told her hind brain in no uncertain terms that [Oscar] was hers. Under that top-level information was ''his'' scent with its own interleaving mix that told her that he was sleepy (as usual), that he was healthy, that he was mostly happy. There was a sour little tang in there that she knew came from him worrying about her.


    When she''d first smelled [Oscar], she''d had the same reaction as any other Dorarizin; namely, she thought he smelled like a pup. But over time she''d come to realize how wrong that first impression was.


    [Humans] had a clean smell, but one that was much more complex than that of any Dorarizin child. There were layers and nuances to a [human''s] scent that made them endlessly fascinating and, of course, endlessly adorable.


    She realized she hadn''t said anything in response to his questioning. "{I don''t want to burden you with it.}"


    And that was the truth, even if he didn''t have the nose to properly smell her sincerity. Her new lover was such a precious little thing, he didn''t deserve to know how nasty the galaxy could be.


    In response [Oscar] nuzzled himself further into the nape of her neck, an action that made her heart melt. "[I know what you''re thinking.]"


    She smiled at his presumption. "{Do you, now.}"


    "[You''re still thinking of me as some cute creature you have to protect. But I''m not a kid.]"


    "{I know.}"


    "[Do you really?]" [Oscar] wormed himself upward to stare into her eyes. "[I know that you know it up here.]" He reached up and poked her forehead, right between her eyes. "[But do you know it here?}" His finger came down and booped the tip of her nose.


    He followed up the boop with a little kiss in the same place. "[I''ve been in the shit. I''ve had good friends die. I had half my leg blown off, for [First Pack''s]-sake, so I know a thing or two about combat stress and how hard it is to leave all that behind. I''m not gonna press, but just know that if you need to talk I''m here for you.]"


    He nestled himself back into her neck. Myyreh felt tears begin to sting her eyes as her arms lovingly crushed his smaller figure into her chest fur.


    "{Do you know what you mean to me?}" she whispered.


    "[I hope so. But I can be kinda dumb sometimes, so tell me anyway.]"


    For a long while there was only the sound of their matched breathing. Myyreh finally broke the silence. "{I...was with somebody. He died, of course, along with most of the others in my unit. I think you''d have liked him, he was a real smart-ass like you.}"


    [Oscar] didn''t respond, he merely waited in companionable stillness for her to continue.


    "{One day, I may tell you the details of that action. Or I might not. I''ve spent a long time trying to put it behind me. And mostly I''ve succeeded. Mostly. I joined Rgrarshok''s pack and was able to integrate with them in almost every way. There was only one thing I couldn''t do, and that was be...physical with any of them.}"


    Myyreh plucked him away from the crook of her neck and held him suspended right over her face. She felt her heart swell anew as she saw no fear in his eyes, just concern and love. "{And then you came along, you cheeky little [monkey]. With that cute little smile of yours, that laugh, that way you face down the universe in spite of your fears. All of that, all of you, it blew right through my defenses.}"


    She mashed her forehead right up into his chest. "{So do me a favor and don''t die, okay? I can''t go through that again.}"


    She felt his arms go up around her head and gently stroke around her ears. "[I promise. Even if the forces of [The Underworld] bar the way, I''ll always come back to you.]"

 Chapter Nine

    The deep red sunset reflected off of a pair of bright silver eyes. That unblinking gaze looked over a large hexagonal foundation of concrete that spread out on the red desert sands. Those sands marched in regular dun-colored formations towards the distant horizon. With a sigh, Sssnnathor turned and moved away from the balcony overlooking the construction site.


    Nerlharg-of-Aergh, his white-furred Dorarizin second in command, straightened up as the mottled blue-and-black figure of the tyrant slithered towards the holographic tank in the center of the room. Nerlharg had survived in Sssnnathor''s employ for many years through being exquisitely tuned to the Jornissian''s moods, and he knew that this particular sigh was not a happy one.


    "[What''s the problem, Excellency?]"


    "<The size still isn''t right. Show me the final rendering.>"


    Nerlharg gave his equivalent of a shrug as he gestured to the circular display. Within the tank, a blue six-sided pyramid grew like an accusatory finger pointing to heaven. At regular intervals, its walls had a shelf-like set-back. Each set-back was filled with a green garden of trees and ferns which hung over each edge. The very tip of the pyramid was coated in gold.


    Sssnnathor looked the model over with a critical eye. "<Hmmm, yes. I''m afraid it''s too narrow at the base.>"


    His subordinate looked a little panicked. "[Excellency, the walls are a foamed metal-ceramic composite. It''s more than strong enough to take the loads involved.]"


    The ruler of an entire planet gave a hissing laugh. "<Of course it is. This is a matter of aesthetics, not engineering. The base will have to be expanded.>"


    "[But...we''ve already begun construction.]"


    "<I can see that! I have eyes!>" Sssnnathor pointed behind him at the balcony. He flared his hood out in imitation of a Dorarizin male fluffing up his mane; the ironic gesture was intended to take the sting out of his seemingly harsh words.


    Nerlharg bowed. "[It shall be done, but the cost may go up.]"


    "<Don''t worry about the cost. Worry more about chastising those below you for screwing this up. And make sure that their punishment is done in public.>"


    The Dorarizin straightened back up, his amber eyes puzzled. "[Excellency?]"


    Sssnnathor moved towards him and clapped his shoulder in a comradely gesture. "<Oh, my dear [Nerlharg]. You are very capable, but still have much to learn in the ways of keeping up appearances. By making this minor but annoying change, I will seem as nothing but the decadent fool the Senate thinks I am.>"


    Understanding dawned on Nerlharg''s face. "[I understand, Excellency. You wish them to dismiss this as just another pleasure palace.]"


    The Jornissian nodded his hood as he turned to regard the display once more. "<Of course. Now, let''s see...>" He gestured, and the base of the pyramidal building expanded outward, taming the hexagonal tower''s aggressive profile. "<I think that should be about right. Issue the orders.>"


    "[I shall. When the first few floors are complete, the second build team will begin the underground portion. I already have them primed and ready to go.]"


    Sssnnathor rubbed one edge of his hood thoughtfully. "<Start the second team now. Use the fuss of the foundation expansion to hide their efforts. I want that facility fully operational within [one month].>"


    Nerlharg bowed in mute agreement.


    "<Now, as to our other major issue...were you able to trace that Galnet signal?>"


    "[After a fashion, Excellency.]" The Dorarizin gestured to the display and the building vanished. It was replaced by a star map. "[The signal was routed through this star cluster to some unknown final destination. It was encrypted, of course, but based on the sheer amount of data it had to be a real-time holographic transmission.]"


    "<Not a simple email, eh? Perhaps it''s another operative sent by the Senate.>" There were already several such spies present on Sssnnathor''s planet. They were in no danger of being killed, of course, because Sssnnathor was the exact opposite of a fool. No, those operatives were worth their weight in gold to him. Each was carefully managed, much like one might tend a small garden. They were fed a steady diet of false information which was then dutifully passed on to the Senate. That information was used to present the picture that he was nothing but a decadent and decaying fool of a Jornissian tyrant, one concerned with only pleasure and amassing wealth.


    "[I don''t believe it''s that, Excellency. This signal was much too obvious. A Senate operative would be more discreet. I''ve contacted our own sources within the bureaucracy, of course, and they''ve heard nothing about a new spy being sent here.]"


    "<I concur with your assessment. Well, keep at it. If nothing else we need to locate the sender. If they have even the merest whiff of the Senate about them, be sure to isolate and cultivate them as usual.>"


    "[And if they''re not with the Senate?]"


    "<Then bring them to me in as unspoiled a state as you can manage, so that I may properly...educate them.>"


    "[It shall be done. Oh, speaking of education there is a new shipment due this afternoon.]"


    Sssnnathor''s hood spread out in pleasure. "<Ah, excellent! Any word on the make-up of this particular group?>"


    "[Two [Karnakians] and a Jornissian.]"


    "<No [humans]? Still?>"


    "[They are extremely rare, Excellency. And every one that leaves their planet is very well protected. Don''t worry, sooner or later we''ll get you one.]"


    The Jornissian sighed again. "<Yes, I suppose one must be patient. Very well. Hmmm, I haven''t ''trained'' a [Karnakian] in a while...I''ll see which of the pair strikes my fancy.>"


    "[And the others?]"


    Sssnnathor smiled at his number two. "[You''ve been working hard, and you deserve a reward. Pick whichever of the remaining captives you fancy, then sell the other. You may keep the proceeds for yourself.]"


    "[You are too kind, Excellency!]" The Dorarizin hesitated. "[The market is fairly tight right now. I might have difficulty selling them.]"


    The tyrant shrugged. "<Eliminate the other, then. I''ll compensate you for any loss. Now I must go and get ready for my new...guests.>"


    He swiveled his torso and slithered away at high speed. Sssnnathor hummed in happiness as he made his way down the exterior ramp and planned his afternoon. First a nice hot bath, to make sure there were no errant patches of shedding scale left on his body. Then...perhaps that red-and-gold jacket? Yes, that would look very sharp. He had to appear at his best, after all, when choosing the next lucky recruit for his eternal harem.


    Through his many years of existence, the Jornissian had come to the conclusion that people were much easier to manipulate than anyone realized. In the end, it was a simple matter of positive and negative reinforcement. These slaves would be scared and demoralized, lost in the utter sink of negative emotion. Therefore he''d start with the guise of a positive, benevolent ruler. He''d have them cleaned and groomed...with utter gentleness, of course...then led to a feast at his table. Then, while they ate their fill, he''d make his choice. His decision would cause the chosen one to fear anew, of course, so he''d have to balance that negative emotion once more with honeyed words and gentle caresses as he led them back to his nest-chamber.


    And only then, once they''d regained their equilibrium and felt safe...only then would he strike.


    He''d bind them, using both restraints and his own long body. Breath-play was something he took particular pleasure in, and he found such suffocating torture more than sufficient to reduce the strongest will into meek subservience. To keep breathing, they would do anything.


    And he would make them do anything. Anything that struck his fancy, for the rest of their life. If Sssnnathor had anything to say about it, that lifespan would be eternal. After all, it was only right to reward proper obedience.


    <hr>


    Ter''yeik looked up from his meal of gruel as he heard the familiar rattle of toe-claws outside his cell/quarters. He set down the bowl and assumed a properly contrite posture, with his head bowed and his wing-arms folded under himself.


    But the door slid open to reveal the bright yellow figure of the other Matriarch, Ma''elge''yk. His crest rose in puzzlement as she poked her head inside his small room. "|Reverend Mother?|"


    She raised a clawed hand in a ''be quiet'' gesture. "|I don''t have much time, and this lock bypass will only last so long. Tell me, why did you participate in the theft of the Claw?|"


    "|To preserve the Final Sutra!|" Ter''yeik replied with fervor. He gestured to his terminal, the only other thing within the cell. "|I have a more thorough explanation here...|"


    Ma''elge''yk made a gathering gesture with her hand. "|Give it to me.|"


    The former Second Claw didn''t hesitate for a second. He folded the terminal shut and handed it to the Matriarch. She snatched it up, and with her other hand poked at Ter''yeik''s chest.


    "|You may have gone astray but if it was for good reason, you might yet deserve forgiveness. As Sutra Two Hundred and Six states...|"


    "|...An abundance of zeal can lead even the purest of heart to ruin,|" finished Ter''yeik. He bowed his head again. "|I can only submit myself to the Great Mother for such judgement.|"


    "|Perhaps not only the Great Mother may judge you.|" Ma''elge''yk tapped the terminal against the underside of her muzzle as she thought. "|I shall read your explanation. If it shows proper contrition and clarity of thought, then perhaps you have a future that does not involve isolation and gruel.|"


    As Ter''yeik''s crest rose higher in hope, she withdrew and the door slid shut again. He realized with belated regret that, with his terminal gone, he now had absolutely nothing to occupy his time. Other than eating and meditation, of course. The Karnakian sighed as he picked up his bowl of porridge and resumed his meal.


    <hr>


    Maria was sitting in the mess and in the middle of another Karnakian translation effort when semi-disaster struck. The minor catastrophe came in the form of two xenos who shouldn''t have been in the same room.


    It almost went down like an old Western. Irr''''kttz (AKA Frick) walked like a mobile blue cloud through the door at one side of the mess, and nodded agreeably to Maria. She nodded back and bent her head again to her datapad. Thanks to Oscar''s presence on the ship, the Dorarizin already had the necessary high stools for her to be at actual table-height.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Maria kicked her feet absently as she puzzled through a tricky bit of interpretation. One of the poem''s stanzas ended in a glyph which indicated the rapture a Karnakian felt upon viewing the meshing of souls during a congretory speaking. But given that she had no idea of what even a single ''soul'' looked like to a Karnakian, Maria was stumped on how to translate that into the best human emotional analogue.


    The door on the other side of the mess hissed open, and Maria saw Irr''''kttz''s neck-feathers flare out in anger. She looked up again and saw a familiar gray Karnakian glaring in.


    "Aw, dammit. Hey, Tarky? Frick? You boys play nice, now..."


    The two Karnakians didn''t pay her any attention as they stalked towards each other, feathers frizzing out in random locations.


    Irr''''kttz''s jaws gaped open as he let out a menacing hiss. "[You traitor!]"


    Tk''rii''na''s neck-feathers were now flared just as wide. "[Me? Your fool of a Matriarch started all of this by allowing the unworthy to view the Claw...]"


    By now their snouts were nearly touching, and their foot-claws twitched with vicious intent. Maria realized she better do something right now or there would be feathers and blood...and maybe some viscera...all over the place. She drew in a deep breath.


    "HEY!"


    Both of their feathers settled as they peered at her.


    "Speaking as one of the ''unworthy'' in question, both of you settle the fuck down. You aren''t going to solve your issues now, and you sure as shit better not settle them here."


    Her presence seemed to finally percolate into their awareness, and she was relieved to see both sets of ruffled feathers subside.


    "[I''m sorry, [Maria],]" said Tk''rii''na. "[I didn''t mean to make you uncomfortable.]"


    "[Nor did I,]" added Irr''''kttz, and he bowed towards her. "[We almost put you in danger.]"


    "[We did?]" Tk''rii''na looked struck with mortal fear at the thought.


    Irr''''kttz''s eyes narrowed. "[Have you forgotten what started the whole mess in [Atlanta]? A [human] would be in danger even as a bystander to our fighting.]"


    Tk''rii''na stared at the floor in clear distress. He looked so miserable that Maria figured she should at least try to smooth things over.


    "It''s okay, Tarky. We humans have a saying, ''no blood, no foul''. Now, both of you come here and sit. I need some Karnakian input and I figure two feather-heads are better than one."


    The two aliens glared anew at each other. "[I will not sit at a table with this...traitor,]" spat Irr''''kttz.


    "You''re not. You''re sitting at a table with me, just as Tarky is sitting at a table with me. Satisfied?"


    Neither looked all that satisfied, but they did both take seats at her table. She did note that they pointedly did not look at each other again.


    "[What help do you require, [Maria]?]" asked Tk''rii''na.


    She called up a picture on her datapad, then turned it so they could both look. It showed the face-on portrait of a Karnakian with raised crest, but overlaid on the seated figure''s head was a brighter, nova-like burst of light with multiple rays extending in all directions. By clever overlays of color the artist was able to give a pulsing, shimmering effect to the static image.


    The two Karnakians brought their muzzles low to the table-top as they peered closer at the picture.


    "Is this a good image of what your soul-sight looks like?" she asked Tk''rii''na. "This was painted by a Karnakian, so I figure it''s gotta be close."


    "[Yes, I recognize the picture,]" said Tk''rii''na. "[It captures a little of the idea, although it does not move.]"


    Irr''''kttz tilted his head. "[It is also more ''flat'' than the real thing.]"


    "Okay, can you recommend something else? Maybe a video or hologram?"


    The gray raptor gave a shrug of his crest. "[This is as close as one may get with mere images.]"


    She rubbed her forehead. "But you guys see this soul-aura with your back pair of eyes. It must be some kind of image, right? I''m just trying to get some handle on what the ''real thing'' looks like to you."


    Tk''rii''na pondered the question for a moment, then scooted himself closer to her. "[Have you ever eaten a [t''''fala] fruit?]"


    "Of course not."


    "[That is wise,]" said Irr''''kttz. "I believe they are deadly poison to any [human].]"


    Tk''rii''na shot the blue Karnakian a dirty look, then continued. "[Thus I can only use words to try and communicate to you the experience of eating one. I could, for example, say that it is sweet mixed with a salty tang. I can say that the after-taste of it is slightly metallic, but in a way that is surprisingly addictive.]"


    Irr''''kttz now looked wistful, which was a strange expression to see on the face of a giant predator. He also began edging himself around the other side of the table towards Maria. "[There is also the emotional part of the description. I and my clutch-mates used to beg for [t''''falas] from our parents, and it was always a happy day when they relented.]"


    This time, Tk''rii''na didn''t look irritated. "[Yes, that''s a good point. We can tell you all of these things, and trust that the translator matrix will turn our description into something appropriate for your species. And yet, when all is said and done, our paltry words have not given you even a tenth of the experience of tasting a [t''''fala] fruit.]"


    "Qualia," said Maria bemusedly as she stared at the picture on her datapad. There was the merest brush against her shoulder, and she realized it was a feather. Then she realized that she was now book-ended by two Karnakians snuggling ever closer on either side.


    "Er, guys? Personal space." Not that she had anything against a hug or two, but she did not want to be stuck in the middle if these two got into another spat. Both Tk''rii''na and Irr''''kttz made a slight movement away from Maria that had almost no effect on their actual position. She decided to leave off pressing the issue for now.


    "[What does [qualia] mean?]" asked Tk''rii''na. "[That term does not translate very well.]"


    "Really? Okay. I only know it from a intro to philosophy course I took in college. Qualia are conscious experiences which are also subjective."


    "[Like pain?]" asked Irr''''kttz. His feathers brushed a little more firmly against Maria''s shoulder.


    "Not that general. It would be more like me experiencing the pain of a particular headache, say."


    "[What''s a [headache]?]" asked Tk''rii''na.


    She glanced up at him in surprise. "Really really? You guys don''t get headaches?"


    Irr''''kttz''s crest bobbed in thought. "[You mean a pain in the head? We do get those sometimes, but only in cases of extreme sickness or injury.]"


    "So you''ve never had a headache? Either of you?"


    Tk''rii''na''s arm-feathers brushed against her side. "[I haven''t. Are you saying that you''ve had a headache?]"


    "Sure, lots of times."


    She missed the dual looks of stunned horror as she continued. "Humans get them all the time. We get them when we''re stressed, or if we don''t drink enough water, or if we drink too much of a particular thing other than water, heh..."


    For a moment Maria thought she might be in danger of getting squished between two concerned aliens. "[Do you have a headache now?]" asked Irr''''kttz as both of them loomed over her protectively.


    "No! No, I don''t, and I''m not planning on getting one any time soon, so no need for...whatever you had in mind. Thanks for your help!" She made ready to hop off of the stool.


    "[But we didn''t help,]" said Irr''''kttz.


    "Sure you did, I know now that I''ll just have to imagine what soul sight is like." She grabbed her datapad and slid off the stool, then sidled with ''casual'' rapidity from in between them. Now that the Karnakians no longer had a human in the middle, the pair quickly realized they were almost touching feathers. Maria continued to back up as they bared their teeth at each other.


    "Guys? Behave."


    Irr''''kttz glanced at her. "[Of course. Sutra Eleven: Do not be the first to draw blood.]"


    "[I also follow Ta''irrl''qc, heretic.]" spat Tk''rii''na. "[That is why the Final Sutra must be kept from those who will not understand it.]"


    Two sets of neck-feathers began to fluff out in anger again as Maria cleared her throat. "I''m guessing the Final Sutra must have something to do with soul-sight. Can you at least give me a hint of what it says?"


    They both looked away bashfully as she sighed. "Fine, be all secretive and shit. How about this? Can you describe what my soul looks like? And don''t use the word ''sparkly'', I''ve heard that one before."


    The two Karnakians paced away from each other and then approached Maria from two separate angles. It almost reminded her of an injured wildebeest getting stalked by a pair of lions, but Maria tamped down her fear and waited patiently as they examined her. She had a door at her back, so she didn''t feel cornered...not really.


    "[I have to confess, until I met you and [Oscar] I had never seen a human''s soul,]" said Tk''rii''na. He looked almost shyly over at Irr''''kttz. "[You''ve known her for longer, perhaps you should go first?]"


    The blue Karnakian gave a shrug of his crest. "[If you wish. The souls of most species look...I believe ''stable'' is the best word. Their souls are like a bright flame, and they flicker at the edges. But they all have a central ''core'' that never wavers in brightness.]"


    He tilted his head. "[But [humans] look like a collection of sparks. There is no central, unwavering core. You look like a never-ending explosion of stars.]"


    Maria gave a shaky laugh. "That sounds kind of bad, to be honest. It makes it sound like we have no strong center."


    "[Not necessarily,]" replied Tk''rii''na. "[According to the Seven Rings, all beings go through cycles of reincarnation, with the last one a purely spiritual plane where angelic beings reincarnate into themselves endlessly. There is a sect of the Seven Rings which believe that [humans] are closer to this final cycle due to the appearance of your souls. They claim that visible ''lack of center'' means that you have shed more of this physical world than our kind.]"


    "[Don''t tell her that!]" said Irr''''kttz. He smiled slyly at Maria. "[If [Maria] thinks she''s closer to godhood, she will become even more bossy than usual.]"


    The joke broke any remaining tension in the room, and Maria threw her head back as her hearty laugh echoed through the mess. "You better believe it, Frick! I''ll make you all bow before me!"


    <hr>


    The Karnakian known only as The Silken Feather trilled softly to herself as she trotted along a gravel pathway through the park. It was a good day for her both externally and internally. Externally, the sky was sunny and cloudless thanks to the arid nature of this planet. She was also surrounded by a carefully manicured profusion of red and green vegetation. Sssnnathor had created many such pleasant places on this world, as a symbol of both his power and his generosity.


    Internally, The Silken Feather''s mind was awhirl as she tried to come up with an appropriate opening bid for the auction of the Claw. Both of Ta''irrl''qc''s sects were very rich, but it would not do to be too greedy. If she started with too high of a number, there was a risk that they would both just walk away and hire mercenaries to track her down.


    She snorted at the thought of anyone tracking her, but such an outcome would still result in less money for her. She''d then have to sell the Claw to Sssnnathor. While the tyrant was quite wealthy, he still only had one planet''s worth of resources to draw on.


    There was also the issue of Ssssnnathor''s ruthless reputation. She would have to be very careful during the exchange of Claw-for-money, since it was even odds that the Jornissian would simply kill her to reclaim his cash.


    The Silken Feather paused her musings as she heard a rustle nearby. Most would have dismissed the noise as just the local wildlife, but she knew this particular rustle was far too substantial to be such. Her stride didn''t falter, however, as she kept up the act of being lost in thought.


    When the attack came, she was ready. A blur of fur erupted from a nearby shrubbery, and at that motion The Silken Feather made a graceful leap into the air with her powerful legs. The Dorarizin attacker sailed through the empty air below her and landed with a much-less-graceful thud into the dirt.


    The Silken Feather landed in a crouch and surveyed the four Dorarizin who now surrounded her. Her original attacker rose and dusted herself off.


    "[Behave, sister. The Boss-Fella just wants to have a little chat, that''s all...]"


    Someone else not familiar with Sssnnathor might have gone along with them. The Silken Feather was very familiar with the tyrant, and so she didn''t waste time in replying or complying. Her implant sent a mental command to the nano-LEDs and other devices embedded in her clothing...


    For one brief moment, the park was filled with bright starlight and a wavering screech designed to disrupt and confuse anyone with auditory nerves. The attacking Dorarizin flailed about in confusion for only a few seconds, but that was long enough.


    By the time their senses cleared, the gravel pathway was empty.


    <hr>


    The Silken Feather had many plans which nested one inside the other like a clutch of newly-laid eggs. Plan A was to sell the Claw back to one of the Sacred Paths, and Plan B was to sell the Claw to Sssnnathor. Plan B was now defunct, so it was time to fall back on Plan C....namely, get the Claw from where she''d stashed it and get her tailfeathers off of this rock. Then she''d find a new base of operations and try to execute Plan A again. If that didn''t work, she''d resort to Plan D; find a new buyer. As for the latter plan, she already had a list of twenty likely candidates.


    She crept up along an outcrop of stone that overlooked the construction site of Sssnnathor''s latest palace. It was a logical place to hide the Claw, as there was lots of traffic in and out of the area. She hadn''t placed the Claw in the site itself, of course, as that would have been too dangerous. So she''d placed the small shielded container as close to the job site as possible without detection. It should be a simple matter of sneaking up, recovering the container, and running.


    The Silken Feather''s eyes widened in surprise as she peered over the edge of the outcrop at the site, which was about [half a mile] distant. She knew exactly where she''d buried the Claw, and as she looked at its location she was shocked to see a piece of earth-moving machinery parked right on top of it. Her gaze darted about as she took in the scene. It was clear that the job site now had a much larger footprint than before, and with all of the various workers now milling about it was equally clear that she had no chance to approach.


    The green Karnakian flattened herself back down against the stone as fear filled her stomach. Her prize was so close, but it might as well be on the other side of the galaxy right now. Then the thief got ahold of herself. It was clear that she''d just have to wait. She would wait, observe, and determine the scheduling of their work shifts. Then she could go in during an appropriate lull and retrieve the Claw.


    But as The Silken Feather watched and waited, it became clear that there would be no lull. If anything, the job site became more busy as time went on. She began to plan other methods...perhaps she could dig under the construction? No, there was nowhere nearby that was sheltered enough to start a tunnel. Besides, there was already a lot of digging going on.


    Her head tilted as she pondered the problem. Now that she thought about it, there was a lot of digging going on, and that digging was much deeper than she would have thought necessary...

 Chapter Ten

    Oscar leaned back in his chair as he looked at an image of Sssnnathor on the bridge display. The picture had been taken as the Jornissian was doing his species'' version of ''storming out in rage''. Behind him was a large building that looked vaguely Roman in architecture. There were a lot of fluted columns along the front of building, but of course ramps in the place of any sweeping marble staircase. Sssnnathor held a hand up towards the picture-taker, but still hadn''t managed to block his face.


    "[That was taken right after his political career ended,]" said Rgrarshok. "[He resigned rather than face investigation into some serious accusations against him.]"


    "Bribery and such?"


    "[Nothing so simple. There were rumors he was funding illegal longevity research.]"


    Oscar rubbed the side of his head. "What was so illegal about it? You guys have lots of different anti-aging treatments, not to mention you''ve helped us develop our own."


    "[He wasn''t interested in living a very long time,]" replied Rgrarshok. "[[Sssnnathor] was looking into methods that would allow him to live forever.]"


    "Good luck with that," snorted Oscar.


    "[It''s nothing to laugh at. After someone lives a few thousand years or so, they start to go wrong. Perhaps not right away, but it''s inevitable.]"


    Oscar gave a non-committal grunt as he looked at the frozen image of the angry Jornissian. "So do really old people go batshit, or something?"


    "[If the galaxy is lucky they merely go insane. If we''re unlucky...]" The Captain trailed off. "[Let''s just say things can get very eventful, very quickly.]"


    The human gestured at the screen. "Was his resignation when you met ol'' Snape here?"


    "[I''ve never met him face to face. I investigated certain sales of stolen goods which seemed to be connected to him. We never got any hard evidence, just rumors. The Senate has spies all through his staff, of course. At present he appears to have given up searching for true immortality and instead focuses on his own pleasure.]"


    "And, as long as Snape is just a decadent asshole confined to one planet, the Senate leaves him alone."


    "[Exactly. Now, what have we uncovered about our mysterious new friend?]"


    "Not much, I''m afraid," Oscar sighed. He erased Sssnnathor''s picture and brought up a still-frame from The Silken Feather''s holographic communication. Next to that image was a picture of the green Karnakian with her wing around the shoulders of Tk''rii''na. The pair smiled into the camera with evident happiness.


    Oscar began going through his summary. "In spite of her overly dramatic schtick, this chick is no joke. Her cover identity as Ka''iirt was damn good. We found all sorts of corroborating documents from the Thirty-Third path, but after a bit we figured out they were forged. We''ve got her DNA as well, but it doesn''t match any other Karnakian on record anywhere. Could she have deleted her original hatchling records?"


    "[It''s possible, but such a process would be very difficult.]" The Captain tapped a claw against her workstation as she thought. "[Some colonies deliberately limit their technology level. I suppose it''s possible she''s from a colony that doesn''t even use DNA scanning."


    Oscar leaned sideways. "We did find out that she had a ship stashed, just as we suspected. The Karnakian looking after it had no idea who he was working for, of course. She''d just hired him to keep an eye on it for a few decades and keep it maintained. Then two weeks ago she shows up, pays him a nice chunk of change, and takes off in it."


    "[When departing she must have filed plans with various flight controls.]"


    "Yep. Her new identity is um, this name. I''m not even going to try to pronounce it."


    On the screen the name ''Nk''''''traa''i'' appeared while Oscar continued speaking.


    "We traced Nicky''s ship through that star cluster. Her last known heading was in the direction of Snape''s planet."


    Rgrarshok''s ears twitched in pleasure. "[Excellent. Now we just need to figure out the best way to approach her hiding place.]"


    Oscar laughed. "I figure we can''t just go steamrolling in like we did on my first case."


    "[You are very correct. [Sssnnathor] could not deny us access, of course, but a Senate team showing up to a, um, ''neutral'' world such as his would create all sorts of questions.]"


    "Hmmm...Snape doesn''t know what you look like. Maybe we can pose as shady merchants?"


    The Captain clicked her teeth. "[Yes, something like that is feasible. Having such an eclectic mix of species on board might work in our favor.]" She let out a soft growl. "[For once.]"


    Oscar thwacked his head. "Ah, shit! I forgot. Silky knows what a lot of us look like. You even introduced yourself."


    "[True, but if we are discreet and deal directly with [Ssssnnathor] I think we can avoid her discovering that we''re around. Even if this ''Silken Feather'' does recognize us, she won''t tell [Sssnnathor]. He would be quite upset at her for bringing such unwanted attention."


    "Okay. But our ship has a transponder, doesn''t it? They''ll see we''re registered as a Senate team."


    Rgrarshok grinned over at him. "[Transponders can be changed.]"


    "Isn''t that kind of, um, really fucking illegal?"


    "[It is in most cases, but we''ve been given quite a bit of leeway by the Senate in circumstances just like this one. We just need to come up with appropriate cover identities for the crew.]"


    "For a start, Maria and I will need to keep out of sight," said Oscar. "Humans are rare as it is. There''s no way a mere tramp steamer could score two of us."


    Rgrarshok slid off of her motorcycle-like workstation. "[True. But it would be better if we had some plausible reason for you to be on board, just in case we need you to appear in public.]" Her clicking became almost dolphin-like as a grin spread across her face.


    "Captain? I really don''t like the way you''re smiling..."


    <hr>


    Sssnnathor hummed an atonal but happy melody as he pressed his snout against the tank wall. The wall material itself was crystal-clear, but the liquid within was murky with swirling nanomachines. Therefore much of the form inside the tank was obscured, but from what the Jornissian could see this latest experiment was proceeding very nicely.


    He backed up and slithered towards a nearby workstation, not slowing in the slightest as he ducked under its circular ''desk'' and then popped his hood back up. The workstation''s main display showed in numerical detail what he had just seen.


    "<I''m almost there,>" Sssnnathor whispered, an extra gleam of excitement in his silver eyes. Another few weeks and then he''d know if this latest refinement was everything that he''d hoped. Then there would be some repeat experiments, just to make sure. And once he was sure, he could transfer this improved process to the new and much larger lab now currently under construction.


    At long last his dream, the Great Work he''d been working towards for most of his life...it was now within reach.


    The door to the lab slid open fast enough to admit a sprinting Dorarizin. That was good, because what came into the lab was, indeed, a sprinting Dorarizin. Nerlharg-of-Aergh skidded to a halt with a screech of claws-on-metal.


    Sssnnathor raised one corner of his hood in an amused smirk. "<Is there an entire pirate fleet approaching the planet, my friend?>"


    Nerlharg stood upright, almost quivering with his intensity. "[No, Excellency, but I wanted to tell you right away. We traced that encrypted transmission to one [Nk''''''traa''i]. She recently arrived from parts unknown. Our attempt to capture her failed; she was more competent than we expected.]"


    Once upon a time, the tyrant might have lost his temper in a prolonged fit of screaming. Long experience with setbacks, however, meant that Ssssnnathor responded with a thoughtful hiss-purr.


    "[I still don''t believe she''s a Senate operative, Excellency,]" added Nerlharg. "[She was much too...flamboyant in her method of evading us. We did find the craft she arrived in, and have of course impounded it. I also have the spaceports under observation, so for the moment she''s trapped here.]"


    "<Very well. Do you believe your retrieval team needs restructuring?>" That was Sssnnathor-speak for do you need to execute some fools?.


    "[Not at present. They were simply not equipped to deal with her particular diversion.]" He held up a paw with extended claws, and there were tinges of blue blood on a few of his claw-tips. "[I''ve taken great pains to ensure that the next time they will be properly equipped.]"


    "<Good. I don''t want our people getting soft on us. Post notice of a reward for her capture, plus the usual bonus if she''s alive. Keep it off the public nets for now, just in case she''s listening.>"


    Nerlharg bowed and departed as fast as he''d arrived. Sssnnathor turned his attention back to the workstation''s display, although now his thoughts were on things other than the Great Work. After a while he shook himself and refocused. Nerlharg was a competent subordinate and a merciless hunter. He''d have this mysterious Karnakian run to ground in no time.


    <hr>


    Since there were now two humans on board the Furious Claw of Inquiry, their mandated alone-time requirement per day was two and a half hours instead of four. The OIH claimed this number was based on some complicated algorithm chewing on many decades'' worth of data. Oscar suspected they''d just pulled the number out of their collective ass.


    Apart from length of time was the issue of what to watch. Maria was in the mood for something historical and plotty, while Oscar wanted fighting and explosions. They settled on a decent compromise, namely Kurosawa''s ''Throne of Blood''. Toshiro Mifune was right in the middle of his sword-swinging freak-out at seeing the ghost of his murdered friend Miki when Oscar told Maria of the planned deception.


    Maria scowled and rubbed her forehead. "A troupe of traveling entertainers? This was the best cover story she could come up with?"


    Oscar replied with a grin and a few strums of his guitar. "It''s a better idea than you might think. We don''t have to get any fake cargo or manifests or any of that crap."


    She crossed her arms and huffed. Onscreen the drama continued to unfold, and she didn''t speak again until Toshiro Mifune had taken one final arrow to the neck and the film ended.


    "It''s easy for you," she said. "At least you can play guitar. What the hell am I gonna do?"


    Oscar pondered telling her of the horrible dark secret of the galaxy, namely that xenos found humans adorable. All she''d have to do is stand there and do nothing and she would still bring the house down.


    But telling her of the horrible dark secret of the galaxy could go one of two ways. Either she''d become even more bossy due to her newly realized Power of Cute or she''d get an even bigger chip on her shoulder. Neither prospect was pleasing, so he''d have to tread lightly in his suggestions.


    "I doubt you''ll be called on to actually do anything," he said. "But just in case, remember that you''re unique to anyone on Snape''s planet. I doubt any of them have laid eyes on a human in person. Why not recite poetry? You must know some old human epics."


    Her scowl relaxed. "That could work. Shelly''s ''Ozymandias'' is my favorite, but that''s way too short...I''ll have to think about it. Thanks for the idea."


    Oscar strummed a few chords. "No problem." He could feel her eyes on him and wondered if he had something stuck in his teeth. Thus far Maria had shown no interest in Oscar, which was fine by him. What he''d told Myyreh was true; their age difference made it weird to consider, er, ''dating'' her.


    "You were alive then, right?" she finally asked.


    He had a pretty good idea of what she meant, but he played ignorant. "When?"


    "When the Karnakians invaded. I figure you''re old enough."


    Oscar chuckled. "And here I thought I was hiding my age pretty well."


    "It''s not how you look, it''s how you move. You''re more graceful than most humans, you don''t bump into things or trip nearly as often. Now that humans don''t age like we used to, that''s about the only way to tell when someone''s older." Maria leaned forward. "Were you in Washington? From all the hints everybody drops, I figure you used to do some black-ops crap for the US Government."


    Oscar sighed. "It wasn''t that dramatic. Thanks to losing my leg I was ''officially'' out of the service, so they made me a contractor. First for Army CID and after a bit I sorta drifted into the CIA as an analyst and investigator. I was at CIA headquarters when we sighted that ship near Jupiter. Have you ever been to Langley?"


    She shook her head as Oscar reached over and picked up his guitar again. "It''s next to the Potomac river, north of the Pentagon. Looks more like a college campus than a top-secret government facility. You used to have to get through about ten different checkpoints to get onto the grounds, but now I hear they have guided tours through it. There''s a big auditorium separated from the rest of the buildings, and that auditorium was fuckin'' packed for days straight as we watched the feeds. There wasn''t much to see at that point, just a fuzzy dot. But things were tense, especially when the news went public. There were outbreaks of violence pretty much everywhere. Even a few people at Langley had nervous breakdowns.


    "Then the Karnakians moved, and we could see that this ''dot'' was actually a ship the size of fuckin'' Manhattan heading right for Earth. That happened just as the President started his speech. You could hear the entire auditorium do a collective facepalm when he had his unfortunate little ''hot-mic'' moment."


    Oscar strummed the opening chords from ''Proud Mary''. "After that, everything went right to shit in about ten seconds flat. A lot of our people were burning up the phone lines with our opposite numbers in other countries, trying to pool what intel everybody had. There wasn''t much to go around. The damn city was burning, so meanwhile I was liaising with both the Langley security forces and whatever local military units I could get ahold of. That latter was just in case the rioting spread towards us.


    "Fortunately I didn''t have to do much moving. I''d been wearing my prosthetic for about twenty hours straight by that point and my stump was hurting like a bastard. The vacuum seal on it had been going a little wonky for a week or so prior, and I kept telling myself to get it fixed...of course, once the Karnakian ship arrived I forgot all about that particular bit of maintenance. Apart from the fake leg I was also wearing an increasingly sweaty bulletproof vest in the event there was any gunfire.


    "Then we got word of the landing in Atlanta, and we stopped all our running around and stood there, glued to the TV screens."


    Maria sat up. "Oh, crap. So you saw it when..." She crossed her arms and tapped her own shoulders.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Oscar winced. "Yeah. That poor bastard. At least when I lost my leg I knew I was in a combat situation, he just...well, he wasn''t expecting it. Me, I was so hopped up on adrenaline it took me a bit before I realized I couldn''t walk. Anyway, after the first physical contact resulted in that, it was a case of us feeding strategic info to the local commanders in Atlanta and also keeping the JCS and CIC up to date on the global situation."


    "I have no idea what those initials mean."


    He chuckled. "Sorry, lapsed back into jargon there for a bit. The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Commander in Chief, the President. A lot of us suspected that something was strange about the whole situation. The aliens seemed to be very fixated on Atlanta. If this was an invasion, why not land ships elsewhere?


    "But I wasn''t about to question our good luck. Strategically we had the Karnakians bottled up pretty good on the ground and their mothership wasn''t resorting to orbital bombardment...so we began to think we might just contain this situation. Martin, my boss at the time, actually said out loud that it was looking up for us."


    Oscar gave a sour smile. "And that was right when the real invasion fleet dropped out of FTL and launched their pods. That, of course, lit up every tracking radar we had like a Gods-be-damned Christmas tree." He shook his head. "We looked at our screens and saw millions of the damn things heading for Earth. Then we looked at each other, and you could see the same thought on everyone''s faces. We were dead. I remember hearing a few sobs, but that was it. I''m kinda surprised there wasn''t more screaming or crying."


    Maria''s face was still and composed. "You didn''t know it was all a big mistake. You really thought the world was ending."


    It was a long while before Oscar finally replied. "Yeah, we did."


    There was another long, endless silence before he spoke again.


    "That''s the one thing you can''t train for. No matter how many exercises or tests you go through, you never know what you''ll do in a truly hopeless situation until you''re dropped in the middle of one. I¡¯ve heard that some people, even real hard cases, will just lie down and wait to die."


    Maria raised a challenging eyebrow. "But of course you didn''t lie down, right?"


    He shrugged, his face neutral. "I didn''t stop moving. But I kind of...shut down for a while while I went through the motions. I snapped out of it when we found out that three of the inbounds were headed for Langley. At that point we thought they were bombs, so I figured I might as well see the thing that kills me. I managed to hobble outside into the courtyard just in time to see them fall towards us.


    "I looked up and saw the pods coming down in a tight triangle formation, still glowing red and flaming from entering our atmosphere. We noticed they were all slowing down in sync with each other, which made us realize they weren''t bombs. Then the damndest thing happened. The pods split up, angling away from each other as if God gave ''em all a good solid kick in the side. The split was really messy-looking, too. It sure didn''t look choreographed.


    "Afterwards, we found out that was when the Karnakian admiral sent the ''stand down'' signal. At the time, there were three big parking lots around the facility. Each pod aimed itself for one. I guess their autopilots calculated that landing in the parking lots held less chance of harm than smacking right into the middle of the campus.


    "I was closest to the south lot, so that was the only pod I actually saw land. There was this huge spray of asphalt and earth and a few cars got tossed around. We all just stood there in shock for a bit from the fact that the thing hadn''t just blown up. I was the first to move. Grabbed the nearest few security guys and we all ran...well, they ran and I hobbled...for the crash site. Meanwhile I could hear Martin on my radio, screaming at whomever he could while trying to get some real troops and weapons to our location."


    Maria leaned back against the couch. "The military was too busy to help the CIA?"


    Oscar shrugged. "The Pentagon got bracketed with twenty pods themselves. I can''t blame the brass for prioritizing the military over what they saw as a bunch of analyst eggheads.


    "So we reach the parking lot, which had this new shallow crater in the middle of it. The drop-pod sat in the center of that crater like a huge metal egg. We lay flat, scooted our way forward, and peeked over the crater rim...just in time to see the Karnakian poking his own head out of the pod and staring right back at us. All we had were sidearms, but we shot at him anyway and he ducked back inside. From what we''d seen of Atlanta we knew nine millimeter wouldn''t do jack shit against his armor and shields. So we dug in as best we could, behind rubble or overturned cars. I got enough of the campus police there to establish a perimeter around the pod. From what I heard on the radio, the other two parking lots had similar situations.


    "Then we sat and waited. It was getting on towards dusk by that point, but I could see the Karnakian was doing something inside his pod...locking away his weapons, as it turned out. We found out later that he had enough firepower all on his own to turn half the city into smoking rubble.


    "After he was done safeing his weapons he stepped out again, real slow and easy. We finally got a good look at one of the invaders in the flesh." Oscar shook his head. "The xenos don''t like to show us images of themselves in full armor, and for good reason. They''re scary enough just wearing clothes, but when they''re armored up and you still can see aaaaall those teeth...fuck. I couldn''t see the two pairs of eyes thanks to the helmet, so for a bit I wondered if they really were dinosaurs come back to reclaim the planet.


    "But then he raised his hands, showing that he wasn''t carrying anything. I think we were all too shocked by that gesture to shoot at him again. He just stood there, looking around at all of us surrounding him.


    "I was halfway behind this smashed-up car, crouching next to a new security hire named Rockatansky. He looked at the alien in disbelief and finally stammered out, ''S-sir, is this motherfucker surrendering?'' I said that it sure as shit looked like it.


    "Of course, just as I said that the Karnakian moved towards me and Rockatansky. Still slow and easy, with his hands up the whole time. I had my pistol aimed at him, for all the good that did. He stopped about ten feet away from our car, pointed at himself, and then pointed behind me."


    "''Looks like he wants past us,'' said Rockatansky. I said tough shit and yelled at the xeno to stop moving. The dino took another two slow steps forward, and at his second step I fired. Hit him right on his helmet...which did nothing. I saw the spark and heard the bullet smack into some car off to the side. Made me realize that our own bullets posed more of a threat to us than to this damned alien. He stopped again and peered at each of us in turn like we were the most fascinating things he''d ever seen.


    "Then he reached out, even slower than before, and grabbed the car we''d been using for concealment. Rockatansky and I stumbled back as he lifted the entire fuckin'' car into the air like it was a lump of tinfoil. I couldn''t believe it."


    "He was wearing powered armor, though," said Maria.


    "Of course he was. It was still fuckin'' impressive. The Karnakian set the car aside like he was putting a quart of milk back in the fridge then took another couple steps forward. He did the whole pointing-at-himself-then-past us routine again. This time I looked in the direction he was pointing. It was towards one of the other parking lots, and I had a lightbulb moment as I realized he wanted to rejoin his comrades. I said as much, and Rockatansky responded with the obvious question of ''Then why they''d split up in the first place?''"


    "The emergency stand-down order had split them up," said Maria.


    "Yeah, I know that now. But at the time it was just strange. I could hear some crackling of gunfire in the distance behind us just as the Karnakian started to reach his hands forward towards the two of us. All of the cops around us were screaming for him to stop moving. Meanwhile I was yelling at ''em all to hold fire so that I didn''t eat a ricochet.


    "The alien stopped, looked at his hands, and then at us. He wilted a bit. Afterwards I realized he''d been told what had happened in Atlanta. He was terrified of hurting us. So instead he put down his head and he...I guess the best way to put it is he ''nuzzled'' his way past the two of us. Rockatansky and I got shoved aside easily, and we stood there staring at each other in disbelief. The alien started moving off, just trotting along.


    "I needed to regain control of the situation, so we all ran and/or hobbled after him and surrounded him again. He looked around at all of us pointing guns and yelling, and I saw him give a very human-looking sigh. Then he leaped over us, moving fast this time. I saw him turn into a blur and heard a thump behind us, and by the time I turned around he was already a good distance towards his destination. He left a swath of destruction through the greenery, and we all followed as fast as we could. Meanwhile I was yelling over the radio that the alien seemed to be taking care not to hurt people, and for everyone to hold fire to avoid friendly casualties. While I ran I started thinking through some crazy notions on how to contain the aliens. If each pod had a Karnakian, then maybe we could surround the three of ''em with a human wall and corral them that way. If we had enough people packed in behind that first wall, they''d be unable to jump away without hurting somebody."


    Oscar chuckled. "And then, right in the middle of my running and strategizing, my damned prosthetic finally came off." He made a little twirling motion with his hand. "I went ass-over-teakettle into the dirt and landed face-down.


    "I remember spitting out a wad of turf and saying fuck dirt, fuck aliens, fuck Earth, and fuck my leg in particular. I was also wondering why I heard the campus cops yelling from all around me. Surely they were still chasing after the alien?


    "I rolled myself over, still cursing like a soldier who''s just lost his leg, and as I went onto my back I just about shit myself. The damned Karnakian was right there, hovering over me. I guess he was worried that he''d hurt me when he''d shoved us aside. He leaned down and almost touched his snout to my nose. That was the first time I got a taste of how fast they could really move."


    Maria''s eyes were big. "Did...did he try to pick you up?"


    "Eventually. I was close enough to his face to see the four eyes behind the visor, which told me these dudes were never from Earth. He gave this little warble as he looked at me, then glanced back to where my fake leg lay in the dirt. When he looked down at me again he gave a soft trill, and I swear I could see such pity in his eyes."


    "Is that when you finally realized he meant no harm?" asked Maria.


    Oscar bared his teeth. "No, that''s when I got really fuckin'' mad. I sure as shit didn''t need or want his pity. The dino trilled louder and brought his hands around towards me. I didn''t want a replay of Atlanta, so I reached up and slapped him across the nose. Damn near broke my hand on his helmet. Told the Karnakian to keep his worthless goddamn hands to himself or I''d unscrew his fuckin'' head and use it as a fuckin'' paperweight.


    "He didn''t understand me, of course, but my tone sure got through. So he stepped back with another little trill of apology. Then he turned trotted over, picked up my leg, and trotted back. He dropped it beside me and headed off. I told the others to follow him at a safe distance while I tried to jam my damn fake leg back on. By the time I reached the other parking lot our Karnakian was facing his colleague while between the two of ''em was a whole phalanx of campus cops. Rockatansky looked back at me as I limped up to him and asked ''Where''s the third one, sir?''


    "I heard a lot of distant yelling, and from the direction of the east parking lot I saw this big, shambling mass coming towards us. That mass was the third Karnakian under a pile of about forty campus cops. They were hanging off of various bits of her. I guess they''d run out of ammo and now were trying to restrain her using their own tender pink bodies. They couldn''t stop her from moving, of course.


    "All three of the aliens were acting peaceful, plus they''d abandoned their pods and they didn''t seem to be armed with any weapons...apart from their claws of course. So I made a strategic decision and told the cops to let them through and link up. We weren''t gonna stop ''em anyway, not with pistols. A few of the cops hanging off of the third Karnakian didn''t want to let go, and so finally she sorta...brushed them off. Dislocated the shoulder of one of the cops, but otherwise the only thing hurt was their egos."


    "What did the Karnakians do then?" asked Maria.


    "They stood together and nuzzled each other a few times while trilling back and forth. Then they looked around at all of us. I was expecting ''em to try to get past us again and head for the hills, so I started to arrange our guys in tight-packed circles like I''d planned...but as I did they just sat down like they were waiting for a damn train.


    "We still surrounded them, of course, and aimed pistols at them as if that meant anything. For an hour or so we stood there. Then my stump got tired so I sat. Meanwhile I''m on the radio with Martin, and from every landing zone we could contact we heard that the the aliens weren¡¯t shooting back, they were all just milling around trying to link up with each other. They weren¡¯t even using the weapons we¡¯d seen ¡®em use in Atlanta. That''s when I began to realize that something fucky had happened further up the Karnakian chain of command.


    "I also found out the rest of our army was busy surrounding the other aliens scattered throughout DC and putting out fires. For a while we''d be on our own. There were a few grumblings about how we should jury-rig some Molotov cocktails and use them on the aliens, but I used my technically non-existent command authority to squash that shit real quick."


    "So you''d gotten over being mad?" asked Maria.


    Oscar shrugged. "I was still plenty pissed, but they''d surrendered...or near as dammit. The whole invasion seemed to be fizzling out. I wasn''t about to execute POWs, even if they were giant alien bird-lizards.


    He gave a sour smile. "Right when I thought we might live through this after all, my earpiece lit up again with missile launch warnings."


    Oscar strummed a few more chords of ''Proud Mary''. "It''s funny...that moment was worse than when the Karnakians launched their pods. Because this time we were doing it to ourselves. I knew what was coming. We were in spitting distance of the Pentagon and well within the radius of any nuclear fireball. There was no way we could reach safety in time.


    "I stood up, and Rockatansky knew something was wrong from looking at my face. He asked me a question but I never heard it. The Karnakians must¡¯ve also heard something over their own comms about the incoming missiles, because all three stood as one and stared into the sky. They let out this...communal wail? I guess that''s the only way to describe it. They sounded like a pipe organ in mourning.


    "By that point, Rockatansky was really freaking out. He had his gun out again and was yelling at me to tell him what was going on. What with his yelling plus the aliens acting up, the other cops were also getting pretty antsy. Finally Rockatansky screamed ''Fuck it!'' and aimed at the nearest Karnakian. I got the gun away from him, but he was faster than I expected and I had to break his arm while doing it.


    "I got him pinned him down on the ground just as the sky lit up like a fuckin'' flash-bulb. Fortunately I knew our comms were hardened against EMP, especially at Langley. But I also knew that the flash was just the beginning. That was the standard strategy back in the good old days of Mutually Assured Destruction, you know. Set off a high-level nuke to take out what electrical infrastructure you can, then drop the crowd-pleasers on ''em."


    Maria''s face was thoughtful. "But once again the world didn''t end."


    "Yep. Martin was on the horn with me in record time, yelling that all the incoming warheads were gone. The hammer wasn''t gonna fall on us, at least not that day."


    He shrugged. "There''s not much else to tell. I got everybody calmed down again, and for a while Martin and the higher-ups were way too busy to issue us orders. I wasn''t about to sacrifice anyone, not even some god-damn aliens, just to reclaim a fuckin'' parking lot. So we waited some more. Rockatansky sat there with a splinted arm and actually fuckin'' pouted because he wasn''t allowed to fight the aliens. It was about ten more hours of waiting around before the cease-fire was called. The Karnakians showed up to collect our POWs and their pods, and that was that."


    He gave a thoughtful hum. "I really should find out who those three Karnakians were. I could send them a message, tell ''em no hard feelings."


    "Is that really true, though?" asked Maria.


    Oscar''s eyes narrowed. "Of course it is. Why wouldn''t it be?"


    She frowned and waved a hand vaguely. "They invaded us, fer Chrissake. I figure you''d still be a little pissed off about that. You were a soldier."


    "Oh I was plenty salty at the Karnakian higher-ups for a long time after. They fucked up big-time in quite a few ways. But I wasn''t mad at those three dinos. They were soldiers under orders, just like me once upon a time. They acted honorably. Plus I knew right away that the Karnakians were the ones who''d stopped us from wiping ourselves out." He pointed at one of his boots. "And thanks to the xenos'' medical tech I''m now back to having the correct number of feet."


    Maria''s fierce look subsided as she looked down at his definitely-there appendage. "Oh. Yeah." She sat back on the couch. "So you won by not fighting?"


    Oscar gave a half-smile and shrugged. "I wouldn''t say we won. I just tried not to make a bad situation worse. Always remember there''s no situation so bad that you can''t make it worse."


    She hugged herself. "I hope I never need to follow that advice. I don''t know how I would react if I thought the world was ending. I''d rather not think about it."


    He strummed a few chords before replying. "You should think about it now rather than later."


    Maria rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I remember the lectures during training at Zephyr. Space is dangerous and all that."


    Oscar stopped his strumming. "It''s not just space. Life is dangerous. Sooner or later, everything is gonna go south on you. So reflect on that fact now and get comfortable with the fact that you just might die. Then when things do go to shit you don''t get paralyzed. You break the problem down into bits and do whatever bits you can. Even if all you can do is go down swinging."


    Maria didn''t reply. She stared off in thought while Oscar leaned back and began playing ''Proud Mary'' in earnest. He thought about their current destination. Oscar would never say so out loud, but this whole cover story cooked up by the Captain was probably a fool''s errand. The Silken Feather was no dummy, and if she got wind of the arrival of an mixed group of aliens that would be suspicious enough for her to flee. Oscar figured that she was long-gone already.


    <hr>


    The Silken Feather ground her fangs together as she peeked over the ridge towards the job site. The distant whirl of activity was somehow even busier than before. She was in no danger of running out of provisions at her impromptu camp site; she''d planned well in that regard. But her ship was doubtless destroyed or confiscated by now, and they would be watching for any Karnakian attempting to sneak off-world. There was also certainly a reward out for her capture or death, along with a detailed description.


    To help in her current spying efforts, she wore contacts with magnifying optics controlled via her implant. The Karnakian zoomed in her view towards the half-built walls of the pyramidal palace, scanning the area where she''d buried the Claw. Fortunately the ground itself was still undisturbed, but the amount of equipment and people parading over the spot meant that it was now effectively off-limits.


    For a moment, she began to despair. But she fought the urge back down with renewed optimism. She had been in plenty of tough situations before and she had always triumphed. This was no different. All she needed to do was figure out the construction crew''s patterns, determine an optimal time, then dash in and recover the artifact. Although so far there had been no optimal time that she could discover.


    She glanced over curiously at a new commotion. Workers towed a line of ten large cubical objects towards the base of one of the walls. The objects themselves slid along on gravity sleds, and they were all wrapped up in protective sheets. Each cube was large enough to hold several Karnakians, or perhaps a couple of Jornissians. The towed objects'' destination was an unobtrusive ramp dug under the wall of the pyramid.


    Five of the towed objects went down the ramp without trouble, but the sixth brushed against one of the walls next to the underground entrance. The scraping contact tore away the wrapping on one side of the object. The Silken Feather''s eyes narrowed as she saw that the cube was actually a tank made of transparent crystal. It looked like a cloning tank, but one much larger than the norm. She was pretty sure it was meant to clone a whole body, not just a replacement organ or two.


    She slipped back behind the ridge and trotted off towards a nearby cave. Once there she tapped her claws together in thought, then rooted through her possessions and dug out a small Galnet communications node.


    There was one possible way out of her predicament, but that way carried its own new set of risks. However, she now had leverage above and beyond mere possession of the Claw. She was sure that the Senate would be very interested to hear that the supposed ''old degenerate'' Sssnnnathor was right in the middle of setting up a large-scale cloning facility.

 Chapter Eleven

    Bgrarh loped next to Egwreh as they made their way into the secure area of the ship. The engineer was shorter than Bgrarh, so he automatically adjusted his stride to allow her to keep alongside him.


    "{The Captain didn''t say what this was about?}" asked Egwreh.


    Bgrarh shook his huge head. "{I was unable to pick up her scent, mon ami.}"


    They came to a door which did not automatically slide open on their approach. Even Bgrarh''s implant was useless; as far as it was concerned the door was simply not there. A large red-and-brown pile of coils sat nearby, and as they approached the pile stirred. Resh''skk poked his hooded head up from his coiled body and regarded them both with a curious unblinking stare.


    "[Thank Sotek''s nethers you''re here. I figured it would be impolite to just break down the door, even if the Captain invited me.]"


    Egwreh nodded to him, then leaned forward and tapped in a code on a keypad next to the door.


    "[Is this room what I think it is?]" asked Resh''skk.


    "{It might be,}" replied Bgrarh as the three entered.


    Beyond the door was a large room, much larger than the size of the door would indicate. The room was not very spacious, however, since it was filled with sealed crates made of nigh-unbreakable composite. The room also held the imposing figure of Captain Rgrarshok, the less-imposing but still substantial figure of Ngralh, and the wiry frame of Myyreh. As the door closed behind the newcomers, Bgrarh reflected that the room was now what the [humans] would call ''cozy''.


    Resh''skk looked around at the others with pointed curiosity, then stared at the Captain. "[I seem to be the odd one out here. Was I invited by accident?]"


    "{No, I wanted you here,}" replied the Captain. "{Especially since you have something in common with Myyreh.}"


    The Jornissian gave a thoughtful purr. "[Namely, that I''m responsible for protecting a [tiny-chomper]. Is this regarding [Maria]?]"


    The Captain nodded. "{We are on our way to [Sssnnathor''s] planet. Our current cover story is that we are entertainers. Among us we have enough talent to make that story plausible, but our real strength is our [human] companions. [Sssnnathor] will without a doubt allow us to land if he has the chance to see tiny-chompers in the flesh.}"


    Resh''skk''s hood flared out. "[He''ll want to meet them face to face. That means you are putting my ward in possible danger. I''m quite fond of [Maria]. I would be even if she wasn''t a [tiny-chomper].]"


    "{I''m not happy about this either, [Resh''ssk],}" said Myyreh. "{But we''re not only bodyguards. We''ve both trained as soldiers.}" She motioned to the crates around them with a meaningful twitch of one ear.


    He shook his hood. "[You are a Senate investigation team with no legal mandate to possess anything close to military hardware, especially since you have a [tiny-chomper] in your crew.]"


    "{We will no longer be in Senate-controlled space,}" replied the Captain. "{In those circumstances we are allowed to act with much greater latitude. We have the necessary mat¨¦riel here to outfit everyone.}"


    Resh''skk folded his arms. "[All right. Even if you can wriggle your way out of an Inquisition hearing afterwards, is this strictly necessary? I can get us another ship, a smaller one. I know a few black-market dealers who don''t look too closely at IDs if the price is right.]" He indicated Myyreh with his snout. "[The two of us can slip in, find this ''Silken Feather'' dipshit, and have her tied up and dumped in front of you before you know it. That way the [tiny-chompers] can remain on safely board the Claw.]"


    "{We do not have time to obtain another ship,}" said Rgrarshok. "{The travel time to [Sssnnathor''s] planet is already significant. Every day brings another chance for our prey to get nervous and vanish again.}" The Captain looked over at Myyreh, who still had an angry set to her features, then back at Resh''skk''s equally troubled face.


    "{I understand everyone''s concern,}" the Captain continued. "{Remember, [Oscar] is my pack-mate as well. The thought of him in any danger fills me with dread.]" She spread her hands. "[But consider this. In the larger scheme of things, are we doing the tiny-chompers any favors by coddling them? They''re not pups. Eventually they have to take their place in the galaxy at large.}"


    Resh''skk simmered for a few moments, then turned to Egwreh. "[What arms do you have available?]"


    "{What do you want?}" replied the engineer with a cheeky grin.


    "[Don''t play with me. If we''re sticking my [human] in possible harm''s way I want a full military loadout. Power armor included, 6<sup>th</sup> generation at a minimum.]"


    Egrweh''s grin grew wider. "{Oh, is that all? Sure you wouldn''t like me to customize some 7<sup>th</sup> gen gear for you?}"


    After another few moments of them staring at each other, Resh''skk responded with a smile of his own. "[Very well, Captain. We''ll play it your way.}"


    "{What do we tell zhe tiny-chompers?}" asked Bgrarh. "{[Oscar] will for certain figure out what we''re planning.}"


    "[I''m not lying to him,}" added Myyreh with finality.


    Rgrarshok clasped her paws behind her back. "{We will inform the tiny-chompers of our plans. I can hardly say they need to step forward and do their part, then in the same breath ask you all to throw them off the scent.]"


    Ngralh cleared his throat. "{But we should also suggest to the tiny-chompers that they remain discreet about this equipping. If it turns out we don''t need such weaponry, then no one in the Senate ever needs to know of our preparations.}"


    "{I agree,}" said Rgrarshok. "{Egwreh, work with Myyreh and [Resh''skk], get them armed and armored as they see fit. No limits. For the rest of the team, we''ll need to issue or fabricate low-profile arms and armor. Something that will pass as normal clothing.}"


    Egwreh rubbed her chin. "{Fabbing low-profile armor for the [humans] won''t be too much of a problem, I just have to scale things down and tweak the proportions a bit. Getting [Hrathra] and the [Karnakians] outfitted, however... that will be more difficult.}"


    "{I can help zhere!}" said Bgrarh with enthusiasm.


    The Captain sighed. "{I know you will, Specialist Bgrarh. But I have other duties for you as well. Please come with me.}"


    <hr>


    "{You want me to dance, Captain? I...wow, I mean, I''m not sure, I''ve never done anything like that, well, that''s not true, I''ve danced a few times on dates and things, but nothing complex, nothing professional.}"


    The pair of Dorarizin stood in the hallway not too far from the secure storage room. Captain Rgarshok noted with amusement how Bgrarh had dropped his affected accent during his freak-out.


    "{I understand, Bgrarh,"} she said, careful to make her voice soothing. "{But dance is the only artistic thing that I''ve had any training in. The Mehrrans style requires partners of equal size to make it look good, and you''re the only Dorarizin here who''s my height.}"


    The big brick-red male fidgeted his paws together as he stared off into the distance. "{I could pick up some steps, sure, but to be good enough to pass as a trained dancer? I don''t know if I can do it.}"


    Rgrarshok had enough leadership experience to know that simply ordering Bgrarh to comply was not going to work. She laid a big paw on his shoulder. "[Bgrarh, you''re also a supremely skilled athlete. I''ve seen the recordings of you in action during your major-league Hunt days. Dancing is nothing compared to that.}"


    "{I''m still not sure, Captain...}"


    She moved her paw down to his waist. "{Then let''s start with something simple as a warm-up. Put your paws on my shoulders...that''s right.}" Bgrarh''s expression was dazed with fear as he followed her instructions. Rgrarshok''s other paw moved up, and now she held his waist in a firm but not rigid hold. "{The most important thing in Mehrrans-dancing is flow, you can''t be tense in the slightest bit. Just relax your shoulders more...excellent. This is a simple three-step spin-move, okay? I lead and you follow. And left and right and left and spin...}"


    <hr>


    Resh''skk held himself at a posture of attention in front of Hrathra''sstah while the green Jornissian pondered his verbal report.


    "<Are you certain this is the right course of action?>" she asked at last.


    "<Honestly, ma''am, I''m torn. I don''t like putting [Maria] in possible danger. On the positive side, I''ve done a preliminary inventory of what they have available. It should be sufficient to outfit both myself and Myyreh to full combat readiness.>"


    "<But such equipping is illegal,>" replied Hrathra. "<We have warmcuddles on board.>"


    Resh''skk spread his arms and shrugged. "<The Captain says it''s allowed. I''ve done a little research myself, and as long as we''re in non-Senate space and our only use of such mat¨¦riel is defensive...in that case, we can just barely skate by the laws. If this was a civilized region we''d be hauled in front of a disciplinary panel in less time than a tongue-flick.>"


    "<And what does [Maria] think of all this?>"


    The question stopped Resh''skk''s train of thought dead in its tracks. "<Oh...I haven''t had a chance to ask her yet.>"


    Hrathra gave a hissing snicker. "<Well, it''s a good thing I''m here to think of the obvious, eh?>"


    Resh''skk''s hood drooped at her words. Not only had he missed the obvious, his secret crush was making fun of him. His face must have shown his distress, since Hrathra glided forward and patted his shoulder.


    "<Easy, Reshh''skk. You''re only one man, you can''t do everything. I''ll summon her and we can explain the situation together.>"


    [Maria] must have been nearby, because in only a few [minutes] she came through the door in her species'' version of a casual stroll. The other races'' bipedal gaits always looked unbalanced and precarious to Resh''skk''s Jornissian sensibilities. But warmcuddles took that bumbling-along to the extreme. [Maria] always appeared as if in danger of toppling over.


    Resh''skk was shocked by the pang in his soul at the mere thought of this tottering little creature getting hurt. He realized that over the [years] the warmcuddle had tunneled her way into his heart more effectively than any sapper. For a moment the ex-soldier wanted to call off the whole idea. He pondered the possibility of getting [Myyreh] to go AWOL with him and follow through on his original plan.


    "[What''s up, boss?]"


    The two Jornissians looked at each other as they realized neither of them had the slightest clue how to broach the topic. Resh''skk finally squared his shoulders and launched into it.


    "<Our destination planet might be a place of danger...>"


    [Maria] snorted. "[Ya think?]"


    He held up a finger and she fell silent, realizing that he was utterly serious. "<I mean real danger, [Maria]. Even more so than when we were being held in that Harsak-begotten temple. At least there we were in Senate space, with all of the sapient rights that implies. This is not a laughing matter.>"


    The warmcuddle folded her arms. "[I''m sorry, [Resh''skk]. I tend to make bad jokes when I''m scared.]"


    Hrathra smiled. "<We know. We can assuage your fears, I think. But telling you about that brings up a whole other set of complications.>"


    [Maria] raised an eyebrow. "[Oh?]"


    Resh''skk assumed his species'' version of parade rest. "<Both myself and [Myyreh] will be equipped to protect the two of you. Fully equipped.>"


    She might be tiny, but [Maria] wasn''t an idiot. "[Crap. You mean military gear, don''t you? Guys, you know you can''t have that kind of stuff on the same ship as me! The Senate will shit bricks!]"


    "<Only if they find out,>" said Resh''skk. "<That''s why we''re telling you now. All we ask is that you keep what you see to yourself.>"


    "[I''m not so sure you should do this,]" [Maria] replied. "[It could get all of you in a lot of trouble.]"


    Hrathra, ever the optimist, waved a casual hand. "<Not really. Besides, I''m sure this will all be a lot of fuss over nothing. Nobody will ever need to know, certainly no one in the Senate.>"


    After some more thought, [Maria] finally nodded. "[All right, boss. I trust you both, and I''ll keep [my hood pulled in] about it. If anybody asks, I saw nothing. Thanks for being honest with me.]"


    Hrathra slithered forward to hug the little human, and as [Maria] reciprocated the hug she looked over Hrathra''s shoulder and met Resh''skk''s eyes. The [human] then gave a very meaningful bobble of her head towards Hrathra''s hood, as if to say you should be the one hugging her.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Resh''skk knew he should say something, he''d tried several times to broach the topic with Hrathra''sstah. But every time his iron resolve turned to shifting sand, and to his shame he remained silent.


    He told himself to be patient. There was still some time before they reached Sssnnathor''s planet. Plenty of time to make his confession.


    <hr>


    The Silken Feather decided in the end to give herself a few more nights of observation. If at all possible she wanted ''her'' property in hand before calling the Senate team again. Once she had the Claw back in her possession and had spirited herself safely away, only then would she notify the authorities of Sssnnathor''s suspicious doings. It should make for a good distraction.


    She peeked over the ridge once more. The night sky above was cloudless and bright with stars. The construction lights around the half-built palace washed out the fainter stars, but apart from the lights all was still. In place of the expected bustle of activity, the job site looked deserted.


    Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. The previous fifteen nights had shown no such lull in activity, so why was nobody here now? As the Karnakian scanned the desert beyond the palace, she spied a new cluster of lights around a large bonfire. Some large and meaty animal turned on a spit over the flames while the workers milled around it drinking and chatting with each other. She could hear faint sounds of laughter carried on the slight night breeze.


    The Silken Feather relaxed. Sssnnathor must have decreed a little party for his workers, all part of appearing as the magnanimous tyrant. At last, she had an opportunity to reclaim the Claw.


    <hr>


    Nerlharg-of-Aergh waited under his holographic camouflage cloak as the green-and-yellow Karnakian crept closer. "{I have eyes on PHANTOM,}" he subvocalized. "{Do not engage until I''ve made myself known.}"


    He''d exhaustively searched all of the usual hideouts used by those seeking to escape Sssnnathor''s wrath. The desert beyond the equator was vast, but Nerlharg figured that the mysterious intruder (now code-named PHANTOM) would stick closer to settled areas. She was here for a reason, even if he hadn''t yet figured out that reason. After a week of searching, he moved on from searching the obvious hiding areas to the less-obvious with still no success...then he''d had the brainwave that he needed to be looking in the most unlikely place of all. Namely, a place where Sssnnathor''s people would be located around the clock.


    The construction site of the new palace.


    Infrared scans soon pinpointed PHANTOM, and she indeed had the job site under constant observation. That in turn made Nerlharg very nervous. Was PHANTOM a Senate operative after all? That made her capture and questioning all the more necessary. But simply rushing her prematurely would make her vanish again.


    So he''d set a trap. If the Karnakian was gathering intelligence, then an abandoned job site would be irresistible bait. The workers, for their part, shrugged and accepted the impromptu party with delight. His ploy had worked, and his quarry was finally within reach. A squad of his hand-picked people waited in various locations around the job site.


    "{Should we move, sir?}" asked one of his team through his implant.


    Nerlharg subvocalized back. "{Negative. Nobody move, not until we know where PHANTOM is heading.}"


    Nerlharg expected PHANTOM to head for the entrance ramp leading to the underground facility. To his surprise, the Karnakian instead slunk towards a bulldozer nearer his location.


    "{Blue team, move,}" he subvocalized. "{Get between PHANTOM and the ridge.}"


    His people all wore active camouflage cloaks similar to his. Unless one was right on top of them, one would see nothing. And even when close all the cloaks betrayed was a faint heat-shimmer. Because Nerlharg knew where to look, he could just make out a few little wavers in the night air as half of his team moved in behind the oncoming Karnakian to cut off her retreat.


    PHANTOM was clearly nervous; as she moved closer, she glanced around and then stared off at the distant firelight of the party. As she reached the bulldozer, PHANTOM gave one final look around herself and then moved to the back of the machine.


    Nerlharg was already in motion, gliding over the hard-packed clay of the desert floor with no noise as he called the others through his implant. "{Orange team, flank my location on either side. PHANTOM has stopped. It looks like she''s digging in the earth.}"


    As he crept closer, Nerlharg saw that she was indeed digging with her bare claws, glancing around constantly as she dug. She was only a few [centimeters] deep into the clay. He was now within five [meters] of her and figured this was as good as it was going to get.


    "{Execute execute execute,}" he said as he deactivated his cloak.


    PHANTOM looked up in panic at the Dorarizin suddenly looming over her, then around at the others that also appeared from the thin air around her.


    "{There''s nowhere to run,}" said Nerlharg. He tapped his skull next to his eyes. "{We''re all wearing adaptive contacts and earplugs, so that little flashbang-in-the-clothing trick you used earlier won''t work.}"


    The Karnakian seemed to deflate as she stared back at Nerlharg. "[So this was a trap after all, eh? I must say, your stealth is admirable.]"


    Nerlharg tensed and made ready to leap at her if she tried to run away. "{This doesn''t have to be unpleasant. Just come with us quietly and answer some questions. We''ll keep things civil, unless you refuse to cooperate. Then it will become unpleasant.}"


    PHANTOM sighed. "[I''m afraid I can''t come with you, my stealthy adversary.]" She gathered herself as if to jump away.


    Nerlharg was already in motion as she tensed. He flew like a white-furred missile at PHANTOM, his arms locking in a death-grip hold around her torso. He bowled the Karnakian over onto her side from the sheer force of his attack...


    And then, as she hit the ground, Nerlharg''s arms were suddenly empty. He fell forward onto his face with a whump and a yelp of surprise. As he picked himself up, he saw a small spherical drone lying in the dirt where she''d been.


    "{A hard-light projection,}" he snarled. "{Blue team, spread out and sweep the area! She must be nearby!}"


    He looked down at the shallow trench that PHANTOM''s hard-light avatar had dug into the soil. "{And get me some digging tools. Let''s find out what she sent her drone after.}"


    <hr>


    A pile of freshly-fabricated poker chips sat on a table in the ship''s recreation lounge. Maria leaned forward and shoveled the pile around with both hand in a figure-eight motion, then leaned back. "How was that?"


    "You''re still signaling too much," said Oscar.


    Maria let out a hmph and turned her hand over. One of the chips lay trapped against her palm. "What do you mean? I''m holding it just fine." She flipped her hand back over and wiggled her fingers. "See? It doesn''t fall out, and my hand looks natural."


    "Your shoulders tense up right when you do the palm. You''ve got to relax all over. They''re not just gonna be looking at your hands, they''re gonna be looking at your whole body. Trust me, I learned from the best."


    "I still don''t know why I need to learn this. I''m not playing poker or doing a magic act."


    Oscar shrugged. "It''s a useful skill. You given any thought on what you''re going to recite?"


    Maria dropped the palmed token back onto the pile. "I''m leaning towards ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner''. It''s a reasonable length, though I''ll have to trim it." She regarded the chips in silence for a bit, then looked up at Oscar. "Do you think we''ll have to do an actual act?"


    He responded with a nod. "I''m guessing Snape will want a command performance, so we''ll have to go through the whole routine at least once. Are you nervous? You don''t strike me as the type to suffer stage fright."


    "It''s not that, it''s that we''re headed into danger. Real proper danger, especially if this ''Snape'' guy finds out we''re doing some clandestine crap in his territory."


    "We''ll be protected," said Oscar. "Not just the crew, we''ll have security drones and whatnot." Thanks to his discussions with Myyreh, he had a good idea of just what that blanket term of ''whatnot'' entailed. But he didn''t go into further detail. He figured that Maria had enough to worry about.


    He motioned towards the pile of chips. "Right, now do it again."


    <hr>


    Sssnnathor turned the curved object over in his hands. For the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of awe. It wasn''t every day that you held an object many thousands of years old.


    "<Fascinating. And this was buried right next to the construction site?>"


    Nerlharg stood ramrod-straight in front of the tyrant. "[Yes, Excellency. Along with what I believe is the case it was once displayed in. I take full responsibility for failing to capture PHANTOM. I''m sorry.}"


    Sssnnathor uncoiled himself and moved away from the tank. "<Oh, my friend. You still need a few hundred years of age on you. Just trust me when I say that finding someone who isn''t stupid is a rare treat.>" He held up the Claw, taking pleasure in how the jewels embedded in the Claw''s root sparkled in the lab''s harsh overhead lighting.


    "<And we are sure it''s what you think it is?>" he asked.


    "[We can''t be absolutely certain, Excellency. There are no detailed holographic scans or images of [Ta''irrl''qc''s] Claw, just hand-made drawings.]"


    Sssnnathor stopped his admiration of the Claw and looked at his lieutenant in disbelief. "<Really? Why not?>"


    "[Don''t ask me, it''s some kind of [Karnakian] religious injunction.]"


    The Jornissian blopped his tongue out in a circular manner. It was his species'' equivalent of an eyeroll. "<Oh, one of those. Karnakians always have to be all...Karnakian.>" He regarded Nerlharg''s brooding face, and gave his underling a happy smile. "<Be at cheer, [Nerlharg]! We now know that your mystery ''PHANTOM'' is just a simple thief. She must have stolen the Claw earlier and hidden it. Her encrypted transmission was probably to set up payment in exchange for this trinket.>"


    He bounced the Claw in his hand. "<Well, now we have what she stole. She''ll have no choice but to slink away off-planet, and good riddance to her. If she stays she''ll be found. She can''t hide forever.>"


    Sssnnathor slithered back to the tank. The once-small form floating inside was now a long blue-and-black shape, still indistinct in the murky fluid but clearly Jornissian in outline. He placed his free hand flat against the transparent tank wall and smiled fondly. "<Soon, very soon. We''ll have so much to celebrate when we meet. You''ll be finally born, and we''ll also have leverage over two of the largest [Karnakian] Sacred Paths in the galaxy.>"


    <hr>


    Oscar rubbed his forehead. "Really guys, I''m not asking you to go steady with each other. All you gotta do is sing together. Is that so hard?"


    The two pairs of Karnakian guards glared at each other from across the hangar deck. Between them stood Oscar and, of all people, Ter''yeik. Oscar still had no notion of the ex-Second Claw''s intentions. Out of the blue, Ter''yeik had contacted Oscar and asked if he could assist with the upcoming subterfuge. Given that the Karnakian had tried to frame Maria and make Oscar look crooked, the detective''s first impulse was to tell Ter''yeik to fuck off.


    But then he thought that having the guy out and doing something constructive was better than leaving him in a cell to plot more mischief. He consulted with Matriarch Ck''Trrk''ka and got her blessing, and also made sure that he had access to Ter''yeik''s transponder/paralyzer chip juuuuust in case the raptor was looking to dish out some payback. He also made sure that Jeeves Junior was obviously present when Ter''yeik first emerged from his quarters.


    Ter''yeik, for his part, had paid the drone no mind and seemed to be in much better spirits. The cream-colored Karnakian proposed a musical act for the Karnakian guards on board, and after some further consultation Matriarch Ck''Trrk''Ka agreed. To Oscar''s greater surprise, Matriarch Ma''elge''yk also declared herself cool with it.


    The guards themselves, however? They were decidedly not cool with it.


    After a lot more glaring, Ter''yeik gave a human-like shrug. "[I''m sorry, [Oscar]. Congretory Speaking is not just ''singing together'', it''s like having a discussion with many interleaved layers of meaning. Our Sacred Paths have too much past enmity with each other to make a harmonious song.]"


    Oscar put his hands on his hips. "Shit. So much for that idea. Would a duo be enough to cancel out the translators? I want this to be more about the song than the lyrics."


    "[Two singing together should be sufficient,]" replied Ter''yeik.


    "Okay. We could do a couple of duos, I suppose...wait. What about a call-and-response song?"


    "[What''s a [call-and-response] song?]" asked Ter''yeik.


    "Ah, it''s when you have two different phrases or parts of a song that reference each other, like in ''Baby It''s Cold Outside''."


    He saw nothing but a bunch of puzzled stares, so he led the caravan of Karnakians to his quarters to fetch his terminal. To his relief the OIH had decided that Dean Martin didn''t warrant censoring, and thus he was able to play the song in question for them. The corridor outside his room was soon filled with feathered crests bobbing in time to the music as he explained the structure.


    "See, the woman wants to leave but the guy wants her to stay. Each line starts with her protesting and ends with his pleading for her to not leave."


    "[I grasp it now!]" said Tk''riil''na. "[We could have a religious debate but to non-Karnakians it would sound like only music!]"


    The four guards stared at each other, and before Oscar could blink they''d squared off in pairs facing each other. All that was required was a tumbleweed to go blowing across the corridor to turn it into a scene from a Western-movie gunfight.


    Tk''riil''na was the one to start, with a low trill of "[It is said that...] His partner added to the phrase with a higher pitch and within moments the words blended into only music as Oscar''s translator bead threw up its non-existent hands. The song lasted only a minute before ending.


    Frick and Frack responded with a minute-long song of their own, one that took much of the first song''s melody and performed a few interesting variations upon it. The response to the response varied the base melody further still, and as the back-and-forth singing filled the corridor everyone''s crests started to rise in happiness.


    <hr>


    Maria made another scan of her streamlined version of Coleridge''s masterwork. She figured that the old laudanum addict wouldn''t mind her making a few tweaks for the sake of time, seeing as how her audience would be like none he''d ever envisioned. Her editing was made harder by the never-ceasing slithering noise in front of her.


    Hrathra''sstah''s voice held an agitation which mirrored her unending movement. "[I''ve done some dancing, but not professionally. You''re doing your poem, so I''m not going to repeat that. I can''t sing, either.]"


    Maria didn''t look up as she replied. "You must know some Jornissian classical plays, right? The Dorarizin have The Ballad of Drezneh, we''ve got things like Antigone or Oedipus Rex...actually, please don''t look up that last one. Just forget I mentioned it."


    Hrathra''s slithering came to a stop. "[I couldn''t do an entire play, that''s much too long.]"


    "Do a classic scene from one, then. Something nice and dramatic, with lots of fighting and speechifying and implied bloodshed."


    "[Hmmm, that idea has merit. There have been a few plays made about the defense of Malshak-V, but that''s too obvious. A monologue would be too similar to your performance, so ideally I could do something with another actor...]"


    As if on cue, the door slid open and Resh''ssk slithered in. He stretched his arms over his head and wriggled his body. A chorus of popping vertebrae filled the room, and since Resh''skk''s body was nothing but vertebrae that sound went on for a long while. "[Oof. I forgot what a pain it is to get measured for power armor.}


    Hrathra''s angular face split into a grin. "[Did [Egwreh] get too familiar with you?]"


    Resh''ssk gave an embarrassed shrug. "[Not all that much.]"


    Maria looked up at her boss, then over at Resh''skk. She was very tired of this game and now knew exactly how to give her friend a push.


    She pointed at Resh''skk. "Reshy should be your partner!"


    Hrathra''sstah tilted her hood in thought as Resh''skk''s face assumed a look of pure panic.


    "[Partner? Partner for what?]" he sputtered.


    Maria held up one hand, clutched at her bosom with the other, and put on her most over-the-top hammy voice. "ACT-ing!"


    Hrathra coiled up along the wall in a pose that Maria had privately dubbed the ''Jornissian Thinking Loaf''. "[Hmmm, yes, of course. Good idea, [Maria]. Resh''skk, I''m thinking of doing a scene from Shrenthhah''s Tale. Would you be willing to play the part of...]"


    "[Ma''am, I''ve never done anything like that!]"


    Hrathra shrugged her hood. "[Technically neither have I. The scene I have in mind is a duel, so it''ll be mostly physical with some nice little verbal barbs thrown at each other. You''ll just have to promise to be gentle with me when we wrestle.]" She waggled one teasing eyebrow at Resh''skk.


    Maria resisted the urge to snicker like a naughty teenager as Resh''skk began having a full-blown panic attack. "[Gentle? Wrestle? I...er...you and I wrestle? What...]"


    Maria reached up and gripped his forearm. "Will you excuse us, boss? Reshy and I need to have a little heart-to-heart." She tugged at his arm, and in a daze the Jornissian allowed her to lead him out of the room.


    The sound of the door sliding shut seemed to snap him out of his crisis. "[[Maria], please, I know you mean well but I can''t...]"


    She spun and faced him, and now it was her turn to silence him with an upraised finger. "You can and you will. We are heading into danger. I know all of you are putting a brave face on things for my sake, but I also know that shit''s about to get real. You may think that it''s more romantic to only confess your love at the moment of death, but that crap only works in the movies. In the real world, here and now, you have a chance to be happy. Acting in this scene with her gives you lots of good opportunities to confess to her. Now, you''re going to go back in there and tell her you''ll be happy to act with her."


    Resh''skk had regained enough composure to fold his arms and glare down at her. "There is an implied ''or else'' in there."


    "You better believe it, buddy."


    Maria lost the resulting staring contest after a full two minutes of heroic effort. It was unfair that Jornissians didn''t have to blink. As she blinked the accumulated tears from her eyes, Resh''skk chuckled.


    "[You win, [Maria]. Far be it from me to disappoint you.]"

 Chapter Twelve

    Oscar and Maria were now coming off of a full hour of all-but-groping by Egwreh. In principle it was in the name of getting measured for their new ''uniforms'', but privately Oscar suspected the session was just a way for the engineer to get in a good amount of personal cuddle-time with the ship''s two humans.


    "Emma wasn''t making a pass at me, was she?" asked Maria as they walked down one of the ship''s oversized corridors.


    Oscar glanced to the other side of him, where Bgrarh loped alongside the pair. The big Dorarizin was also involved with Egwreh''s effort, specifically in the area of secreting various bits of protective tech into the low-profile armor. As Bgrarh paced along, he stared off into space with ears flat back against his head. It was an expression that Oscar knew denoted a feeling of dread within his giant friend.


    "Nah," Oscar replied to Maria. "That''s just how the Dorarizin do. They''re not a big believer in ''personal space''."


    Maria grinned. "I guess I''ll believe you, since Emma was groping you just as much. You better be careful, or Myra''s gonna get jealous." Her smile dropped away. "Wait, though. The crew is all the same pack, right? Does that mean you get, er, passed around? That sounds dangerous."


    Oscar laughed. "What, you don''t think I got what it takes to be the ship''s boy-toy?"


    "I''m just sayin'' it looks like the Captain could snap you in two if she got too friendly."


    "[She''d never do such a thing, even by accident,]" said Bgrarh in a distracted tone. "[The Captain is very graceful and precise with her strength.]"


    Oscar looked back over at his crew-mate and friend. "You doing okay, Bennie?"


    Bgrarh flicked one ear up in a shrugging manner, then laid it flat back against his head. "[Not really, [Oscar]. I''m worried about my dancing.]"


    "Why? You''re a physically capable guy and plenty smart. I''m sure you''ll do great."


    The Dorarizin rippled his teeth as he continued to muse. "[I''ve got the steps down, yes. But it''s not automatic yet. What if I mess up? What if I step wrong?]"


    Maria shrugged herself. "Then act like it''s no big deal and dance on. It''s a performance, not a recital in front of judges. If you''re confident, that will go a long way."


    "[But I don''t feel confident! I need something to emulate.]"


    "You don''t have any Dorarizin male role models to follow?" asked Oscar. "You should be able to do that easily. Fer Chrissake, you channeled Poirot for a long while, and he was human."


    Bgrarh dropped his head. "[I know. My head''s all full up with both armor development and dance, so for now I had to sort of...set aside [Poirot]. I''ve tried to follow how a Dorarizin hero would act, but it''s not working. I can''t feel confident, and I don''t know why.]"


    Oscar gripped Bgrarh''s forearm and squeezed it. Or rather, he tried to squeeze it, since Bgrarh was a wall of rock-hard muscle. "It''ll be okay, Bennie." He wondered if now was the time to reveal some contraband he''d had secreted in his luggage ever since leaving Zephyr Station.


    He glanced around and saw nobody else in the corridor. Good. "Tell you what, both of you come with me." Bgrarh''s big paws and Maria''s much smaller shoes both padded behind Oscar as he led the way to his quarters.


    Oscar didn''t speak again until the door closed. "Right. I suspect that we''re dealing with a case of familiarity breeding contempt. Does that phrase translate?"


    "[I believe so. You think that the reason I can''t [channel] a proper Dorarizin male role model is because I''m too used to them?]"


    "It''s possible. Seeing as how you''re a big fan of human media, there''s one thing we can try...but it ain''t exactly legal."


    Maria folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"


    "Well, it''s not breaking any Senate laws, if you catch my drift."


    The petite woman stared for a moment, then a slow smile spread across her face. "You brought some of the good stuff, didn''t you?"


    "A few bits. I figured it couldn''t hurt to be prepared."


    "I agree," replied Maria. "Tell you what, wait here and I''ll be right back."


    As Maria slipped back out the door, Oscar moved to one of his bags. Bgrarh stared in curiosity as he dug through it and found a particular zippered pouch. Within the pouch lay a palm-sized opaque bag plus a few latex gloves.


    "[Friend [Oscar], is that what I think it is?]" asked Bgrarh.


    Before Oscar could reply, the door slid open again and Maria tottered back in, now nearly bent double under the weight of the ¨¹berduffel on her back. Bgrarh made a wordless whine of alarm and reached to take the load from her, only to be stopped by an equally wordless growl from Maria.


    She thumped the ¨¹berduffel onto the deck between the two others, then looked at the gloves in Oscar''s hand. "Good idea," she said. Maria unzipped her enormous bag and rummaged through it. One pouch yielded a set of disposable gloves sized for her, and after donning them she kept digging. Various small compartments within the ¨¹berduffel yielded up a generous double-handful of small square chips.


    In the meantime, Oscar put on his own gloves and shook out a relatively paltry amount of the same-sized chips into his palm. Each chip could hold many hours'' worth of media of any type...both approved and disapproved.


    "This is just like smuggling cartons of smokes into prison," said Oscar. "Don''t ask how I know that."


    Maria laughed in reply. "Whadda you have? I got some Hong Kong action, a few World War Two movies, some stoner comedies, a couple of contemporary historical dramas...a whole lotta stuff."


    "How pristine are they?" he asked.


    "Pretty good quality."


    Bgrarh''s ears rose upon hearing that. "[That would make them more valuable, correct?]" His law-enforcement instincts kicked in and his ears subsided. "[Hypothetically speaking, of course.]"


    "But of course," said Oscar. He looked at Maria''s chips with a critical eye. "I hope they''re dubbed at least?"


    "Most of them are. There''s only a few originals...I think."


    "You''d better double check. Any still in their original language should be destroyed."


    Maria looked stricken at the thought. "Really?"


    "Really. Plausible deniability and all that, just in case the OIH comes across ''em." Oscar stirred through the chips in his palm with his other finger, then selected a few. "Let''s stick with mine for the moment. These''ll be much harder to trace. The soundtrack''s been dubbed into Spanish then run back and forth a few times through the translator matrix. Plus the print quality''s been artificially degraded so they''ll look like second- and third-generation copies from the original film stock. Hold out your paw, Benny."


    "[Before I do, I need to know. Is this contraband [human] media?]"


    "Yep, but only for your private consumption. Don''t try to sell ''em to anyone else, and keep ''em well hid. If the OIH or anybody else asks, I did not give these to you, understand?"


    Bgrarh''s ears perked back up and he held out his paw. "[I understand, my friend.]"


    Oscar dropped several chips into the middle of Bgrarh''s waiting palm. "There you go, amigo. A little James Bond for some inspiration."


    Maria snorted. "That''s your big plan? How is Benny acting like a chauvinist pig going to help?"


    Oscar held up a gloved hand. "I''m not saying he should act exactly like Bond. Benny, don''t think about what Bond is saying or doing...especially towards women. What you want to emulate is his overall attitude, understand? Things go wrong for him all the time, but he never loses his cool and he''s always ready with a quip. That demeanor is what you want to copy."


    "[I will do my best, [Oscar]. I can''t thank you enough.]" Sure enough, Bgrarh had his usual cheerful expression back on; the fact that he had something to take his mind off of the upcoming performance was probably more valuable than any media Oscar or Maria could give him.


    "Just don''t start slapping women on the butt," added Maria.


    Bgrarh shrank back in horror. "[I wouldn''t! The Captain would rip my tail off if I tried that!]" His fear subsided as he looked at the chips in his paw. "[I''ll will watch these, at least. Thank you again, my friends.]"


    <hr>


    The group of ''artistes'' stood or squatted in various positions around the Claw''s rec lounge. Maria was still dissatisfied with her performance, so as far as she was concerned this was time that could be better spent elsewhere. She leaned back against Hrathra''sstah''s coiled body as she tried to tune out the murmur of Resh''ssk nearby. The ex-soldier''s face was set in concentration as he semi-silently went over his lines for the five billionth time.


    Oscar stood in front of the main holo display, wearing an outfit that to Maria''s eyes looked a little like a navy-blue tuxedo. The jacket had a Nehru-style collar and light gray trim. It looked normal, but she was sure it was anything but.


    Egwreh and Bgrarh stood on either side of him, both grinning like the proverbial cat who''s gotten at the canary.


    Oscar spread his arms, his hands at waist height, then gestured down at himself. "Thank you all for coming. As you can see Emma and Bennie have been hard at work getting us all dolled up for any potential shindig. This uniform is based on human fashion, since we''re leaning hard on the ''we have humans'' angle to get landing approval.


    "You''re all going to be getting similar versions of this clothing, tailored for your own body of course."


    He turned in a circle. "So here I stand, a completely defenseless little human..."


    Maria blew a big raspberry to show what she thought of that horseshit. He winked at her and continued.


    "It''s low-profile body armor, as you probably guessed. It has an integrated full communication suite, but that''s just the beginning. Let''s demonstrate the more defensive features first. Bennie, if you please?"


    The punch that followed was so fast that Maria glimpsed just a blur as Bgrarh''s fist slammed into Oscar''s chest. The human flew backward into Egwreh''s waiting paws as she caught him easily.


    Everyone in the lounge twitched at the sight, and a few of the Karnakians got to their feet with exclamations of distress. Egwreh set Oscar back on his feet with exaggerated care while the human smiled and waved to show he was unharmed.


    Oscar tapped his chest. "Impact-sensitive nanofabric. It flexes just like cloth under normal use, but a fast or hard enough impact will make it go rigid and absorb the blow. If things go south, you touch this topmost button here on the jacket to turn the uniform into full-armor mode."


    He did so, and a hood snapped out of the collar to wrap itself around his head while a transparent cowl fitted itself in front of his face. Similar snaps sounded from his sleeves as gloves flew out and fit themselves over his hands. With another button-touch, the hood and gloves retracted just as quickly.


    "Now for the rest. You squeeze the left side of the collar repeatedly to cycle through the outfit''s preset colors." He gripped one rounded corner of his collar, and the navy-blue and gray scheme of his clothing blinked into something more like a basic black. A few more squeezes resulted in his outfit flashing through all the colors of the rainbow.


    "We''ll coordinate the final chosen colors with each other before the show starts, of course. If you reach up and squeeze the right side of the collar, you''ll activate another defensive feature."


    Oscar switched his grip to the other side and instantly vanished. Maria squinted and could just barely make out something, a slight wavering in mid-air that she could have easily missed.


    The disappearance was surprising enough to make Resh''skk stop his murmured practicing. "[A holographic cloak?]" he asked. "[It must be multi-spectrum. I can''t even pick up your body heat.]"Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "You got it," said Oscar''s voice from empty air. "Unfortunately this drains power like crazy, so it''ll only last for about twenty minutes before the microbatteries are done." He blinked back into visibility. "Plus if there''s a Dorarizin around they''ll still be able to smell you, even if they can''t track your exact location. Now for the more offensive features..."


    Oscar pressed the top jacket button to get back into full-armor mode. "Touching the second button down activates the uniform''s taser." He followed his own instruction and then assumed a fighting stance with his right hand held out in front. That hand grasped at empty air while Maria heard a slight crackle.


    "It''s enough of a shock to make anyone let go," he said. "If you hit your attacker in a sensitive spot, like the eyes or, well, the gonads, it''ll be enough to incapacitate them."


    He hit both buttons again to reset his outfit into ''normal'' mode, then pointed at a line of buttons on one sleeve. "The sleeve buttons are disguised flash-bang grenades. Pull one off of the sleeve to arm it, then throw it against the nearest hard surface to set it off. It''ll even release a bit of selenophenol to disorient a Dorarizin''s scenting. If you''re in full-armor mode, there''s built-in hearing and visual protection to take away much of the grenade''s effects...but I''m afraid it won''t do much for the stink."


    "How bad is the smell?" asked Maria.


    Bgrarh shuddered. "[I''ve only heard it described, and the description alone was enough to make me ill.]"


    "Obviously, these are only to be used in case of emergency," added Oscar. He glared in turn at each group of Karnakians, who were still segregated on each side of the lounge. "I don''t care how spirited the religious debate gets, nobody is to flash-bang or taser anyone from the ship. Got it?"


    A hasty nodding of crests followed.


    <hr>


    Sssnathor placed Ta''irrl''qc''s Claw into a newly-made alcove. This display room was secreted within his private chambers; it was accessible only to himself, Nerlharg-of-Aergh, and of course the members of his harem. He leaned back and admired the sight. The once bone-white surface of the Claw had been varnished, polished smooth, then varnished again over the millennia until now it was a deep and glossy nut-brown that threw off pleasing highlights from the room''s soft lighting.


    As he pondered his newest acquisition, his implant chimed internally to let him know that one of his other recent acquisitions was now awake and moving about. As a matter of fact, she was heading his way. The tyrant felt a familiar little tingle in his nethers as he realized he had a perfect pouncing opportunity.


    Sssnnathor used his implant to shut off all of the lights in the room except for one shining directly on the Claw, then with speed and precision he flowed into the darkest corner of the room. He coiled into a compact ball, tucking his hooded head into the middle of himself. There was a crack in between two of his coils, the only portion that showed any trace of his shining silver eyes.


    Those eyes gleamed with lust as a Karnakian came tapping her way into the room. She wore no clothing, as he decreed for all within his harem. This was N''''illl''kan, the one he''d ''chosen'' out of the most recent shipment. She''d shown admirable flexibility for a non-Jornissian and her obedience training was progressing nicely.


    The newcomer''s four eyes all fixed on the shining Claw against the far wall, and she walked towards it with her white crest rising in curiosity. She examined the glyphs carved into its surface and let out a puzzled little trill. There was no hint in either her posture or expression that she had any idea that Sssnnathor was there.


    Sssnnathor waited in utter stillness as he felt his heartbeat increase. This was such a delicious feeling, to go unseen by one''s prey and yet be poised near them like the very avatar of Harsak herself. He could spring and crush the life from N''''illl''kan in an instant. If he let his imagination wander, he could imagine her panicked struggles, her futile attempts to breathe, the feel of her heartbeat getting steadily weaker, the light in her eyes going out...


    The tyrant blinked, dispelling the daydream as he berated himself mentally. Such fantasies were the reason the benighted fools in the Senate looked down upon immortality. It wouldn''t do to show those superstitious bastards as correct in any way. Yes, he indulged himself in illegal pleasures, but he wasn''t so far gone as to take life for no reason. Sssnnathor took pride in the fact that he''d never killed needlessly or cruelly. True, many of his ''business'' dealings had resulted in a death or two, but it was always for a reason and always with a quick and sure hand. He was no hedonistic monster, he was a Jornissian on a mission and he must keep focused.


    Not a single twitch happened in his body during his little moment of internal crisis, and so N''''illl''kan continued to tilt her head to and fro in blissful ignorance as she regarded the Claw. She had no notion of incoming disaster until Sssnnathor sprung like silent and inevitable death from the corner.


    The attack was sudden and complete. His midsection slapped into N''''illl''kan''s torso while the rest of his long body was already performing a coiling motion around her. Within another eye-blink he had the Karnakian wound up completely. He held her with just enough force so that she couldn''t move a muscle, but yet could still breathe.


    The tyrant took his time as he wound himself more completely around her trembling body, reveling in the feel of warm feathers and fluff against his scales. He clasped her head between his hands and gazed into her wide and fearful eyes. "<What is my little pet doing wandering around by herself, eh?>"


    "[My lord, forgive me! I didn''t know this room was off limits, there was no door...]" She gasped as he wound ever tighter, restricting her breath. "[Please, I didn''t know...]"


    Sssnathor''s genitals became engorged, and he pressed his lower torso into her feathered belly. He knew she could feel them through his clothing, and sure enough she shuddered in his grip. The notion rose again in his mind...what would it look like, to gaze into her eyes as he continued to squeeze ever tighter? What would it look like, what would it feel like, when he snuffed her light out?


    Instead, he relaxed his coils ever so slightly and allowed her to breathe again. "<There''s nothing to forgive. I didn''t tell you where not to go. Therefore it would be unfair of me to punish my pet, wouldn''t you agree...pet?>"


    "[Yes, my lord,]" she sobbed in relief.


    "<Consider this a taste of my mercy, and remember that I am always watching. Now look at this.>"


    Sssnnathor rolled his balled-up body around while keeping her firmly held in its center. Only her head protruded from the mass of scaled muscle. The tapering tip of his tail wrapped firmly around her snout so that she was forced to look at the Claw. He gestured at it casually with one hand, while with the other he stroked her crest. "<What do you think of my newest little bauble, bauble?>"


    He loosened his tail-tip so that she could speak. "[It''s...very nice, my lord. I recognize some of the lettering. Is it [Karnakian]?]"


    "<Why yes, bauble, it is. A very old and very valuable artifact. Do you recognize it?>"


    "[No, my lord.]"


    Sssnnathor''s fingers wound among the large feathers of her crest, which made her shudder anew. The movement felt delicious against his body. "<This is the Sacred Claw of [Ta''irrl''qc],>" he said. "<The founder of the Thirty-Second Sacred Path.>"


    He flicked his tongue out and danced it near her head as he sampled her scent. A slight acrid fear-stink was still present but rapidly fading, to be replaced with her own intriguing alien odor. "<From what I understand, those glyphs on the Claw contain a great secret...the holy monk''s last words. Can you read them for me?>"


    She swallowed hard as her fear-scent rose again. "[Not really, my lord. I''m so sorry, ancient sacred text is very different from modern [Karnakian]. I''m of the Seven Rings, and we only use modern writing.]"


    "<That''s a pity. My implant isn''t helping either.>" He tightened himself around her in a thoughtful reflex action.


    "[I can say it''s something to do with being good!]" she hastened to add.


    His hissing laugh filled the room. "<Of course it does! Ah well, I suppose it doesn''t matter in the end. Having this claw means that I have leverage over two very powerful Sacred [Karnakian] Paths. Isn''t that good news?>"


    "[Of course, my lord.]" Her tone was reluctant in spite of the words of her declaration.


    Sssnnathor shifted himself around so that the bottom of his torso was behind her. His hands reached down and pulled up the hem of his shirt so that his belly was exposed. He was now fully hard, and he purred with anticipation as he pressed both of himself into her back. "<Then lift your tail out of the way and show me how much you appreciate my good news.>"


    <hr>


    Ter''yeik''s eyes opened upon hearing toe-claws tapping towards his cell door. Ordinarily he would feel irritation at the interruption of his meditation, but he knew who his visitor was based on her foot-fall pattern alone.


    As he suspected, when the door slid open Matriarch Ma''elge''yk''s yellow-feathered head poked into the small, spartan room.


    He bowed. "|You honor me with your presence, Reverend Mother.|"


    In reply she held out a hand. At its clawed finger-tips dangled Ter''yiek''s terminal. With some slight hesitation, Ter''yeik took it with great care from her hand.


    "|I thank you for allowing your guards to join the others in song,|" he said. "|It appears to be going well.|"


    "|So I''ve heard, and you certainly seem better,|" said Ma''elge''yk. "|You''re no longer molting at least.|"


    "|Being of service gives me a sense of atonement. I still have very far to go to make up for my sins, but it''s a start.|"


    "|Indeed. I''ve read your manifesto, and I find your reasoning sound. I''ve come to make a request.|"


    Ter''yeik kept a calm expression, but inside he groaned. He knew what that request would be.


    "|You must not allow the Claw to remain at large,|" she said.


    As he blinked in surprise, a smug grin settled onto the Matriarch''s face. "|Oh, I know what you expected. You thought that I''d ask you to turn the Claw over to our Path, should you be lucky enough to have the relic fall into your claws.|" Her grin dropped away. "|I won''t deny that it would be very satisfying to possess that which we should have had since the beginning. But your words made me realize that more is at stake than who holds the Claw.|"


    Ma''elge''yk shoved her snout further into the room, now almost touching the tip of his. "|The Final Sutra is loose in the galaxy. Our only saving grace is that it is written in ancient Karnakian, otherwise any fool with an implant could read it and disseminate it. We must not allow that to happen!|"


    Ter''yeik stared back at her, transfixed by her gaze. "|I...I agree, R...Reverend Mother. I will do whatever I can to prevent it,|" he finally stammered out.


    She nodded. "|I know you will. I understand you are limited in your actions thanks to that monitoring chip, but if the opportunity presents itself you must regain the Claw, no matter the cost to any of us. I will do the same, so will all of us Karnakians. I will die before I let the Final Sutra be publicly known, and I know your zeal is as ardent as mine."


    Ma''elge''yk withdrew her head and the door slid closed. Ter''yeik looked down at the terminal in his hand, thought about his declaration, and pondered just what...or who...he was willing to sacrifice to fulfill his promise.


    <hr>


    On the holographic display, Sssnnathor''s planet looked a bit like an Easter egg. It was a tan globe broken up around its middle with various stripes of green and perfectly-round blotches of blue.


    The view also showed a thin ring of twinkling jewels that encircled the planet in a higher orbit; these were the remnants of the icy comets used during the planet''s terraforming.


    The Claw''s hangar deck was now filled to the brim. The ''neutral'' group of Dorarizin, Jornissian, and human placed themselves right in the middle. On each side of that middle group were the Karnakians from each sect. Apart from a few venomous glares from their respective Matriarchs, the two sets of raptors behaved themselves.


    "[Within a few hours we''ll be in communication range of the planet''s traffic control,]" said Captain Rgrarshok. "[We''ll try to get assigned to a parking orbit while we await official approval to land. According to our ship''s transponder we are now the Long Dance of Fghrealh, on a new tour of the galaxy to show off our newest cast members.]" Here she nodded towards Oscar and Maria.


    The Captain nodded towards her XO. "[While on the planet, Ngralh is in charge of the true investigation. He will direct the actions of the remaining team members, using the cover story that we''re here to perform, resupply and also look for interesting [knick-knacks]. Even though we don''t have the true identity of this ''Silken Feather'', we do have her DNA and physical description.]"


    Oscar was still not sure about this tactic. Yes, having humans on board all but guaranteed them permission to land, but it also meant that they''d be under a lot more curious scrutiny.


    "[As of now, the show will start with the Karnakians singing, followed by [Maria''s] recitation. Then Bgrarh and I will do our dance routine, [Hrathra''sstah] and [Resh''skk] their scene, and we''ll finish with [Oscar''s] playing. We''re still trying to come up with an appropriate finale which includes all of the performers, so any suggestions are welcome.]"


    Oscar briefly pondered suggesting a conga line as a joke. He figured it wasn''t worth trying to explain it, and so kept silent. But of course, the perversity of the universe always tended to a maximum, and so the next thing he heard was Maria''s chipper voice.


    "How about a conga line?"


    Oscar face-palmed as the xenos looked at Maria in confusion. After a bit of explanation, she roped Oscar into demonstrating a two-person conga line.


    Matriarch Ck''Trrk''Ka''s coppery crest rose in pleasure as she watched them. "[Ah! It''s similar to some of our sacred dances. Yes, this should do nicely.]"


    There followed a long, long discussion about the proper line order. The humans would be in the front, of course, followed by one of the pair of Karnakian guards. Then came the Jornissian pair, then Bgrarh and the Captain, and taking up the rear were the other two Karnakians. That way, the two sects would be safely isolated from each other.


    The real sticking point was which pair of Karnakians would go where. Frick and Frack wanted to be next to the humans, claiming they''d known them the longest. Tk''rii''na and his companion responded with the complaint that they''d been on the ship for less time, and therefore had less interaction time with the humans.


    They were still arguing about it when the time came to call the planet''s traffic control.


    <hr>


    Maria stood on the bridge and stared into the main display screen with a completely insincere smile stretching her face. "Hey, there! Are you the right person to talk to about getting permission to orbit?"


    The bored-looking Dorarizin in the display looked up and suddenly became a lot less bored as she settled eyes on Maria. "[By the First Pack!...er, sorry...yes. Yes! This is local traffic control. What orbit do you wish?"


    "Just a standard parking orbit. We''re also looking for permission to land."


    The traffic control officer''s hands were already a whirl of motion as she began calling up various screens around her. "[Your transponder''s been logged. For the moment, set your inclination to thirty-eight [degrees] at one thousand [kilometers] altitude. Do not deviate from this orbit, or you may be fired upon by our defense systems. I''ll check your ship''s ID and also get back to you about landing permission.]"


    Beyond the screen, Grawfren turned on her workstation and gave Maria a thumbs-up.


    "We''ve got it," said Maria. "Oh, do you also happen know what permits you guys require for performances?"


    The flunky paused in mid-whirl. "[Performance?]"


    "Yeah, that''s kind of our thing."


    The screen filled with the Dorarizin''s face as she leaned forward. "Are you one of those performing?"


    Maria nodded with a brighter smile, then realized the Dorarizin might not understand the gesture. "I sure am!"


    "[I''m not sure if permits are necessary...we''re a little more, er, relaxed here than anywhere in Senate space.]"


    "Fine by us." Maria smiled wider and felt a little smug flare of satisfaction in her belly as the Dorarizin stared in a trance back at her. "I look forward to hearing from you."


    After a long moment, the Dorarizin shook herself and assumed a more professional demeanor. "[Of course, I expect you''ll hear from me shortly.]"


    The screen blinked off, and Maria took a deep breath as she relaxed. A huge paw settled on her shoulder and gently squeezed.


    "[Good work, [Maria]!]" said Rgrarshok.


    Getting a compliment from the Captain made Maria happier than she expected. "At least I didn''t stutter. Why did I have to make the call?"


    "Just in case our ''Silken Feather'' friend is listening in," said Oscar. He stood over in one far corner of the bridge, well out of sight of the main display. "She saw me during her dramatic call, but she doesn''t know you or what you look like."


    "[And having a [human] make the call to traffic control gives us that much more of a chance that they''ll approve us for landing,]" added Rgrarshok.


    Maria shrugged. "If you say so. I just hope we don''t have to wait long."


    As if in reply the display beeped. Rgrarshok faded back out of view as Maria squared her shoulders and reapplied her plastic smile. The Dorarizin appeared again in front of her, and Maria did not like the fanged grin on the alien''s face.


    "[I must say, you''ve caused quite a stir,]" said the Dorarizin. "[You are cleared for landing on one condition.]"


    Maria kept her smile plastered in place while she felt her guts sink. "I suppose that isn''t too bad. What''s the condition?"


    The Dorarizin''s grin grew wider. "[Our beneficent leader, [Sssnnathor], has taken an interest in your group. He will meet you in person when you land.]"

 Chapter Thirteen

    The shuttle down to the planet was due to depart in [six hours], which should give Bgrarh-of-Arhraz plenty of time. He checked for the hundredth time that his lab door was securely locked, then pulled out an unassigned terminal he''d managed to snag for this. That was just in case anyone checked the logs on his own ''official'' machine. What he was doing was not strictly forbidden by the Inquisition, but it would be considered impolite and a cause for censure.


    If he got caught, Bgrarh figured he could spin a story of finding this media ''somewhere'' and examining it merely to see if he could determine its origin. They wouldn''t believe him, of course, but they''d probably let his possession slide...especially if he let the hypothetical Inquisitor watch over his shoulder.


    He took a steadying breath and popped the first chip into the terminal, then selected "Doctor No". Within a few scenes he''d gotten the gist of this [James Bond] character in spite of the poor quality and terrible dubbing. The Dorarizin had a similar fictional character, namely one Inquisitor Hmalanah. She traveled the galaxy with a blaster at her hip, ready to mete out justice and bed any comely males she came across.


    But Hmalanah was also, well, a she. This [Sean Connery] person was as adorable as any [human], but he was also quite clearly male. And even though [Connery] walked with the standard wobbly, about-to-fall-over gait of a [human], there was a relentlessness to the way he moved that drew the eye.


    The movie ended, and Bgrarh chose another at random. This had a different actor playing Bond, one who was less imposing but more debonair. The movie followed much the same formula as the first, which was something that [Bond] also had in common with Inquisitor Hmalanah.


    As the movie played on, Bgrarh began to pick up on why [Oscar] suggested [Bond]. Whenever the man entered a room, whether it be a casino, a denpile, or a prison cell, [Bond] acted as if he owned that room.


    Bgrarh stood and began walking about, picturing himself as a well-dressed secret agent who''d entered a dance competition as cover for some covert assignment...which honestly wasn''t that far from the truth. As he did so, his nervousness about the upcoming performance began to fade and he knew he''d found the right personality to emulate.


    Of course, there were certain things that Bgrarh was not going to emulate. He wasn''t an expert on [human] mating customs, but he was pretty sure it wasn''t proper to kiss [human] women without their consent.


    Bgrarh chuckled. If he tried kissing the Captain without permission she''d bite his head off. Although now that he thought about it, the idea of kissing her with permission was very appealing. She was quite a handsome woman, after all. Yes, she was the pack leader and thus couldn''t play favorites...but she was also a Dorarizin with needs.


    Besides, Bgrarh knew his time of ''season'' was approaching. Maybe this what the [humans] called a golden opportunity?


    <hr>


    In one corner of the hangar deck, two sinewy bodies coiled about each other. Each of them held a long needle-like sword in one hand, with the other hand clamped onto their opponent''s weapon-arm. There was much pained grunting as each strained to be the first to stab. Finally one of them managed to wrest her sword-arm free with a triumphant shout.


    "<A thousand deaths are not enough for one as cruel as you!>"


    With that line Hrathra''sstah lunged forward as her prop sword did its job and buried its holographic blade deep into Resh''skk''s chest. The ex-soldier clutched at the sword-hilt sticking out of his chest (which kept it from falling off), then groaned and toppled backward. His own weapon fell to the deck with a clatter.


    "<Me, cruel?>" he gasped in mock agony. "<Do not judge my actions by your own pitiful and weak morals. My deeds are in service to a glory you could not hope to imagine! In service to an empire which will outlast the very stones!>"


    With a wordless scream, Hrathra leapt onto him and pushed with both her hands at the pommel of the fake sword hilt, acting as if she was driving the nonexistent blade deeper into his chest. At that cue Resh''skk bit down on the capsule hidden in his cheek, then let a little emerald-hued stage blood trickle out of the corner of his mouth.


    He gave out another groan of pain. "<Thus I die content,>" he said in a stage whisper. Then Resh''skk slumped flat on the deck, staring off sightlessly into space.


    After a beat, there was the sound of two small pairs of hands slapping together. It was a gesture of appreciation that Jornissians performed as well, and the sound made Resh''skk feel better about this whole nonsense.


    "[Bravo!]" called [Maria].


    "[Yeah, that was awesome!]" added [Oscar].


    Resh''skk stopped playing dead and picked his hood up off of the deck. "<Really? You think so?>"


    "<Yes, Resh''skk, it was well done,>" said Hrathra''sstah. She still lay sprawled on top of him in a position that he would have enjoyed in other circumstances.


    "<My death-acting didn''t look too fake? Plus I''m still getting the hang of stage fighting. You''re really telegraphing that final lunge, I could dodge something like that in my sleep. Not to mention that if you did stab me in the lungs I wouldn''t be able to get out a single gasp let alone multiple lines of dialogue...>"


    Hrathra''sstah pressed a finger to his lips. "<It''s a play, Reshy. We have to make the fight moves big for the audience to see them.>"


    "[And the villain always has to give a big monologue when they die!]" said [Maria]. "[It''s a tradition even in [warmcuddle] drama.]"


    "<Okay, if you say so.>" Resh''skk made as if to get up, but Hrathra didn''t budge from her perch on top of him. He felt her tail-tip coil about his own. Ordinarily, Jornissians were a little less fussy about touching tails; it was just a consequence of their long body type. But this was a more familiar gesture, one that close friends engaged in.


    He glanced over and saw the two humans bumbling off. [Maria] had her hand on [Oscar''s] arm as she steered him away from the Jornissians. His [warmcuddle] friend had clearly picked up on this opportunity and was giving them the necessary privacy.


    Resh''skk turned his head back to look up into Hrathra''s red, gleaming eyes. His old fears returned. How could someone so smart and capable find anything of value in a broken down ex-thug like himself? But he had to try. He''d faced down pirates trying to carve out his intestines, he could face down this.


    "<Madam, would you please get off of me?>"


    She raised one corner of her hood. "<So formal now?>" But she did pick herself up off of him. Resh''skk rose, coiling his lower half below him in the Jornissian version of parade rest. He clasped his hands before him, while Hrathra''sstah folded her arms.


    "<Did I make you angry?>" she asked.


    "<Far from it. Madam, we are heading into danger. What I am about to say is very forward of me, not to mention completely unprofessional. But I must tell you. I have...feelings for you. I''ve had them for quite some time.>"


    Her arms dropped to her sides as she stared at him in shock. "<Does...does ''feelings'' mean what I think it does?>"


    Resh''ssk nodded. "<Yes. I have, as the bipeds put it, fallen for you.>"


    Her next words struck him to the heart, an icy feeling far crueler than any stab.


    "<But you can''t.>"


    Not a trace of his inner pain showed on his face as his clasped hands clenched ever so slightly tighter. "<I understand, ma''am. As I said, it is very unprofessional of me. After this whole mission is over, I''ll tender my resignation. I have several colleagues whom I can recommend...>"


    Hrathra cut him off with waving hands. "<No, no, that''s not what I meant. I mean, someone like you can''t be interested in someone like me.>" She slithered back and forth in front of him as her gesticulating grew ever more dramatic. "<You''re so big and strong, you''ve led such a brave life. I''m just a scholar, I wouldn''t know one end of a gun from the other. I''m weak, I live in my head all the time. For Sotek''s sake, I''m what [Maria] calls a [nerd]. What in the name of Harsak''s teeth could you possibly see in me...>"


    Now it was his turn to interrupt her with a gentle finger to her lips. "<You''re smart, yes, but you''re also kind. You always have a ready smile, no matter how much nonsense you have to deal with. You not only put up with a grumpy old [fart] like me, you make me feel young again. How could anyone not fall in love with you?>"


    There was one long moment of mutual staring, then she lunged for him again in an attack that he accepted with literal open arms.


    What with their long and muscled bodies, Jornissians are the gold-medal winners of the four Senate species when it comes to dealing out hugs. With these two Jornissians doing their very best to embrace each other, and on top of that doing their very best to kiss each other into oblivion, the resulting tangle was something that would make even Escher throw up his hands.


    In the middle of Resh''ssk''s bliss, he heard again the sound of a human applauding. He peered to the side and saw [Maria''s] grinning face. The [human] stood just out of easy tail-slap range.


    After a little bit of complicated tongue-de-tangling, Hrathra''sstah turned her head as well to regard her protege. "<[Maria]?>"


    "[Yeah, boss?]"


    "<While I appreciate the well wishes, could you please give us a little privacy?>"


    "[You got it, boss.]" [Maria] gave a wink to Resh''skk before strolling away. At any other time he would have found the little alien''s cockiness infuriating, but right now he was too happy to be angry. He clasped Hrathra anew to himself and kissed her snout.


    "<So what now?>" he asked.


    Hrathra''sstah rubbed her hood against his neck. "<Well, for starters we''re going to go down to that damned planet and get that Harsak-crushed Claw back. Then when we''re back in civilized space I''m going to rent two hotel rooms for a few days. One room for [Maria], and one for us.>" She grinned up at him. "<That should give you plenty of time to get ready, Mister Grumpy. Because once I get you in that room I plan to put a smile on your face that not even a surgeon could remove.>"


    <hr>


    The sunlight fell like a velvet hammer onto Oscar as he stepped down from the shuttle. He felt sweat instantly pop out on his forehead and wondered how much more his furred crewmates would suffer in such a climate. He supposed that the heat made sense, given that a Jornissian owned this planet.


    In front of the shuttle stood a wedge-shaped formation of Dorarizin wearing full armor. Oscar had seen the pictures during the only time any Dorarizin had set foot on Earth. Princess Gwe-Zgranzre-of-Ngrul''s honor guard had been just as armored-up as these guys. But where their armor had been brightly colored and ornate, this armor was sleek and functional.


    The armor''s visual effect was to turn the already-impressive figure of your average Dorarizin into what looked like a walking tank. The sleek, ovoid, and featureless chrome helmets of the retinue tilted down as one while they regarded Oscar. After a moment, the lead Dorarizin''s helmet hinged up to reveal a white-furred face with deep purple eyes. He looked at Oscar for a few seconds, then over at the sphere of Junior which hovered next to the human''s shoulder.


    Oscar heard various clatter behind him while the rest of the crew disembarked from the shuttle. He smiled as he tried his best to keep his heartrate down. Myyreh had his back, but asking her to take out a werewolf in power armor would be too much even for her.


    "Howdy, folks!" Oscar pointed at the lead Dorarizin''s armored chest. "Um, are you expecting trouble?"


    The lead Dorarizin smiled in response, showing a lot more teeth. "[Not at all. I know this appears as [overkill], but we have certain security protocols which must be followed for all visitors. I''m Nerlharg-of-Aergh.]"


    Oscar settled for a bow in lieu of shaking hands. "Oliver Ward, pleased to meetcha."


    "[Likewise.]" Nerlharg looked up at the others. "[I bid you all welcome. Please, follow me. His Excellency was very insistent that he meet your group right away.]"


    Oscar slung his bag over his shoulder. The concrete of the landing pad led to a loose gravel pathway lined with tall greenery which were nothing like trees. There was a clear lack of bark, plus the leaves had an odd earth-brown tinge to them. The plants did provide a good amount of shade, however, which gave Oscar some relief from the heat. Further inspection revealed a few tall rod-like structures scattered here and there among the growth; these rods emitted a fine mist of water which drifted over the pathway and provided further cooling.


    Nerlharg noticed Oscar''s inspection. "[His Excellency''s species is better built to withstand heat, but he provides for his subjects.]"


    "He sure does," replied Oscar. "I already get enough grief from my non-human comrades about my water usage, so I don''t want to be sweating more than I need to."


    Nerlharg gave his species'' bone-buzzsaw version of a chuckle, but didn''t otherwise comment.


    The procession crested a rise, and Oscar saw a few buildings ahead. The architecture gave the impression of a high-tech Aztec city, with multiple stepped pyramids situated along either side of a central promenade. A profusion of more greenery overhung each ''step'' on the buildings. Oscar wondered if this was proper Jornissian architecture. Maybe Sssnnathor just had a thing for pyramids.


    The promenade led forward to the largest pyramid by far, a huge building which rivaled that of any Egyptian tomb. A sloping ramp led up to an entrance that one could sling a starship through. The scale was such that even the giants around him looked small as they passed underneath that over-sized arch.


    Oscar wondered about the point of such overkill. Was it to show off Ssssnnathor''s wealth and power? The entire planet was proof of that. Perhaps it was a more subtle message to any who entered, a way to say ''however big you think you are, you''re in the house of someone far more important''.


    Whatever the reason for the grand entryway, the pyramid''s interior space was even more grand. The walls were clad in white marble with gold trim; they followed the slope of the exterior, with a spiral ramp leading up towards the apex far above. More green vines hung from the edges of the ramp, giving the whole space the air of a slightly less tacky Las Vegas casino. Three large snake-like figures waited in the center of the space in front of a long table piled high with various dishes.


    The middle Jornissian could only be Sssnnathor. Oscar half expected him to be clad in some sort of outrageous Ming-The-Merciless getup, but instead he wore a sober-looking ''suit'' the hue of sun-bleached bone. The white color contrasted well with his black-and-blue scale pattern.


    Sssnnathor''s face was split in a wide smile, and he had his arms outstretched in welcome. The guards on either side, however, looked much less friendly, what with their wearing power armor. A normal Jornissian ''exo-suit'' made them look like a long dakimakura-style pillow. But these guys were all hard edges and armor plating, fitting well with the look of the crew''s Dorarizin escort.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Each Jornissian bodyguard cradled a massive rifle casually in one hand; Oscar figured he just might be able to pick one of them up if he used both hands and all his strength.


    Sssnnathor''s purr-hiss boomed over them all. "[Welcome! You are a very pleasant surprise.]" He slithered forward, his silver eyes fixed on Oscar. The tyrant glanced over at Junior as he approached, and stopped at a respectful distance as he lowered himself to look the human in the eye.


    "[I apologize for staring, but this is my first time seeing one of your kind,]" said Sssnnathor.


    "No problem, Mr. Snape. I''m Oliver Ward." There was no way in hell Oscar was going to get anywhere near the strangled hiss-purr of Sssnnathor''s true name. He hoped that the translator matrix would do its job.


    After another moment of fascinated staring, Sssnnathor nodded and rose higher. He gestured towards the table behind him. "[Please, eat and be welcome.]"


    <hr>


    After the (fake-name) introductions and hand-shaking, Captain Rgrarshok found herself munching on a bit of grilled glrnada; internally, she wondered if this had been the right course of action. Her unease wasn''t helped by the fact that Sssnnathor was now parked at her right elbow with a calculating smile.


    "[It''s always nice to have new entertainment, Captain Rgratz,]" said the tyrant. "[But I can''t help but wonder why you chose to bless us with your presence. With two [tiny-chompers] in your company you would have the pick of engagements, yet you come to an out-of-Senate-space backwater like this.]"


    Rgrarshok swallowed her mouthful as she prepped the cover story they''d cooked up. "{This is hardly a backwater, but it''s true we could name our price. If I''m honest, Excellency, we''re not exactly welcome in Senate space at the moment. And it has to do with the tiny-chompers.}"


    Sssnnathor tilted his hood in curiosity. "[Oh, really?]" He turned to regard the two tiny-chompers, who naturally tended to stick together and now conversed in low tones while getting covertly studied by every other person in the pyramid. "[You didn''t kidnap them, I hope?]"


    Rgrarshok laughed. "{Far from it. Their placement on our crew was done through legal channels...except for the fact that we submitted two applications, under two different names. My XO cooked up the scheme, and I agreed. We thought it would give us a better chance of success.}"


    Sssnnathor hissed a laugh of his own. "[I suppose it makes sense from a mathematical viewpoint. After all, the odds of getting a [tiny-chomper] are astronomical enough as it is. Let me guess...both applications were awarded?]"


    The Captain gave a weary nod and a sigh. "{The first one was a moment of utter joy for us. [Oliver] was a wonderful addition to our crew, we were so happy...and then we got word of [Masie] coming to join us. I can''t tell you how much dancing we had to do so that the auditors never caught the scent that we already had another tiny-chomper on board. But we managed it, somehow. Only then to realize we were faced with quite a conundrum.}"


    "[Namely, if you performed in Senate space the odds were good that the placement program auditors would find out about your [double-dipping]. Hmm, well I suppose your embarrassment of riches is also our good fortune. Otherwise it might have been centuries before my poor little planet was able to host a [tiny-chomper].]"


    Rgrarshok performed a slight bow. "{With your kind permission, we plan to perform many times on your planet. Of course, we''ll also provide you with a free private performance if desired.}"


    Sssnnathor tapped a finger against his chin. "[Hmm, I don''t think a private performance is necessary. I do have a gala planned in three [days] time, one where I will show off my latest acquisition. Would your troupe do me the honor of performing there?]"


    "{We''d be happy to.}"


    <hr>


    Ngralh-of-Arzgar strolled through the sunlit bazaar. He had his paws clasped behind his back in a casual manner, but his eyes never stopped moving. Ngralh was enough of a student of history to know of the primitive conditions his species had once lived under, that era far back in the mists of time when they''d been bound to one planet.


    His surroundings were not that primitive, but this was about as ''squalid'' as one could get in a star-spanning civilization. The booths around him were formed of cheap and flimsy plastic, tinted with a hodgepodge of colors that stated louder than words that they''d been formed from castoff pieces. The wares emphasized hand-made tools and clothing, things that were just a little nicer than what one could get while on the dole.


    The air was filled with the scent of grilling meat, something else that one couldn''t get while on basic income. While the smell made his mouth water a little, he was going to have to give the food-sellers a pass. Dorarizin had pretty hardy metabolisms, but there was no need to risk food poisoning.


    Due to the meeting with Sssnnathor, their investigation was now two-fold. First was the hunt for the ''Silken Feather'', as they''d planned. But second was an attempt to find out exactly what the tyrant''s ''latest acquisition'' really was. Had the thief gone ahead and sold the Claw to him?


    Either way, his job was to work towards the former goal. To that end, he was looking for someone to press ever-so-gently for information.


    "[A pretty scarf for your lady friend, good sir?]" The chirping voice came from a hunched-over Karnakian who presided over a rainbow-colored waterfall of fabric. Ngralh gave her a cordial nod as he stopped strolling to look over her selection. Hmmm, that purple number would look good on Egwreh.


    "{How much for this one?}" In the haggling that followed he allowed the seller to get a better deal than usual, figuring that it would put her in a better frame of mind for questioning.


    "[Would there be anything else, sir?]" asked the Karnakian after he''d bought two scarves.


    "{Is this the only market around? I have some colleagues who might be interested in larger items.}"


    "[This is the largest market in the capital, sir.]" She leaned forward as her crest rose. "[You''re with the entertainers who just arrived, yes? The ones with the [tiny-chompers]?]"


    "{That''s right. I''m surprised word''s spread this fast.}"


    "[There''s always interest when [tiny-chompers] are involved, good sir.]"


    "{I understand. Do you get many off-world visitors? We''re trying to determine how much new audience turnover we can expect.}"


    "[A few every [month] or so. This planet is very welcoming to all, no matter their past.]"


    Ngralh gave an embarrassed click. "{How, er, segregated is it around here? I only ask because some multi-species colonies can be rough; the locals can take it the wrong way if one goes walking through another species'' section of town.}"


    The seller waved one casual wing-arm. "[Oh, there''s no such problems around here! But I would still be careful, since do have some minor criminals wandering about. The various races tend to cluster together to take advantage of any species-specific infrastructure such as plumbing requirements.]"


    He smiled at her and gave a bob of his head to simulate a Karnakian farewell. "[Thanks, you''ve been very kind.]"


    Thanks to a few more generous purchases and pointed questions, Ngralh found the Karnakian portion of town. If the "Silken Feather" was in civilization, chances are it was somewhere around here. It would be far easier for her to keep track of incoming and outgoing ships, plus she''d have a handy population of raptors to get lost in.


    For sure she''d be wearing a disguise. Instead of scanning each individual Karnakian that passed, Ngralh set his implant to ping him if it detected anyone matching the body proportions of their quarry.


    He spent another hour walking among the Karnakians, trying to look like nothing more than a normally ship-bound crew member anxious to stretch his legs. His scans of the crowd turned up empty, and after a while he started to wish somebody would try to mug him. At least it would break up the monotony.


    Ngralh turned down a narrow and deserted alley with walls formed of the same cheap plastic sheeting used for the market booths. He''d made it halfway down when two feathered forms suddenly blocked the far end. He stopped and glanced over his shoulder...sure enough, two more blocked the way he''d came.


    The front and rear pairs of Karnakians began to close in with slow menace towards him.


    "[Four against one, furball,]" said one of them. "[Not good odds. Now why don''t you just hand over everything in your pockets and we''ll call it good, eh?]"


    Ngralh shifted his weight so that he was balanced on his toes, then extended his claws. While he might not be death-on-foot like Myyreh, he was still an experienced peace officer. That fact evened the odds more than they realized. Once he''d given these guys a good thrashing, he could lean on them for some more detailed information. His ears swiveled back as he tracked the sounds of the two behind him. They''d probably rush him first, and so he kept his back invitingly open...


    A strangled chirp-roar sounded from behind him. He spun himself sideways, careful to keep the front two in his peripheral vision. Both of the Karnakians behind him sprawled twitching on the ground, each wreathed in blue electric sparks. As he took in the sight there was a blur of motion behind to the other two...


    They didn''t even manage a sound before they too were down and out of any possible fight. Ngralh turned carefully back to face his would-be rescuer, a green-feathered Karnakian with a yellow band around her neck.


    The Silken Feather.


    She stood just out of easy leaping range. The thief had never laid eyes on Ngralh during her call to the Furious Call of Inquiry, so he figured he''d play ignorant and try to lure her closer. "{You have my thanks, friend. I don''t have any money on me, but if you''ll follow me back to my ship I''m sure my Captain would be happy to reward you.}"


    The thief snorted. "[No games, friend. You know who I am and I know who you are. A mixed-race crew who also happen to have [humans] on board, showing up in a conveniently quick manner after I placed that call? The odds of that are astronomical. I guess you tracked me after all.]"


    Ngralh took in a deep, irritated breath and then relaxed. "{All right.}" He glanced again at the sprawled, shuddering bodies around him. "{You still have my thanks.}"


    "[Oh, it''s my pleasure I assure you. I can''t allow any of our brave Senate investigators to get hurt in the line of duty, now can I?]"


    The XO chuckled. "{I wasn''t in that much danger. So. How easy do you want to make this? I can tell you right now the Captain is not going to allow any sale.]"


    "[I would reply that it''s not up to her, is it? I think the Matriarchs'' opinions would carry greater weight in this case. In any case, just know that I know that you''re here and that I''m watching you. I''ll be in contact soon to set up the sale. Do you still have that Galnet node of mine?]"


    "{Of course. It''s evidence.}"


    She grinned wide. "[Ah, yes. You police must always play by the rules, eh? I''m rather surprised you don''t try to tackle me right here and now.]"


    Ngralh tapped the side of his nose. "{It wouldn''t do any good. I smell nothing but these four bozos, which tells me I''m talking to a hard-light hologram.}"


    The Silken Feather bowed her head. "[Excellent, it''s always a pleasure to deal with competent adversaries. I bid you a good day, sir.]"


    The green-and-yellow Karnakian vanished, leaving a small metal sphere hovering in the alleyway. The drone fizzed while its internals fried, then fell to the ground with a small thud.


    Ngralh blew out a breath that any onlooker would have taken as one of frustration. But then he smiled and touched his ear. "{Egwreh, Myyreh, you''re up.}"


    <hr>


    The Silken Feather maneuvered down a neighboring alley, looking behind her constantly. It had been a risk to expose herself, but the chance to show these silly police that she was on top of things was too delicious to pass up. The following negotiations would have to be done with great delicacy; she had to conceal the fact that she no longer had the Claw, while keeping in reserve her knowledge of Sssnnathor''s covert activities. The latter should act as insurance in the case that she wasn''t able to retrieve the Claw.


    And she would retrieve that which she''d rightfully stolen. Sssnnathor was not omnipotent, and her audacity would act as a shield. The aged fool would never imagine that she''d be bold enough to try breaking into his main palace. As her mind whirled, she peered around the corner and scanned her surroundings on instinct. She saw nothing, and so she continued on her way.


    The Silken Feather trotted along while plotting and was still feeling quite pleased with herself when Myrreh-of-Relgreh''s fist came out of thin air and connected solidly with her jaw.


    <hr>


    The Silken Feather came to and on reflex reached out mentally with her implant to trigger the protective mode of her clothing. All she received was the lurch of an unsuccessful connection, which then made her realize she wasn''t wearing her own clothes anymore. All she had was a simple shift made of plain fabric to protect her modesty. Locked tight around her feathered body was a cage of hard-light which allowed her to breathe comfortably...and that was about it for any movement she could perform.


    As the Silken Feather blinked and shook her snout, a warbling voice intruded into her aching head.


    "[Ah, you''re finally awake! Sorry about taking liberties with your person, but you had way too many little goodies hidden in your clothes. We couldn''t let you keep them.]"


    The voice came from a small figure standing in front of her. Behind that alien was a much bigger form that she recognized as Captain Rgrarshok. The huge Dorarizin stood with folded arms and a steady, unblinking expression which was somehow more fearsome than a snarl.


    The Silken Feather focused all four eyes on the small alien in front of her. It was the first time she''d laid eyes on a little-needs-protecting, and for a moment she stared in wonder. As all the reports said, the little-needs-protecting had a soul filled with starlight, almost like a hatchling''s but much more complex.


    Then her discipline reasserted itself as she took quick stock of her surroundings. She was pinned in the middle of what looked like a hangar deck of some sort. That meant she was in space and surrounded by enemies. Not to mention tied up and completely unarmed. It was a bad situation, but she''d been in worse. The most important thing for now was to appear as if she''d given up.


    The Silken Feather smiled ruefully. "|I congratulate you on your plan. It was masterfully done.|"


    The little-needs-protecting shrugged. "[Eh, we got lucky. We didn''t know if you''d realize that we were the Senate team, but we had [Ngralh] followed just in case you followed him. You didn''t just follow, you actually made contact. [Ngralh] sends his regards, by the way, and thanks you again for your help.]"


    The thief slumped in her bonds. "|It was my pleasure.|" She stared up at the Captain. "|Shall we make a deal, or are you just going to skip right to the torturing?|"


    Rgrarshok grinned. "[Your interrogation will begin now. Go ahead, [Oscar].]"


    The computer-generated cage around The Silken Feather shifted, moving her arms apart and exposing more of her keeled chest. She felt a moment of panic as the little-needs-protecting wobbled towards her. Was he going to pull out a knife and start cutting on her?


    The Silken Feather''s shift didn''t quite cover the front fluff of her chest, and as he reached her [Oscar] pushed aside some of the fabric to expose more feathers. The intimate act shocked her. She''d heard that [humans] would mate with just about anything, but surely he wouldn''t resort to...that against her will?


    Without a word, [Oscar] smashed himself face-first into her fluff like a nestling seeking warmth. The sensation created an automatic maternal response in The Silken Feather, causing her feathers to expand out.


    "[Where is the Claw?]" asked Rgrarshok.


    The thief tried to focus, but it was hard with a soft and warm little sapient doing his best to make a bed out of her chest fluff. "|Eh? Oh, that old thing? Who knows? Maybe I know, maybe I don''t. You''ll have to...oh...make it worth my while to...care...|"


    "[Ah, you''re expecting to make a deal with us?]"


    The Silken Feather tried to focus, but [Oscar] was still squirming against her chest. Her bound arms twitched...she wanted to hold the little alien in the worst way...


    "|Wouldn''t you, in my situation?|" she responded. "|After all, the [Claw''s] location is the only bargaining chip I have right now. You must be mad if you think I''ll give that up without at least an offer of amnesty.|"


    {Oscar] let out a little warbling hum and reached out with both tiny hands to get a good grip on her chest fluff.


    The act almost made The Silken Feather miss the Captain''s next statement. "[And you must be mad if you think we''ll let you go without having the Claw safe in our possession.]"


    Any further strategy fled right out of her head. What was wrong with her? She was a ghost, a free soul, she was afraid of no one and wanted nothing more than lots of covert bank accounts stuffed full of credits. But now, all that she could think of was the need to grasp this little being close to her, to build a nest and keep him safe and warm. The feeling was worse than any pain or injury.


    "|I...well, that is...|" She shook herself and glared up at Rgrarshok. "|I have rights under Senate law! This treatment can''t be legal!|"


    Rgrarshok unsheathed a claw and held it up to her face. She inspected it closely as she spoke. "[What would you have to complain about? True, we have you bound at the moment but that is merely for our protection. Are we mistreating you in any way?]"


    "|You know damn well what I mean...erg...can you tell him to stop squirming?|"


    "[Tell him yourself.]"


    The Silken Feather looked down at the little creature moving against her. "|I know what you''re trying to do. It won''t work.|"


    "[What do you mean?]" asked [Oscar]. "[I''m tired and need a nap.]"


    "|I just...please...|"


    Rgrarshok chuckled. "[You know, if you wish to claim rights as a Senate citizen you''ll need to tell us who you really are. It seems you''ve done quite an admirable job in throwing us off of your true scent.]"


    The Silken Feather gritted her teeth. "|I will never tell you!|"


    Rgrarshok waved her hand in a ''there it is'' gesture. "[Then I guess you''ll have to put up with some more [little-needs-protecting] interaction. [Oscar], give me a call when you wake up and we''ll continue.]" She started to lope away, only to be stopped by the Silken Feather''s plea.


    "|Please, no. I''ll propose a deal. You release me and then I''ll tell you where the Claw is.|"


    "[You tell us where the Claw is and then we''ll release you,]" replied the Captain.


    The Silken Feather shook her crest. "|No. You can put an implant in me to track me if you like, but I won''t tell you a thing until I''m out of your custody.|" She knew she was technically savvy enough to defeat any possible tracking they''d put in her, since they''d certainly try to capture her again after finding out the Claw was now in Sssnnathor''s possession. After her release, she could then steal the Claw back from Sssnnathor as she''d planned. True, having the Senate team breathing on her tail would put a bit of a time constraint on things, but she was capable enough to pull it off.


    [Oscar] abruptly let go of her floof and wobbled away back towards the Captain. "[She doesn''t have the Claw. Not anymore.]"


    Rgrarshok stroked a thoughtful claw along her chin. "[Agreed. She gave in far too easily.]"


    "|What nonsense is this? Of course I have it! Not on me, obviously, but I have it stashed in a very safe location! One that you''ll never discover unless I tell you. Release me and you can go get it yourself.|"


    The pair of peace officers stared back at The Silken Feather for a moment.


    "[If she''d sold it to [Sssnnathor], she would''ve been long gone with her money,]" said [Oscar].


    "[Quite true,]" replied Rgrarshok. "[So he must have found out somehow that she was here. The fact that she''s alive means that he didn''t get his claws on her directly. However he found out, the Claw is now in his custody.]" Her purple eyes stared steadily at The Silken Feather. [Isn''t that right?]"


    "|I''m not saying anything further,|" replied The Silken Feather. "|You may as well go ahead and torture me. Or whatever that was your little-needs-protecting was doing.|"


    [Oscar] gasped in mock horror. "[Me? Torture? No, I wouldn''t dream of harming a single feather on your crest. But there are a few [Karnakians] on board whom you''ve wronged both directly and indirectly. I''m sure they''ll be eager to...discuss...their grievances with you at great length.]"


    "[Or we could just leave her tied up somewhere on the planet,]" said Rgarshok. "[Perhaps we should drop an anonymous note to [Sssnnathor] telling her where she is? Only in the interest of making sure she doesn''t die of exposure, of course.]"


    "[Of course!]" said [Oscar].


    The Silken Feather sagged once more, this time in real defeat. She had but one bit of leverage left to play. "|We can still make a deal for my release,|" she said.


    "[With what information?]" asked Rgrarshok. "[If [Sssnnathor] has the Claw I''m sure you have no idea where he''s hidden it. That''s something we''ll have to figure out.]" The Captain sighed. "[I''ll bet this party of his is for showing off the Claw.]"


    "[I''m not taking that bet,]" said [Oscar].


    The thief shook her crest. "|I''m not talking about the Claw''s location. I''m talking about [Sssnnathor] himself. He''s up to something bigger than the Claw. Whatever it is involves cloning.|"


    Rgrarshok placed a paw over her eyes. "[Of course he is. By the First Pack, I need a vacation.]"

 Chapter Fourteen

    After some discreet messaging to the other Dorarizin, the Claw''s bridge was soon filled with a slew of big wolf-like aliens...and one human. The Captain''s debriefing on the outcome of the Silken Feathers ''torture'' session resulted in groans and a lot of drooping tails from the rest of the crew.


    Ngralh rubbed one ear. "[So that''s the situation, people. [Sssnnathor] has the Claw, and this gala tomorrow is intended to show it off.]"


    "Which still seems dumb to me," said Oscar. "He''s kept his nose clean by staying under the Senate''s radar. Why make such a provocative gesture? He''s gotta know that word will get out that he''s got the Claw. Won''t the Senate bust his ass for trafficking in stolen goods?"


    "[Merely acquiring a ''hot'' item wouldn''t be sufficient grounds for an invasion force,]" replied the Captain. She tilted her head as she stared off into the distance. "[Pity. If he''d gotten ahold of the Claw through straight-up piracy that might be sufficient. If we can also get evidence of his trafficking in sapients, that would also do it. But he''s careful enough to keep all such evidence well away from this particular party.]"


    "[Did ''The Silken Feather'' provide any details on those claimed cloning experiments?]" asked Bgrarh. "[Depending on what those are, the Senate could use that as pretext for invasion.]"


    Oscar shrugged. "Our overly-theatrical guest wouldn''t say more, no matter how much I did the ''helpless nestling chick'' routine on ''er. All she said was that Snape is ''up to something'' involving cloning. She''s insistent that we release her before she gives us anything else."


    "[The First Pack''s claws will go dull before I let that happen,]" growled Rgrarshok. "[We''ve set up a separate brig for her well away from the rest of the quarters. She''s staying in there until we''re back in Senate space.]"


    Oscar cleared his throat with deliberation. "And then what? Are you going to turn her over to the Inquisition?"


    Rgrarshok smiled. "No, [Oscar]. I''m sure we could wear her down with enough questioning, but we just don''t have the time. She''ll have to stew in isolation until this mission is over. There are plenty in Senate law enforcement who can get the truth out of her using non-violent methods.]"


    "[And what exactly is our mission at the moment?]" asked Myyreh. The combat specialist stood next to Oscar with folded arms and an uncertain expression. "[We expected to find this thief and retrieve the Claw without [Sssnnathor''s] knowledge. Now it sounds like we need to stage some kind of raid on his compound.]"


    The Captain shook her head. "[Ngralh and I have discussed this at length. We cannot risk performing a heist or attack during the party. We only have a day to plan'' that''s a sure trail to disaster. Our new goals are twofold. First, we''ll gather intelligence on the security in [Sssnnathor''s] main compound for a possible future break-in. Second, we need to acquire plenty of video and audio evidence that he indeed has the Claw.


    "After the party we''ll pool our observations and see if a raid is feasible. My guess is that [Sssnnathor''s] security will be tight enough to prevent it. In that case, we''ll leave and hand off our evidence along with our new guest to the Senate. I believe that with ''The Silken Feather''s'' information they''ll have enough pretext to send in a larger, specialized team.]"


    "[The Matriarchs aren''t going to be happy about that,]" said Egwreh. "[They''ll want us to make a grab for the Claw. They may even insist on trying to steal it during the party itself.]"


    Rgrarshok shook her head. "[That''s exactly the kind of nonsense we need to avoid. I want everyone to listen to me very carefully. Our Karnakian guests will find out that [Sssnnathor] has [Ta''irrl''qc ''s] Claw, especially if he flouts it at the party. So we''re going to tell them that we intercepted some [radio] traffic that indicated he''s got it.]"


    The Captain extended a claw and tapped it into her other, open palm for emphasis. "[But under no circumstances are they to know that this ''Silken Feather'' character is in our custody. She''s wronged too many of them, and I''m not having the Karnakians pull some vigilante crap before I can turn her feathery ass over for proper questioning.]"


    <hr>


    Sssnnathor looked out over the huge atrium of his main pyramid. It was now also decorated with banners proclaiming the glorious [sixtieth] year of his reign. The anniversary of his claim on this world was a nice bit of timing that coincided with his newest material acquisition.


    And, of course, this party would also coincide with the final decanting of his greatest creation. The almost-ready specimen was now safely ensconced in the secret and much larger facility deep under Sssnnathor''s newest palace. That decanting, of course, would be performed in private, with only Sssnnathor''s second-in-command in attendance.


    Claws tapped on metal behind him in a rhythm that he knew very well. "<What do you think, [Nerlharg]?>" he asked.


    "[It looks quite nice, Excellency. This will be a party to remember.]"


    "<I don''t doubt it. And what do you think, [Nerlharg]?>"


    "[I''ve checked their transponder ID with our Senate contacts. They seem legitimate. There''s a few mentions on some of the news feeds about the crew of the [Long Dance of Fghrealh] putting on shows in various locations, but nothing for the last two [months].]"


    "<Hmmm....perhaps they are who they say they are. The other option is they''re an undercover Senate team.>"


    Nerlharg moved up to stand beside his ruler. "[If they are the former, we do have a prime opportunity. I know how much you''ve wanted a [warmcuddle], and they have two.]"


    "<And this troupe won''t be missed, especially if they took pains to disappear from Senate space.>" Sssnnathor felt a thrill in his nethers at the thought of wrapping himself around one of the diminutive aliens, watching those tiny eyes go big and frantic as he squeezed ever tighter...


    Sssnnathor blinked, then silently berated himself. A warmcuddle was as rare as a solid gold asteroid, not something to be snuffed out on a whim. "<That''s an intriguing notion, my friend,>" he said. "<But it would only be feasible if they are indeed just a traveling troupe of entertainers.>"


    "[Even if this group is with the Senate, having two [warmcuddles] as hostages would be valuable,]" replied Nerlharg.


    "<Such a move would also put us in a direct conflict with the Senate.>"


    "[I''m merely stating our options, Excellency.]"


    The Jornissian rubbed the edge of his hood as he pondered his options. "<Of course you are. Please, always feel free to speak your mind. I think we''ll do some prying during the party to determine this group''s true nature. I want their security shadowed at all times, especially that of the warmcuddles. Wait for my signal. If I give it, then eliminate the others and take the warmcuddles to the new facility. That''s the closest secure location.>"


    Nerlargh hesitated a little before replying. "[Are you sure you want them there? What if the [humans] see, well, him?]"


    Sssnnnathor hummed a little atonal melody as he looked out over the workers toiling away far below. The feast tables were even more laden than when he''d received the entertainers, and of course the amount of drink provided would be enough to float a dreadnought.


    He smiled. "<By all means, let''s let the warmcuddles see my creation,>" he said at last. "<They are such a short-lived species...perhaps I can turn them to our cause.>"


    <hr>


    Ck''Trrk''Ka, Most Reverend Beacon-of-Light and Matriarch-of-the-33rd-Path, was in the middle of what a [human] would call an Epic Snit. Her coppery feathers fluffed out in random places as she stalked back and forth in irritation. She didn''t have much room to pace, and finally she lashed out with a toe-claw against the nearest wall of her quarters. The attack left a long and ugly scar in the tough metal, the newest of many other similar scrapes beside it.


    "|This is intolerable!|" she shrieked.


    The equally Most Reverend Yadda Yadda Et Cetera Ma''elge''yk watched her counterpart with amused, half-lidded eyes from the other corner of the small room. She looked around Ck''Trrk''ka''s quarters. "|I admit this is small, but I assure you that my room is just as cramped. At least we can''t accuse the [Dorarizin] of playing favorites.|"


    "|No, they''re just guilty of sacrilege!|" With great effort Ck''Trrk''Ka made her feathers smooth back down as she calmed herself. "|I have pled our case to the Captain, but she refuses to listen. All she says is that they''ll determine a proper course of action after the party. I fear that when we depart this accursed place that egg-sucking bastard [Sssnnathor] will still have the Claw.|"


    The other Matriarch shrugged. "|What can you expect from those who do not have the gifts we''ve received from the Great Mother? Did not Ta''irrl''qc say in Sutra Nine Hundred and Two that...|"


    "|It is the duty of the soul-seers to shepherd those who cannot.|" Ck''Trrk''Ka glared at her counterpart. "|Don''t think you can out-quote me on his teachings.|"


    Ma''elge''yk raised a placating claw. "|Of course not.|"


    "|Then why are you here? Why did you insist on breaking into my mediation?|"


    The 34th-Path Matriarch looked pointedly at the multiple scratches along the wall. "|Ah, yes, meditation. Is that what you heretics call it?|"


    "|If you have something to say, then say it or begone.|" Ck''Trrk''Ka turned to begin pacing again.


    "|I wish to help you recover the Claw.|"


    The statement made the copper-colored Karnakian turn around with shock in all four eyes. Then those eyes narrowed. "|Don''t play with me. You are scheming to take the Claw for yourself.|"


    Ma''elge''yk preened back a few yellow feathers as she replied. "|There''s no scheme on my part. True, I''d love to be able to retrieve the Claw for my Path. But you and I are united in a larger mission. The Final Sutra is loose in the galaxy and must be retrieved. I am willing to sacrifice much to achieve that, even stooping to work with you heretics. The question is, what are you willing to sacrifice? Will you likewise put aside your anger so that we can work together?|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka stood in thought for a moment. "|So if the Claw does happen to come into the possession of you or one of your Path, you would turn it over to us? You would ask for nothing in return?|"If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Ma''elge''yk stood and formally folded her hands together. "|I swear it, upon my soul and in the sight of Ta''irrl''qc who watches over us all.|"


    After another moment, Ck''Trrk''Ka extended her clawed hands. The two Matriarchs clasped forearms in a formal greeting posture.


    Ma''elge''yk grinned. "|Of course, after I give you the Claw I''ll go right back into making your life miserable.|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka responded with an equal grin. "|I expect nothing less, you soulless heretic. What do we do next?|"


    "|We must tally our resources,|" replied Ma''elege''yk. "|Of course, we must not tell the [Dorarizin] of our resolve. We cannot involve the other aliens either.|"


    "|Agreed. They''ll simply turn around and tell the crew. Including ourselves that gives us six Karnakians to work with...|"


    "|Seven. We should include Ter''yeik in this.|"


    Cr''Trrk''ka growled and dropped her arms. "|That faithless bastard?|"


    "|He wishes to atone, and we have too few personnel as it is. What better path towards redemption than to take back what he helped to steal in the first place?|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka began to pace again, but this time with a more measured and slow tempo. "|True. And he is implanted with a tracker, so there won''t be any danger of him escaping. But we''re still woefully short on expertise. My guards are capable, but they''re not thieves.|"


    "|Neither are mine,|" said Ma''elge''yk. Then she gave a small trill of laughter. "It''s true Tk''rii''na helped steal the Claw in the first place, but he had inside help. We''ll just have to make do with what we have. After all, ''A disciple with true faith can rely on the Great Mother to guide their actions''.|"


    "|Sutra Forty-Two,|" said Ck''Trrk''Ka absently. She stopped in mid-step. "|Perhaps we have more expertise available than we think?|" She turned towards her counterpart with a cocked head. "|How exactly did the [Dorarizin] find out that [Sssnnathor] has the Claw in his possession?|"


    "|They claim to have intercepted a transmission from him. Do you think they''re lying?|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka''s toe-claws tapped on the deck. "|From what I''ve read of [Sssnnathor], he seems too careful to let something like that slip.|"


    "|Then how do they know?|" Ma''elge''yk gave a derisive snort. "|Unless the Great Mother saw fit to impart her knowledge to lesser beings...|" The Matriarch trailed off as she saw the triumphant smile on Ck''Trrk''Ka''s snout, and her own crest rose as she realized what her counterpart was driving at.


    "|They heard it from the tongue of the thief herself,|" said Ck''Trrk''Ka. "|The [Dorarizin] must have captured her. I''ll bet you anything that she''s on board right now.|"


    <hr>


    The team''s planet-side lodgings were most decidedly not that of someone on the dole. It was a suite of apartments in one of the pyramids near Sssnnathor''s main compound. The apartments were spacious, well-furnished...and the view out their windows gave the team a straight shot at Sssnnathor''s pyramid, should such a thing be required.


    Myyreh checked her armor and gear for the [hundredth] time. The rest of the performers, minus [Oscar] and Bgrarh, gathered around her. Instead of prepping munitions, they were adjusting and checking each other''s clothing.


    The four Karnakians stood in the corner nearest Myyreh and argued. But the arguing was not about relgious differences between the two Paths as she''d expected. Instead, each pair of guards went through an endless round of dithering over proper outfit coloration. Every time they seemed to have it settled, they''d look over and see that the other pair had chosen a color that clashed with their own, which set off a fresh round of arguing.


    Captain Rgrarshok inspected herself one last time, then turned away and gazed through the nearest window towards the hill-like shape of the distant main compound. "{Where is Bgrarh?}" she muttered.


    "{He''ll be ready,}" said Myyreh. "{As will [Oscar].}" She slotted the last power cell into place and closed its cover, then stood back for one last examination. Her armor stood before her, its surface nothing but sleek unbroken curves. Myyreh had the armor''s camouflage set to the default midnight-black coloration, not for stealth but because it looked intimidating as hell.


    Beside her, Resh''skk closed up his own armor as well. With a critical eye he leaned in and brushed a final fleck of lint off of its surface. The Jornissian reached into the open helmet and touched a few controls inside, then stood back as the visor closed and the armor began to compact into itself. Within moments it was a neat lozenge-like shape on the floor. If Myyreh exerted herself, she might be able to carry that armor pod in both arms unaided. But of course, if the time came to carry it she would most definitely be aided.


    "[I never thought I''d be wearing one of those again,]" said Resh''skk. He sat on his coiled body and regarded the pod with crossed arms and a distant, somewhat mournful expression on his face. Myyreh wondered if his own service career had been as bloody and traumatic as hers.


    "{Neither did I,}" replied Myyreh. "{And if all goes well neither of us will.}"


    [Oscar] came bumbling into the room, and Myyreh''s heart beat faster at the sight of her little lover.


    Resh''skk glanced over at Myyreh and smiled. "[Don''t worry, I''ll look after him.}"


    Myrreh chuckled. "{Somehow I think you''ll have your hands full looking after your own tiny-chomper.}" She pointed to the far corner of the room. [Maria] paced back and forth, gesticulating and muttering to herself as she went over and over her lines. Hrathra''sstah slithered close behind her, trying to get errant hairs off of the [human''s] clothing like a Dorarizin father chasing after his pup while trying to get the child looking presentable for school.


    "{Besides,}" continued Myyreh, "{Even if I''m not at the party, the Captain will be.}" She nodded over at the formidable bulk of Rgrarshok, who stood like a wall as she regarded the assembled performers with a critical eye.


    [Oscar] wobbled over and gave her a hug that she returned with greater-than-normal fervor.


    "[Hey, woah, it''s just a recon mission,]" said [Oscar]. His voice was muffled due to being smashed into her chest. "[No big deal, right?]"


    Myyreh released him and smiled. "{You''re too much of a troublemaker. Somehow I know you''ll need rescuing.}" She reached down and fussed at his clothing, neatening up what wrinkles she''d put into his suit with her hug.


    As Myyreh did so she heard the Captain give out a soft, confused little woof. The combat specialist straightened up and saw Bgrarh at the doorway, his suit set to a deep black that matched her armor''s coloration. He had one paw clasped on his lapel, and his deep blue eyes were merry as he scanned the room. The big male stood casually, like he''d decided to stop by on a whim.


    "{Afternoon, everyone,}" said Bgrarh. "{So glad I didn''t miss the party.}" He walked in with a loping gait that looked carefree but also gave a relentless impression. Myyreh cocked her head as Bgrarh sidled up to Rgrarshok. "{How are you, love?}"


    For the first time that Myyreh could remember, the Captain looked completely adrift. "{Er, I''m fine...Yes, fine!}" Rgrarshok squared her shoulders. "{I thought we agreed on blue for both of our outfits.}"


    "{I think the blue-on-black contrast will make our dance moves stand out better,}" replied Bgrarh. He stepped a little closer, now definitely inside the Captain''s private space. "{We can pass off the color choice as a tribute to our gracious host, hmm?}"


    Myyreh tilted her head the other way. By the Pale Moon, who was this person and what had they done with the real Bgrarh?


    Rgrarshok blinked in surprise, then reached up to automatically neaten Bgrarh''s collar. "{Very well. All right, people, Listen up.}"


    The performers stopped their preparations and turned as one to face the Captain.


    "{This is a simple intelligence-gathering operation,}" said Rgarshok. "{Our low-profile armor has plenty of audio and visual recording built into it, so we''ll generate plenty of evidence by simply walking around. We are going in, doing our performance as rehearsed, and then departing while leaving behind many smiles and promises to return. If our suspicions are correct and [Sssnnathor] has [Ta''irrl''qc''s] Claw, there will be NO heroic attempts to retrieve it.}"


    Rgrarshok gave a purple glare towards the four Karnakians present. "{Is that CLEARLY understood?}"


    After a hasty nodding of feathered crests, she continued. "{Now as to contingencies. We have Grawreh ready in the shuttle. Myyreh will be armored-up and waiting here with Egwreh and Kgrashak. They''ll be monitoring transmissions among [Sssnnathor''s] security forces as well as our own live feed from the party.}" She nodded towards the engineer and doctor. "{If they detect a problem, they''ll give the go-signal. Or if something bad happens at the party, one of us will give the go-signal. Either way, upon receiving the go-signal Myyreh will depart from here carrying [Resh''skk''s] armor and weaponry. She''ll link up with him and hand off his equipment. Together they''ll provide perimeter security and deal with any of [Sssnnathor''s] guards until Grawreh can come in with the shuttle for extraction.}"


    Tk''riii''na raised a cautious hand. "[What about the city''s defense grid? Won''t they fire on our shuttle as we leave?]"


    "[For that matter, what about our Matriarchs?]" asked Irr''''kttz. "[They''re all alone up there. What if the ship gets attacked?]"


    "{The Claw is quite capable of taking evasive action on its own,}" said Rgrarshok. "{Which is actually something we''re going to use in the event of an extraction.}"


    The Karnakians still looked a bit troubled, but didn''t press further.


    "[What''s the go-signal?]" asked [Oscar]. "[I mean, is it a word or gesture or something?]"


    The Captain rocked back a little on her heels as she pondered the question. "{Hmm, perhaps we should let you choose.}" She nodded towards [Oscar]. "{What say you?}"


    [Oscar], in turn, looked over towards [Maria]. "[Do you have any suggestions?]"


    The smaller [human] grinned, showing teeth that couldn''t even break skin. The sight made Myyreh groan inside. It really was unfair that tiny-chompers were so damn cute.


    "[Let''s make it [Calvinball],]" said [Maria].


    [Oscar] gave an equally cute grin. "[Yeah, that fits. I like it.]"


    Rgrarshok raised one triangular ear in puzzlement, then shrugged. "{So be it. The go-signal for extraction will be the word...[Calvinball].]"


    <hr>


    Once again the Silken Feather started her self-imposed task. That task was to count the number of scratches and other imperfections along one wall of her cell. She''d gotten up to [three hundred and six] the last time before getting distracted. This time, she made it to [two hundred and thirteen] before she heard the whirr of a security drone outside her cell.


    "|Meal time already?|" she muttered. The cell door slid open just long enough for the hovering drone to set a tray inside. As it slid shut, the thief automatically noted the time it took to close. She''d be able to dive out of the room with ease...if there wasn''t a drone blocking the way, of course.


    The Silken Feather sighed and picked up the flimsy tray to regard her repast. It was all pre-processed bricks; there were no utensils or anything that one could fashion into a tool or weapon. She picked up a brick and munched on it. It tasted a little bland for her palate, but at least eating gave her something to do.


    She looked down at the tray and her crest rose in curiosity. Under one of the bricks was a slip of paper. With quick fingers she snatched up the note and held it up to her eyes. The paper held three vertical lines of hastily-written glyphs


    WE KNOW YOU''RE ON BOARD.


    WILL SET YOU FREE IF YOU HELP US GET CLAW BACK.


    TEAR THIS NOTE IN TWO IF YOU AGREE.


    Without hesitation The Silken Feather bisected the slip of paper in a single claw-swipe. She set the two pieces back on the tray and resumed her meal, this time sporting a large grin on her face. It seemed to take an eternity, but finally the drone returned and spirited away her tray.


    The Silken Feather settled herself down and began counting again. At [one hundred and nine] the whirr returned. The door slid open once more to reveal the spherical bulk of a drone...which then gave an odd squawk and fell to the deck with a clang. The door tried to slide shut again, but this time there was a drone in the way. The edge of the door gave a soft thunk against the armored shell, then retracted and tried to close again with the same fruitless result.


    As the door kept up its thunking, The Silken Feather stood up, preened herself to look somewhat presentable, and then delicately stepped over the drone. The metal corridor outside was free of any other drones.


    But it was very much not free of other Karnakians. Ck''Trrk''Ka''s throat feathers stood out in anger as she pointed a small gun at The Silken Feather''s midsection. "|Stay right there. No sudden moves.|"


    "|Wouldn''t dream of it,|" the thief replied. She glanced with amusement at Ma''elge''yk, who stood next to Ck''Trrk''Ka with a gun of her own. "|Well, well, well. I suppose desperation makes for strange allies, eh?|"


    "|Silence, thief,|" growled another voice behind her. The Silken Feather slowly tilted her head back just enough to see Ter''yeik standing behind her, also armed.


    The Silken Feather grinned. "|Ah, Ter''yeik! It''s heartwarming to see you again.|"


    "|We do not have time for your nonsense,|" said Ma''elge''yk. "|Everyone else is planet-side. We''ve deactivated the security drones between here and the hangar deck, but that will only last for a limited time.|"


    "|And then what?|" asked The Silken Feather. "|Shall we leap out the airlock, flap our wings, and trust in the Great Mother to catch us as we fall?|"


    "|My shuttle is still there,|" replied Ma''elge''yk. "|Come.|" She began trotting away and The Silken Feather followed. The other Matriarch kept her gun trained on the thief while Ter''yeik brought up the rear.


    "|If you assist us in retrieving the Claw, we will not press charges,|" said Ck''Trrk''Ka. "|But if you try anything we will not hesitate to kill you.|"


    The Silken Feather knew she was fast and competent enough to take out her current captors, even unarmed as she was. But Ma''elge''yk''s shuttle was no doubt locked down with a security code, which would take time to hack. That time was not on her side; the Dorarizin would eventually find out about the drone deactivation and lock down the ship.


    No, The Silken Feather would go along with these fools for now. She needed to quiz them on the current situation anyway. The thief knew that she was going to need good intel if she was going to steal back her stolen property.

 Chapter Fifteen

    Maria half expected that she and her compatriots would be put through some tedious security screening. But instead of walking through a scanner or getting frisked, they were met at the huge doorway by Nerlharg. The Dorarizin wasn''t wearing power armor this time; he was clad in a knee-length outfit that looked like a Mandarin''s robes.


    Nerlharg pulled a small flat tablet out of his pocket. "[Welcome! Just before we start, I''ll need to scan anything you''re carrying.]"


    The Jornissians shrugged and presented their holographic prop swords. Nerlharg waved the tablet near them and nodded. "[Fine. And that?]" He pointed at the guitar case slung on Oscar''s back.


    Oscar slid the case off of his shoulder. "Scan away. Just be careful, this thing''s older than me." He set down the case and unzipped it to reveal the instrument within.


    Nerlharg chuckled. "[I assure you our security scans aren''t that strong.]" He swept the tablet over the guitar. "[And this is also fine. Is that real wood?]"


    "You better believe it," replied Oscar.


    "[I look forward to hearing what it sounds like. His Excellency bids you all welcome. Unfortunately, we cannot permit your security drones indoors.]" He pointed at the hovering spheres near each human.


    "This is a hell of a time to find that out," said Oscar. His jaw set as he glared at Nerlharg.


    Rgrarshok looked pretty pissed as well. "[I assure you that these only use nonlethal protection methods. Scan them yourself if you don''t believe me.]"


    Nerlharg looked very apologetic. "[It is out of my hands. [Sssnnathor] does not want them admitted into such a large party. He''s worried about them deploying a net or taser by accident, what with so many bodies moving around.]"


    Oscar and Rgrarshok shared a long look. Maria knew that the Captain was asking the human do you want to go through with this? without saying a word. Finally Oscar shrugged in a sure, let''s go for it manner.


    Maria kind of wished she''d gotten a chance to throw in her two cents as well; she hoped that the big lug wasn''t being cavalier about her safety. Or his, for that matter.


    "[Very well,]" said Rgrarshok. "[We''ll program them to remain here. Will that be acceptable?]"


    Nerlharg nodded with a slight smile.


    "[Good. What time do we start?]" asked the Captain.


    "[In [one hour]. In the meantime, [Sssnnathor] requests the honor of your presence among our guests.]"


    Maria groaned inside. The last thing she wanted to do was make small talk with a bunch of fearsome aliens who were, oh by the way, a bunch of criminal assholes as well.


    <hr>


    Much to Oscar''s annoyance, one hour became two. On top of that, their presence at the tyrant''s party wasn''t a simple case of ''walk around, mingle a bit, then go and do the show''. No, from the outset Sssnnathor seemed determined to keep them circulating among the considerable number of well-dressed party-goers. But Oscar didn''t let the outward civilized veneer fool him for a second.


    He was glad Myyreh wasn''t there. The poor girl would have been crawling right out of her fur to see him in the midst of so many untrained xenos. At least they were polite enough to keep their distance when asked.


    Right now he was holding a drink of some fruity-tasting cocktail. At least the glass was human-sized. He was chatting with a gray-furred Dorarizin who was wearing what looked like a frock coat with a lacy ''ruff'' which accented the alien''s mane. Several other huge xenos hovered around them, clearly waiting for their turn to talk to the human. In the meantime, Oscar kept himself facing the Dorarizin so that the nanocams in his suit could get a good look.


    "Got a positive ID on him!" said Egrwreh''s voice in his ear. "Ghranzor-of-Ahnz, known trafficker in small arms, suspected of Green smuggling as well."


    Oscar nodded, both in response to the information as well as to a question from Ghranzor.


    "[So you are enjoying your stay thus far?]"


    "I sure am, sir. Didn''t think I''d get to go this far into space, let alone meet so many people!"


    Ghranzor gave a little bow and motioned to the several-foot gap between them. "[I''m pleased to hear that. I feared that you would be overly paranoid about us, given how much personal space you requested.]"


    Oscar shrugged. "I gotta admit I''m a little worried. Can''t be too safe, right?" He caught a nearby Karnakian''s eyes and winked. "Remember what happened the first time we tried to shake hands with y''all." He used his free hand to mime pulling his other arm off.


    The Karnakian floofed out her neck feathers in anger. "[Really! It was an honest accident!]"


    Oscar waved his free hand. "Relax, I''m just kidding ya!"


    The Karnakian subsided and let forth a little trilling, yet forced laugh of her own.


    Oscar motioned with his glass overhead, where the party''s main source of light floated. The hologram consisted of two bright suns floating in the atrium''s center. Around both suns coiled a massive, scaled body which endlessly moved in a figure-eight formation like the living representation of infinity. Another coil emerged from the huge figure to reach out and circle another, smaller blue-white sphere which floated near the larger figure-eight. There was no real head or tail that Oscar could see; the hologram just gave an impression of never-ending sinewy strength.


    "What''s that?" he asked.


    He heard Sssnnathor''s smooth hiss-purr behind him. "[That, [human], is Sotek-Who-Circles-The-World.]"


    Oscar turned casually to face the tyrant, and noted how everyone around Sssnnathor stood with a slight bow to their head. Not wanting to stand out, he followed suit.


    "[Oh, please, you all honor me too much,]" said Sssnnathor. Oscar picked his head back up and saw the Jornissian looking up at the hologram. Oscar was still figuring out Jornissian facial expressions, but judging by the tilt of Sssnnathor''s hood he could swear the tyrant had a look of longing.


    Sssnnathor pointed at the encircled binary star system. "[Sotek coils the earth and sky in himself. He holds all fire in the sky, and lets out just enough of it to warm the world.]"


    "Huh, neat. Sort of a sun god, then?"


    "[Not just that. A god who encompasses eternity. He lives forever.]"


    "Hey, who wouldn''t want that?" replied Oscar as he took a casual sip of his fruity-stuff. It was time to do a little fishing and see if he could draw Sssnnathor out as to his true intentions.


    Sssnnathor slithered towards Oscar with a gleam in his eyes. "[That''s exactly what I say! Everyone desires eternal life, even if they''re too craven to admit to it!]"


    The surrounding courtiers moved away, and from their startled body language Oscar got the sense that this passion was not something they were used to.


    "[Those fools in the Senate refuse to see the truth,]" continued Sssnnathor as he continued to approach Oscar. "[The universe is unimaginably old compared to even a few thousand [years] of existence. Why not at least give us the option?]"


    There was no Junior to give a warning noise, so Oscar raised a hand. "That''s close enough, sir."


    The statement snapped the tyrant out of his trance. He chuckled and motioned with his snout down at Oscar. "[It''s a pity you have to resort to such coddling just to have a chance at a any life, let alone an eternal one.]"


    "Times change, sir. Sure we''re fragile and endangered now, but we won''t be forever. And I dunno, a thousand years or so sounds like a pretty good run to me."


    "[Of course you say that now, you''re barely out of a clutch! But a thousand [years] from now, I wager you''d be very receptive to living a thousand [years] more.]"


    Oscar gave a noncommittal shrug. "[Maybe. I guess I''ll cross that bridge when I come to it."


    "[The [powers that be] won''t let you,]" replied Sssnnathor. "[After all, they threw me out for daring to even think of the possibility.]"


    The tyrant''s hood flattened out in anger, and those around the pair drew back in fear of being the recipient of some of that wrath. Oscar figured he should get the conversation back to light and fluffy.


    "That''s a shame, sir. Still, looks like you''re doing all right for yourself, eh?" Oscar grinned and waved his glass in general at the huge atrium.


    Sssnnathor''s hood relaxed and he gave a Jornissian shrug. "[Yes, I suppose you''re right.]" He looked at the fearful faces around him and gave a wide, fanged smile. "[Please, everyone, drink! Smile! This is supposed to be a party!]"


    Before anyone else could chime in, Captain Rgrarshok moved her way into the circle around Oscar. She kept glancing off into the distance in irritation as she moved.


    "[Sorry to stick my paw in, sir, but my performers need to make their way backstage,]" she said.


    "[Of course they do,]" said Sssnnathor. "[I look forward to your performance. I''m sure we all do, yes?]"


    Amid the hasty assurances and declarations that followed, Rgrarshok gave another irritated glare. Oscar followed her direction of interest and saw...


    Bgrarh-of-Arhraz stood a ways away, also ringed in by partiers. He gestured casually with one paw as he chatted with a female Dorarizin. His deep blue eyes twinkled as he talked. The alien wolf-woman looked about ready to bear his pups, judging by the way she stared at him.


    She wasn''t the only one. Among the circle of people surrounding him were quite a few females (some not even Dorarizin) who looked at him with equal entrancement.


    Oscar heard a faint grinding noise and realized it was the Captain''s teeth. He decided to draw fire for his friend. "Er, boss, want me to go fetch him?"


    Rgrarshok drew in and let out a deep breath. "Yes, please do."


    Oscar grinned in general at those around him and gave Sssnnathor a bow. "Sorry folks, sorry sir. The show must go on!"


    As he trotted away, Oscar heard Sssnnathor say something to Rgrarshok about an announcement. Fortunately the surrounding crowd parted as he called out "Make way, please!". The sycophants around Bgrarh at first looked annoyed at hearing his call, then they looked a lot more interested as they laid eyes on Oscar.


    "''scuse the interruption, Bennie. The boss wants us backstage."


    "[Of course!]" replied Bgrarh. He reached over, picked up the paw of the Dorarizin facing him, and gave the back of her paw a gentle kiss. "[It''s terribly unfortunate we have to part, my dear. But duty calls.]"


    The kissee stared after them like a poleaxed steer as Bgrarh and Oscar walked away.


    <hr>


    Rgrarshok-of-Ngraz took another deep breath to calm herself as she strode towards the stage. It was set in the geometric center of the soaring atrium, consisting of a knee-high circular platform which was expansive enough for all of the acts. The partygoers were already crowded around the stage perimeter, but they still parted to make way for her. Along the far side of the stage sat a temporary domed hut which acted as the backstage area.


    Both the stage and hut were supplied by Sssnnathor, which meant the latter was certainly bugged. She''d impressed on the whole team that there was to be absolutely no breaking of their cover until they were all back on safe ground.


    Her face remained impassive as she berated herself. Why was she getting so worked up over Bgrarh''s antics? The specialist could be a little annoying at times, but he was always a loyal pack member. He was just acting a part, not really flirting.


    But the knowledge still didn''t calm the little churn of unexpected jealous anger in her gut. She''d been on the cusp of striding into the middle of that circle and showing that hussy of a female who was the real Alpha. Bgrarh was hers, now and forever more.


    Rgrashok slowed as she neared the stage. Sssnnathor was already coiled up in the middle of it, and he lifted his upper body to tower over them all. As he held up his arms the crowd quieted.


    "[My friends, you gladden my heart by your presence. I have enjoyed my time here during these past [sixty years], and I look forward to many more such celebrations. But that is not the only reason to throw a party. As you may have heard, I''ve recently come into possession of an artifact which has a long and storied history among our [Karnakian] brethren. I''ve taken great pains to display it with the reverence due its status. It is my pleasure to present to you all...the Sacred Claw of [Ta''irrl''qc]!]"


    Sssnnathor gestured to his right, and the partygoers on that side parted as a smooth polished stone plinth rose up out of the marble-tiled floor. The plinth''s top split open and folded back down along itself to reveal the artifact which Rgrarshok and her crew had been chasing this entire time.


    The Claw was a polished, nut-brown sickle shape which lay on a blue velvet cushion. At its root were embedded emeralds and rubies that sparkled in the light from Sotek''s hologram above them.


    As the crowd gave the appropriate oohs and aahs, Rgrarshok had a fleeting notion of simply grabbing Sssnnathor and holding him hostage while her team escaped with the Claw. But no, that would put the [humans] in unnecessary danger. Instead she made sure to smile and applaud along with everyone else.


    Sssnnathor nodded to her and slithered his way back off of the stage. He coiled himself possessively around the Claw''s plinth with a very satisfied expression on his face.


    <hr>


    "[I don''t believe it,]" whispered Tk''rii''na.


    "[Don''t even think it,]" said Resh''skk.


    Maria didn''t like the way the Karnakian''s fore-claws twitched as he peeked out the ajar door. It looked like Tk''rii''na was getting ready to do something really stupid. She walked up beside him and placed a hand on his arm.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Hey, Tarky? Relax. We''ll..." she glanced around the hut and tried to choose words that wouldn''t blow their cover to anyone listening in. "I know you''re worried about the performance, but you''ll do great."


    "[But it''s right there.]"


    Frick chose that moment to try and pull Tk''rii''na away. "[Let me see!]"


    Tarky pushed back against the tug, resulting in a brief round of the two raptors squawking and slapping at each other.


    "Both of you COOL IT!" hissed Maria. She glared up at Tk''rii''na. "You remember you swore to protect me? That includes not putting us in danger by causing a scene!"


    Tk''rii''na hung his head. "[You''re right. I''m sorry. I shall cool it, as you request.]"


    He looked so literally crestfallen that Maria''s anger evaporated. She patted his arm. "No harm done."


    <hr>


    Rgrarshok strode into the middle of the stage, turned, and bowed deeply to the assembled throng. "{We thank you all humbly for your attention. The Company of the Long Dance of Fghrealh is pleased to bring to you a wide range of entertainment from around the galaxy. Including that of our newest comrades, the tiny-chompers!}"


    That last part drew a nice round of applause.


    "{We shall begin shortly, starting with an amazing display of [Karnakian] congretory singing!}"


    Rgrarshok spun and walked towards the hut. Its door slid open and Rgarshok ducked inside. It was a small windowless space with a few tables along one curved wall and another door at the rear. The hut was made even more claustrophobic by the presence of the performers.


    Rgrarshok raised a curious ear upon seeing a few feathers on the floor near the entrance door. She glared back up at the four Karnakians. "{Is there a problem?}"


    "[No, just nerves before the show,]" replied Maria. "[Right, guys?]"


    A big paw touched Rgrarshok''s shoulder, and she turned to see Bgrarh giving her a wide smile that she found herself automatically returning. She just couldn''t stay mad at him.


    "{Are you ready for our performance, darling?}" he asked.


    She put her stoic ''Captain in Charge'' face back on. "{I am, just don''t draw too much attention to yourself.}" That warning should be sufficiently vague to throw off any listeners.


    Bgrarh moved close and slipped an arm around her waist. "{And what if I want the attention of somebody in particular?}"


    Rgrarshok blinked as a welter of conflicting emotions ran through her. Bgrarh was a pack member; he was also strong, smart, and athletic. In ordinary circumstances his advances would be welcome to any pack''s Alpha. But hers wasn''t a normal pack and she wasn''t just the Alpha, she was the Captain. She had to set herself apart, be a strong leader for them all...but his eyes were so deep and pretty, and he smelled so nice...


    She leaned in towards his face. "{Not now, Bgrarh. We have a show to do.}"


    Bgrarh didn''t lose that infuriating and adorable grin. "{And after the show?}"


    "{We''ll see.}"


    Rgrarshok gently peeled his arm off of her and cleared her throat. "{Singers, you''re up.}"


    She stood aside as the Karnakain quartet moved towards the entrance. Rgarshok noted with amusement that there was now a lot less glaring between the two pairs of guards than when they''d first come on board her ship. Now they all just looked nervous at the prospect of that most dreaded of things, Screwing Up.


    <hr>


    Ter''yeik put on his best disarming smile as he pushed a big wheeled tub towards the service entrance. This was no grand archway, it was instead a smaller square portal guarded by one bored-looking Jornissian in low-profile armor. A rifle leaned against the wall next to the guard, within easy reach.


    A voice hissed out from under the tub''s cover, a voice just barely audible to him. "|Stop smiling, you idiot! Look bored and put-upon!|"


    He did as The Silken Feather instructed and slouched a bit as he continued pushing. The Jornissian looked just as bored as he held up a hand. "[Hold up. You with the catering crew?]"


    "|Yeah, we had a last-minute menu change. [Sssnnathor] wanted some namptha soup added.|"


    The guard held his rifle at the ready as he coiled himself up higher, now looking a lot less bored and more ready to dispense some violence. "[We weren''t told.]"


    Ter''yeik kept his feathers from trembling with a supreme effort and tried his best to sound peeved. "|Really? That''s typical. I get a work order, bust my tail making this stuff, and the Diarchy-cursed paperwork gets lost! What am I supposed to do with [two hundred gallons] of namptha soup? I sure as hell can''t eat it!|"


    Unbidden, the guard reached forward and plucked the cover off of the tub. Ter''yeik froze as the Jornissian gazed on the sight within. It was a sea of red, with white spheres floating here and there within it. "[Hmm. That does look tasty.]" His tongue flicked out and back in. "[Smells good, too.]"


    Ter''yeik flattened his crest in mock distress. "|Listen, can you just check again for the work order?|"


    The guard nodded and tilted his head as he checked his implant. "[Huh! Whaddya know, there it is. Musta got held up in the system for a bit.]" He stood aside and waved at the entrance. "[You know where to go?]"


    Ter''yeik managed to keep his voice from squeaking as he replied. "|Yep! To the right, isn''t it?|"


    The hallway beyond the entrance was metallic and utilitarian, its walls bearing the scars from many years of heavy equipment moving through it. Ter''yeik waited until he was well out of sight of the door before breathing out a huge sigh of relief. He reached forward and took the cover off of the tub again. This time, instead of being full of soup it was full of Silken Feather, crammed awkwardly around a small pot of red-and-white soup.


    "|Now aren''t you glad you let me have my hacking and holographic toys?|" she asked as she uncoiled herself and stood up out of the tub. She shrugged her shoulders, then flexed her neck. "|Ooof. Not my most comfortable entrance ever, but I''ve had worse.|"


    "|I was wondering why you insisted we stop off to buy that stuff,|" said Ter''yeik. "|I didn''t think about the smell.|"


    The Silken Feather reached forward and patted the side of his snout as if he was a mere hatchling. "|That''s why I''m the master thief and you are not.|" She concentrated, and her appearance suddenly shifted into that of a mottled gray Karnakian.


    Ter''yeik started back. "|Wait, what''s this all about?|"


    "|I''m not about to go walking around wearing my own face. [Sssnnathor''s] security team knows what I look like.|"


    A low, powerful moan drifted down the hallway towards them. The moan rapidly rose in pitch, followed closely by another moan whose harmonies worked in counterpoint with the first.


    "|Ah, it sounds like the show has started!|" said The Silken Feather. She stepped out of the tub and held out her arm to Ter''yeik. "|Shall we?|"


    He stared in confusion at the proffered limb. "|What?|"


    "|In order to steal the Claw we need to see where it is, silly. Therefore you and I need to crash the party.|"


    "|We can''t go walking in there! I thought we were going to do more sneaking around.|"


    "|There''s no time for stealth. Besides, there''s plenty of people milling around, we''ll just blend right in. A confident attitude is the best disguise. Trust me and above all act casual.|"


    After another moment of hesitation, Ter''yeik took her arm.


    <hr>


    Nerlharg-of-Aergh nodded along with the song as he stalked through the party. Most of the crowd was pushed in around the stage, but there were a few stragglers circulating around the food and drink tables.


    The melodic structure was odd but interesting, even if the words were now a jumbled mess to his translator. He made a mental note to look up other examples of Karnakian congretory singing and see how this compared.


    Nerlharg''s nose twitched as a scent hit his nostrils that he wouldn''t expect to encounter at a party. It was the smell of a Karnakian in the grip of mortal fear, a scent he knew well thanks to his experiences in Sssnnathor''s employ.


    He kept his expression neutral as he turned to scan the nearby partygoers. In the distance, the four Karnakians'' crests bobbed in time with their singing. Closer to him was another pair of Karnakians. One of the pair was a mottled gray alien standing arm-in-arm with a cream-colored one. He discreetly sniffed again. The lighter of the pair was probably the source of the fear.


    "[Doesn''t it sound marvelous, dear?]" exclaimed the darker Karnakian in a low, throaty voice. Something about that voice sounded familiar to Nerlharg.


    "{Yes darling, quite nice,]" said the lighter-colored raptor. His voice had a little squeak in it as he fidgeted his claws together.


    Nerlharg sidled up next to them and cleared his throat. Upon making that sound he got another spike of fear-scent up his nose.


    "{Pardon me, but I''m not familiar with congretory singing. Is this a good example of it?}"


    The darker Karnakian shrugged her crest. "[It''s a little unusual compared to the norm, since you have the pairs alternating instead of all singing together. But it''s still quite lovely.]"


    Nerlharg was sure she was deliberately pitching her voice lower. More to the point, he was pretty sure he''d heard her voice before. He nodded amiably at the pair and strolled off. As he did so, the fear-scent subsided.


    He reached out with his implant to Sssnnathor. "{Pardon the intrusion, Excellency. We have a situation. I believe I''ve spotted the Claw''s thief among the guests.}"


    The distant coiled-up figure of the tyrant didn''t twitch, and his subvocal response was nothing but amused. "[Trying to steal back her stolen property, eh? I suppose she doesn''t lack for bravery. I imagine these entertainers are in on her scheming as well.]"


    "{That is also my assessment, Excellency. Shall I arrest them all?}"


    "[No, let''s let the show finish. Although, I supposed if you get a chance during the performance to grab them, take it. But I want the [tiny-chompers] unharmed, understand?]"


    "{Of course. What about the others?}"


    "[Capture them if you can, but don''t worry too much about their health. If they resist too much, go ahead and shoot them.]"


    Nerlharg cut the connection and sighed. Tiny-chompers were so notoriously fragile that even grabbing them too fast could seriously injure them. Not to mention they were in the midst of their friends. He''d have to get creative on this one.


    <hr>


    Maria Vargas strode out into the center of the stage with Coleridge''s words fixed firmly in her brain. She told herself that this was just a simple recitation, nothing at all to worry about. By this point she could do the damn poem in her sleep.


    She reached the center, took a deep breath, raised her eyes...


    And froze.


    A sea of gleaming eyes stared back at her, eyes which bore every color of the rainbow. Those eyes were attached to huge forms sporting far too many claws and fangs. Her hind-brain shrieked at her to flee, that she was a mouse under the gaze of many predators.


    She glanced to her left, and saw Sssnnathor staring at her intently with a silvery gaze. Next to his hood sat the Claw, the thing that had brought her to this moment of danger. Neither sight helped her nerves, and she could feel her heart hammer faster.


    Maria faced back to the crowd and tried to swallow, but it felt like she had a golf ball lodged in her throat. She wetted her lips and closed her eyes, which helped a little.


    "It is..." she began with a raspy, choked voice. She paused and told herself that, even with no drone, Reshy was watching over her. That knowledge helped slow her heart even more.


    Maria opened her eyes and this time deliberately kept her eyes unfocused on the crowd in front of her. As far as she was concerned, the assembled throng was nothing but a blur of color. She cleared her throat, and when she spoke again the rasp was gone.


    "It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three..."


    Once Maria started speaking, instinct kicked in and the words flowed easily. As the poem wound on and the ship in the tale went through first storms and then ice, she began to half-notice the crowd instead of treating them like nothing but a backdrop. Their rapt expressions emboldened her, and by the time she hit the part where the Mariner''s becalmed ship ran into the ghostly hulk captained by Death himself she knew she had them.


    "...A sadder and a wiser man, He rose the morrow morn."


    After Maria finished, there was a moment of silence.


    "[Amazing!]" Sssnnathor called out. His exclamation seemed to break the logjam, and the crowd followed suit with a chorus of various whoops and trills. Maria ignored the pounding of her heart as she smiled, bowed, and left the stage. She did her best to keep the wobble out of her knees.


    Hrathra''sstah gripped Maria''s shoulder after she re-entered the hut. Hrathra''s face was still set in its ususal intense glare, but from the set of her hood Maria knew that her boss was ecstatic. "[Excellent job!]"


    "Thanks, boss." Maria stared at the floor and all but panted.


    "[Are you all right?]"


    "I''m good, Boss. Just got a bit of stage fright there. I just need a while to calm myself down."


    Hrathra gave her shoulder a squeeze and moved off. The crew was now busy getting the Captain and Bgrarh ready, so for the moment all eyes were off her.


    Not getting stared at anymore helped, but Maria really now needed some alone time. While everyone was looking the other way, she ducked out of the hut''s rear door.


    There was nothing behind the hut but a short ''alleyway'' between the temporary structure and the sloping wall of Sssnnathor''s main pyramid. Maria leaned forward, placed her forehead against the wall''s smooth cement-like surface, and let out another shaky breath. After a little moment of doing nothing but paying attention to her breathing, she stood up again.


    She was feeling a lot calmer now, an emotion that lasted for all of ten seconds before she felt the faintest whisper of air and realized she was no longer alone.


    Maria spun around towards the hut and drew in a breath to yell just as an invisible paw clamped tight over her mouth.


    <hr>


    Oscar peered out through the half-open door to the stage. Bgrarh and the Captain whirled in a complicated dance that he could barely follow. It looked a little like a waltz but with a lot more airborne bits to it. To his uneducated eye it looked amazing, and the Captain actually looked happy, something that Oscar had never seen before.


    He turned away and picked up the guitar. It was about as well-tuned as he could get it, but fiddling with it gave him something to take his mind off of his nerves. He''d done a few open-mic nights back on Earth, but this was something much more serious.


    Plus there was the whole threat of being found out and getting involved in a huge firefight.


    Oscar peeked back out again, this time scanning the crowd instead of paying attention to the dance. It looked like they were digging it, just like they''d dug Maria''s recitation.


    Speaking of which, where was she? He turned away from the stage door and looked around the hut. He performed a circuit of the backstage, dodging around the Jornissian and Karnakian forms. He didn''t ask anyone if they''d seen Maria; that might trigger a freak-out, especially in Resh''ssk. There was no need to worry anyone just yet.


    As he walked by the rear entrance, he heard Maria''s quiet voice. "Oscar? Can you come out here, please?"


    The others were busy prepping, and didn''t notice as Oscar set his guitar down and cracked open the door to poke his head out.


    Maria leaned casually against the sloping wall across from the door, staring off into the distance.


    "What''s up?" he asked.


    She didn''t answer. Oscar glanced to each side and saw nothing. His brow wrinkled as he moved himself all the way out of the door and approached her. "Maria? Are you okay?"


    She ignored him and continued to stare off, unmoving and silent. It wasn''t until Oscar got within a few feet of her that he realized just how unmoving she was.


    As unmoving as if she was a hologram.


    On pure instinct Oscar threw his arm up to ward off anyone trying to get him in a choke-hold from behind. He managed to get his sleeve up in front of his face before his world went dark and he found himself unable to move.


    <hr>


    "[I''m getting a strange reading from the drones onboard the Claw,]" said Egwreh''s voice in Tk''rii''na''s ear. "[Plus the telemetry from the [humans] is looking oddly muted.]"


    He and Irr''''kttz turned from watching the dance onstage. The Karnakians known as ''Tarky'' and ''Frick'' to their [human] friends both scanned the hut in increasing panic.


    "|I don''t see [Oscar] or [Maria].|" said Tk''rii''na.


    Both saw at the same time that the rear door was now open. After one quick glance at each other, they sprinted as one for the back door.


    In true Karnakian fashion neither bothered to open it wider. The temporary structure shook as the entire rear of the hut all but evaporated, sending chunks of composite ricocheting off of the rear wall and onto the surprised guests.


    Irr''''kttz pointed. "|THERE! I see them!|"


    Tk''rii''na followed the claw with his eyes and saw two faint whirls of familiar sparkly light floating in the middle of the air. There was nothing visible around the pair of sparkly souls as they rapidly approached a side exit.


    <hr>


    Onstage, the pair of whirling Doaraizin spun to a sudden halt as the resounding crunch of the Karnakians'' dynamic exit sounded through the atrium. Rgrarshok ignored the bits of former hut bouncing off of the top of her skull.


    "{REPORT!}" she barked. She saw guards here and there among the party starting to stand up straight, but she ignored them for now. She glanced around in rising panic, and realized she saw no sign of Sssnnathor.


    The plinth that had once held the Claw was now empty.


    Irr''''kttz''s voice yelled in her ear. "[THERE! I see them!]"


    Tk''rii''na spoke, sounding a lot calmer than his counterpart. "[I see them too, they''ve been wrapped in optical camo. Heading for the exit to your right, Captain.}"


    "[Got it,]" said Rgrarshok. She and Bgrarh exchanged one look, to which he gave a Dorarizin nod.


    "{[Calvinball],}" they said simultaneously.


    Bgrarh sprinted for the hut just as Rgrarshok charged towards the edge of the stage nearest the indicated exit. The confused murmuring of the crowd now became an earnest screaming at the sight of the rampaging Captain.


    The Captain''s trigger-word also reactivated the drones hovering near the far-off main entrance. Each immediately locked onto the telemetry readings from their respective [human]; rather than waste time maneuvering through the doorway they both ''decided'' that the quickest route between them and their charges was a straight line. Two loud bangs sounded from the main entrance as each drone smashed its way into the atrium.


    In the middle of her icy rage, Rgrarshok noted the trajectory of the two drones. Following that line, she caught the merest hint of a pair of heat-shimmers in the air; several panicked partygoers bounced off of the cloaked figures as they sprinted for the side-exit.


    Rgarshok leapt off of the stage; the crowd beneath her parted with great alacrity to get the hell out of her way. As she landed in a crouch, a lone Dorarizin guard pushed out of the mob to block her way. He thrust a shock-baton at her chest which she didn''t even try to block. The armor did its job, hardening with the impact and allowing that baton to skate off to the side.


    Rgrarshok shoved herself upright as she grabbed the guard''s weapon-arm. He was wearing low-profile armor as well, so instead of wasting time punching at him she settled for a overhand throw that flung the guard away with a wet crunch which signified a ruined shoulder.


    The Captain continued to push forward, but couldn''t move fast enough through the panicked mob. Rgarshok decided that now was not the time to play nice and began throwing people out of her way. Even a Jornissian or two found themselves the target of her flinging. The only good news was that the drones had reached the doorway and now hovered in the path of the cloaked goons carrying the tiny-chompers. They each projected a targeting grid, trying to lock onto the cloaked goon without hurting the tiny-chompers...


    Both two drones sparked and fell to the floor with smoking holes drilled neatly in each of them. Two more Dorarizin in full armor and wielding rifles stepped over the wrecked machines.


    The guards parted to let the heat-shimmers pass between them, then stepped back together and came running towards Rgrarshok. Her attackers didn''t use their guns for their intended purpose, instead they used the long weapons as clubs to smack aside the partygoers as they moved towards her.


    Rgarshok roared in response and charged.

 Chapter Sixteen

    When the sunshine don''t work, the good Lord bring the rain in.


    - Dixon, "Magnolia"


    <hr>


    The visor of Myyreh-of-Relgreh''s helmet slammed shut. The other two crew from the Claw had already vacated the hotel suite with typical Dorarizin speed as they headed for the shuttle. Now that nobody was left in the room, she could make her exit as dynamic as she liked.


    She crouched as she gripped the protruding handle of Resh''skk''s armor-pod with one gauntlet. Her boots slammed into the tough material of the floor, leaving huge rutted chunks in her wake as she stampeded for the window. At the last moment, she leaped and activated her armor''s jump jets.


    The standard thrust on a seventh-gen set of Dorarizin power armor is around eight thousand kilonewtons in tiny-chomper measurements, which is damn near the same as a Rocketdyne F-1 engine. Five of those engines were used on the first stage of the Saturn V moon rocket. However, instead of pushing a giant multi-ton rocket towards the moon, the jet''s thrust is instead concentrated into the relatively lightweight package of one Dorarizin plus armor.


    This results in a thrust-to-weight ratio of Ow My Ears.


    A fountain of glass sprayed forth from the face of the apartment building, and in the middle of that geyser of fractured fragments was the streak of Myyreh''s armor.


    Myyreh landed in a massive crunching thud, having easily outrun the shards of glass which still hung in the air behind her. She activated her jets again and leaped once more, leaving a sizable crater in the ground behind her as she aimed for the distant pyramidal shape of Sssnnathor''s palace.


    As Myyreh sailed in a graceful ballistic arc, her ears became filled with warning alarms. Her approach had been detected by several radar systems.


    <hr>


    Far above, the arrowhead shape of the Furious Claw of Inquiry cruised serenely along ts assigned orbit. Right when the Captain and Bgrarh declared [Calvinball], the ship began to wake up.


    The awaking was not analogous to that of an organic being; in some sense the ship was always ''awake'', its sensors always scanning for potential threats. Sensor data flowed in constant streams through subsidiary levels of computation, compared with data from other sensors and that from the ship''s history. Probabilities were constantly computed and the overall danger to the ship evaluated on a nanosecond-by-nanosecond basis. Usually that probability hovered at a comfortably low value, but in the next nanosecond the input from one of the EM sensors spiked. The spike was corroborated with that measured by several other, more esoteric sensors on the hull, and a likely profile pulled from memory matched the measurements precisely.


    A missile targeting system had just latched onto the Claw.


    More of the ship''s systems came online. Nothing in the computers could be called ''aware'' in any real sense. There was no sense of self, let alone the ability to recognize that sense of self. In many ways a ''mere'' machine could react faster. There was no ego to become angry, no possible way the ship could become caught in the neurochemical feedback loop of a fearful sapient.


    Instead what occurred was a dispassionate and very fast evaluation of the danger; the Claw then compared that evaluation to a pre-set number of different options for response. In less than a microsecond after the first EM spike, the closest-matching option blossomed into the computer network of the Claw. The various routines and subroutines and sub-subroutines were far too complex to put into mere words, but for a [human] the overall option could be summed up in three words:


    COWABUNGA IT IS.


    <hr>


    As the Captain started her charge, Bgrarh spun and yelled at the door to the backstage hut. "{GUITAR!}"


    He caught just a glimpse of a feathered arm as one of the Karnakians within chucked out [Oscar''s] instrument. Bgrarh felt a brief pang of utter panic as he caught the small guitar by the neck.


    His friend was in grave danger, both he and the other tiny-chomper were just...gone. With great effort Bgrarh tamped down his panic as he windmilled his arm into the stage and smashed the guitar against it.


    It was a mighty blow worthy of Pete Townsend himself, and [Oscar''s] guitar splintered into shards...except for two larger shapes which fell out of the wreckage. [Oscar''s] statement to Nerlharg-of-Aergh was pure grlnada-shit; the instrument was not real wood, but a nano-engineered replica of [Oscar''s] original, complete with a shielded compartment inside. That compartment didn''t affect the guitar''s acoustics, and was just large enough to hold a couple of small pistols.


    Bgrarh scooped up the pair of weapons and stood; as he did so Tk''rii''na leapt onto the stage. All four of the Karnakian''s eyes were wide in panic as he touched his front-top button, causing his helmet and gloves to snap into position.


    "[What do we do?]" asked Tk''rii''na.


    Bgrarh was surprised at his own lack of emotion. Some small part of his brain screamed at him to run, to get moving after his kidnapped friends. But he knew that splitting themselves up was a sure way to get them all killed piecemeal. The right course of action was to regroup and meet up with the others. After that they could go rescue [Oscar] and [Maria]. He felt as if a cloak of freezing cold fell over him while he replied. "{Collect the others. We fortify here. Rip up the stage and use the material to form some cover. I''ll go help the Captain.}"


    He spun and sprinted towards Rgrarshok''s distant figure, who in turn was right in the middle of her own charge at a pair of armored guards. The panicked guests panicked even more at the sight of his huge figure running towards the edge of the stage, creating a rising amount of screaming and pushing.


    Bgrarh didn''t care. In an instant the old instincts kicked back in and he was once more one of the most celebrated flankers to ever play in the professional Hunt leagues. He ducked and wove like a ghost through the yelling horde, readying the pistol in his right hand as Rgrarshok reached one of the guards. The other pistol he got ready to throw to the Captain.


    <hr>


    Instead of firing his rifle, the guard tried to use it as a club on Rgarshok. She ducked under the sweeping blow from the guard, then grabbed the rifle barrel and tried to wrest it from his grip. But it felt like the weapon was encased in concrete, and as her muscles swelled in a fruitless attempt the guard flicked the rifle again and threw her away. She plowed into several party-goers, which broke her fall but also served to add to the screaming.


    "{Stupid bitch,}" growled the other guard. "{Did you really think you could fight us without power armor?}"


    Rgrarshok rolled back up into a crouch as her clothing unfolded into combat mode. She held up one huge paw, not having to look as she knew that Bgrarh was heading for her position with their contraband pistols. A satisfying thud of a compact mass slamming into her gloved paw made her grin, and upon seeing that grin both the guards started to raise their rifles.


    The Captain slammed up into the guard that had just thrown her, pushing his rifle up out of the way with her free paw. Her other paw spun her pistol around into a firing position, and with blurring speed she jammed the pistol''s muzzle right into the gap between the guard''s helmet and the armored collar extending up from his breastplate.


    Her pistol barked repeatedly, and the guard reeled back. His more cloth-like underarmor had stopped the shots from taking his head off, but there was still a considerable stream of blue blood down his chest from the wound. Rgarshok gave another heave on the rifle barrel, and this time it came loose from the guard''s slackening grip. She took a quick glance around and saw that the partygoers had long-vacated this section of the floor.


    Simultaneous with her shots came more from Bgrarh which sparked off of the other guard''s helmet, causing that goon to swing his rifle towards the charging Dorarizin. The goon didn''t realize that his partner had lost his rifle until Rrgarshok flipped her purloined weapon around, got a firm hold on it, then let loose a short burst into the goon''s side.


    The rifle fired a stream of hypersonic ultra-dense flechettes, and while the goon''s armor was good it was not capable of withstanding such abuse. Flechettes found their way into the various crevices and joints of the armor, shredding the flesh and bone underneath.


    Bgrarh trotted up as the goon collapsed with a dying groan. In the meantime Rgarshok delivered another burst to the first guard, just to make sure he wasn''t getting up. From behind her she could hear loud thumps and see flashing light reflected off of the atrium''s walls as the Karnakians began applying their flashbang grenades with a will.


    "{Get his weapon and ammo,}" said Rgarshok.


    "{Already on it, dear,}" replied Bgarh as he hefted the other rifle. He patted down the body next to him and removed a few magazines. "{I just hope they''ve maintained these. I''d hate to have it jam on me.}"


    "{Just be grateful they cheaped out and didn''t put in biometric locks,}" said Rgarshok as they double-timed back towards the stage. What had been a smooth expanse now looked like a jagged-edged crater, with several helmeted Karnakian heads carefully peeking over the ramparts. A ring of twitching guards lay on the floor, the victims of both flashbangs and much tasering.


    As they ran, Rgrarshok heard a Jornissian scream from the hut.


    <hr>


    "<What do I do?>" asked Hrathra''sstah in a blind panic. Her red gaze darted around the now-ruined hut as if hoping she''d find some sign of Maria, some indication that this whole thing was just a huge mistake. But Maria was truly gone. Her friend, her intern, the one she was responsible for, was now in the hands of a tyrant.


    Resh''skk unfolded his clothing into combat mode, then pointed out the door to the stage. They could hear the sounds of Karnakian destruction ringing out, accompanied by the occasional whump and strobing light of a flashbang grenade. "<Go out there, get in the middle of them. Armor up and cloak yourself. There''s some things in here we can use as cover, I''ll get them and join you shortly.>" He then reached up to his collar and promptly vanished.


    Hrathra fumbled at her own collar and pressed the cloaking button just as an armored-up Dorarizin leapt into the middle of the jagged opening where the Karnakians had made their dramatic exit. She froze as the goon''s smooth, bullet-like helmet swept over the space. There was no visible face or expression, making the intruder look like an incarnation of Harsak-Who-Devours-The-Dead.


    She could almost picture the goon''s eyes narrowing as that featureless mask stared at Hrathra. "[I see you, snakes. You can''t hide from radar...]"


    The goon staggered as a flickering something leapt through the air and into his side. For a moment the guard went through a flailing pantomime as if trying to fight off invisible ropes, then finally he clenched one fist tight. Hrathra stood frozen in fear as she heard Resh''skk''s hiss of pain.


    The guard drew back his free fist and delivered a massive punch to empty space. Resh''skk''s body snapped back into visiblity as he flew across the hut and fetched up against the far wall.


    Hrathra let out a steam-boiler shriek. Resh''skk''s helmet had come off of his head, and his head lolled with unseeing eyes as a small trickle of emerald blood trailed out of his mouth. She gathered herself to leap towards the Dorarizin, not caring if the bastard saw her.


    "[Don''t move, you idiot,]" spat the guard. Hrathra froze. "[If you resist, I''ll kill you as well.]"


    With a trembling hand, Hrathra reached up and unfolded her own clothing into combat mode. She glanced over at the still, sprawled body of Resh''skk and with a flaring hood she flung herself towards his killer.


    The goon threw a casual backhand, connecting with the side of her helmet and sending Hrathra tumbling into the wall opposite Resh''skk''s body. She fell to the ground with a substantial thump as she decloaked. Her ears rang from the blow as she shook her head to clear it, knowing that any further attack was futile. Hrathra''sstah was a scholar, not a warrior. But she would be dammed to rot in Harsak''s coils for eternity if she was going to let Resh''skk death be for nothing.


    She coiled herself back up and froze. The goon now stood in the center of the hut, facing her with an ugly-looking pistol in one hand. "[Last chance. Come quietly or I send you to be with your pal back there.]"


    Hrathra determination faltered. Now that she was staring down the wrong end of a gun she felt her panic go into overdrive. But she wasn''t about to give the bastard the satisfaction.


    Right as she made the determination to tell the guard to stick it, a red-and-brown scaled hand reached up and around from behind the guard. With nimble fingers the hand darted in and pressed a latch just under the helmet''s jawline, then plucked the helmet up and off in one smooth motion.


    Hrathra suddenly found herself staring at the brown-furred and very puzzled face of her attacker. His puzzlement lasted all of a second before Resh''skk''s tail wrapped around the goon''s now-exposed throat and squeezed.


    She looked away and winced at the sound of crunching bone and larynx, noting that Resh''skk had already pushed the guard''s pistol down towards the floor.


    "<So much for that,>" said Resh''skk as he released the goon''s now-ruined throat. The lifeless armored body slumped into a heap in front of him. Resh''skk held up the helmet to regard it for a moment, then with a derisive snort he tossed it onto its former bearer. "<This fourth-gen stuff is garbage. The newer armor is all linked to the wearer''s implant, so it doesn''t come off unless they want it to.>"


    Hrathra reached a trembling hand forward. "<Are...are you alright?>"


    "<Of course!>" Resh''skk sounded peeved that she''d even ask such a thing. He wiped a bit of stage blood away from his mouth. "<I''m gonna have one Harsak-crushed bruise on my cheek, not to mention an even bigger one on my backside. The cloaks weren''t effective, so I had to get that idiot''s mind off of me and take him by surprise. My finest performance yet, if I do say so myself.>"Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    He cracked a rare smile, and at the sight Hrathra felt a great weight lift from her. She playfully bapped at his nose. "<If we weren''t in a combat situation I''d show you just what I think of your performance, you utter tease!>"


    Another few whumps and strobe-lights came from outside. Hrathra gagged as a smell came drifting into the hut. It could only be described as pestilential, with the worst aspects of rotting food and burning rubber.


    Resh''skk''s smile grew even wider. "<Ah, the smell of battle. Let''s go wreck some shit, shall we?>"


    <hr>


    Grawfren-of-Delzreg, pilot for the Furious Claw of Inquiry, cursed and dove the shuttle back towards the ground. A bright beam of ravening fire stabbed through the space where the sleek scarab shape had just been.


    "{What the moon-cursed crap is going on?}" called Egwreh from the rear. Both she and the doctor were strapped in, but that maneuver had still made her stomach nearly climb out of her mouth.


    "{Point defense system from the compound,}" Grawfren yelled back. "{We can''t get close. Myyreh said she had some troubles too, but she''s a lot smaller than us. And I''m getting signals from the Claw that the orbital systems are acting up. Looks like we''ve all been put on the hit list.}"


    Egwreh glanced out a side window and saw a multicolored river of panicked people pouring down the main ramp from Snnathor''s palace. The tyrant''s party was definitely over.


    <hr>


    Rgrarshok peered over the improvised barricade and readied her rifle. The once-packed atrium was now nearly deserted; there were a few guards around in low-profile armor either unconscious or sprawled out groaning in pain from getting a flashbang grenade to the face.


    The area stunk with the unholy reek of whatever Bgrarh had packed into their uniform''s grenades. In spite of the huge size of the atrium, that smell still hung in the air and seemed to spear right up Rgarshok''s nose. She had to concentrate to keep from gagging.


    From the exit where the tiny-chompers had been taken, she caught a few glimpses of armored forms moving about. She let off a few bursts to make them keep their heads down, a tactic she knew would not work for much longer.


    "{Myyreh, status,}" she snapped.


    "{Almost there, boss. Had to dodge a few beams on the way in.}"


    "{Grawfren?}"


    "{No joy, Captain. We''re too big of a target, I had to put us down about [six blocks] from the entrance.}"


    Rgarshok growled. "{Very well. Bunker in place, once we regroup we''ll head to you. Any sign of transports leaving the palace?}"


    "{Nothing by air or ground,}" replied Grawfren. "{They may have escape tunnels.}"


    Rgrarshok sagged a little. "{Any telemetry from [Oscar] or [Maria]?"}


    "{Their biometric signals dropped off a [few minutes] ago, and the tracking signals from their commbeads are holding constant about [one kilometer] from here,}" said Kgrashak.


    "{They probably stripped them and took out their translators,}" said Bgrarh from beside her. His usually cheerful face was now set like grim death.


    "[We''ll get them both back,]" said Irr''''kttz from the rear. "[Our cause is just and pure, and we are blessed by the Great Spirit. How can we possibly fail?]"


    Rgrarshok took another peek and let loose another stream of hypervelocity flechettes, chewing a little bit more out of the exit''s edge as she did so. But she could see that there were more shapes, crouching under cover. Sssnnathor''s forces were clearly getting ready to make a push into the atrium.


    "{For starters, we can fail by getting shot to shit,}" Rgrarshok muttered.


    "[Surrender!]" called out one of the crouching guards in a tinny, amplified voice.


    Rgrarshok scootched closer to Bgrarh. "{Work from the left when they start pushing in, I''ll go from the right. We need to keep them bunched up in the middle, keep them from flanking us.}"


    "{Got it.}"


    The push, when it came, was fast and committed. A swarm of armored Dorarizin and Jornissians flowed out of the exit, met just as quickly by two whining streams of flechettes. Some fell, but not enough. The swarm began to split up as the attackers began to move to each side...


    <hr>


    Overhead, one of the atrium''s panoramic windows exploded inward and showered glass over the guards. One guard looked up just in time to get Myyreh''s armored boots right into his faceplate. She landed in the midst of them like a fragmentation grenade with the pin pulled.


    A grenade would have been more merciful.


    In one whirling motion, she threw Resh''skk''s pod towards the distant stage and turned that same spin into a vicious sidekick. That kick bore the force of her rage, amplified by the seventh-gen armor. It was enough force to stave in the chestplate of the nearest guard and smash his ribcage right into his heart. The goon fell onto his back with a choking gurgle.


    They tried to get their rifles to bear, but half of them realized the situation had turned into a circular firing squad and held their fire. The other half weren''t as bright and opened fire anyway. Most of the shots hit their comrades, the few that did hit the intended target glanced harmlessly off of the armored black whirlwind which was now Myyreh-of-Relgreh.


    <hr>


    The big lozenge-shape of the armor pod sailed over the barricade, then hit the floor with a resounding thud and slid forward. Resh''skk stopped its slide with his substantial tail, and upon detecting its owner''s implant the armor obediently began to unfold. He shoved both hands into the center of the pod, then hefted the whole thing up and thumped it against his chest.


    In a smooth ballet of advanced technology, armor plates flowed around him, locking into place and forming a scaly metallic carapace. The last thing to go into place was the helmet, and as the visor slammed shut he stretched his arms and took a deep breath. Targeting information and comm channels now overlaid on his vision, a view that he hadn''t seen for quite a while. Memories of past actions flickered at the edge of his consciousness, but the former soldier tamped down that nonsense with a single snort.


    His friend was kidnapped and in mortal danger. There was no time for dwelling on past trauma. The only thing on his mind now was tearing a Sotek-sized hole in Sssnnathor after getting [Maria] back safe and sound. He looked down and saw the one remaining item from the pod, a narrow-beam maser rifle which was his weapon of choice. He swept it up into his hands, and the familiar feel of the gun made his instincts kick back in. Once more he was a soldier.


    Like a matte-gray battering ram Resh''skk flowed at the barricade. Dorarizin and Karnakian alike leaped aside to make way as he smashed through the material and kept going, aiming for the distant knot of guards that was surrounded by even more downed forms.


    "<[Myyreh!] Get clear of that lot!>" he yelled.


    One side of the knot exploded outward, showering armored figures as Myyreh rolled away from the center. Resh''skk brought his maser to his shoulder, its aim-point helpfully plastered on his visor.


    Some of the guards had seen him coming, but even as they turned Resh''skk fired. He swept the beam in a back-and-forth arc, scything it through the center group while making sure to keep it well away from Myyreh.


    After a second or two of firing, he stopped. After another second or two, the cluster of guards simply fell apart in a spray of blue and emerald blood. Scattered body parts now littered the area where they''d stood.


    Resh''skk hummed a marching tune from his adolescence as he flowed forward. He started making a mental tally of how many had been cut apart by his maser versus how many had been either shot or kicked to bits. By the time he reached Myyreh, he had quite a satisfied smile on his face that he knew she could see. Thanks to their linked telemetry, the pair could see each other''s faces as if they weren''t armored.


    "<Looks like it''s twenty for me and fifteen for you,>" he purred.


    Myyreh gave her last victim''s helmet a massive twist, and over the sound of a crunching spine she looked at Resh''skk with a flinty eye.


    "[Fifteen? I got at least twenty-five!]"


    "<Ah, but ten of those were shot by each other, not smacked to death by you.>"


    "[It still counts! They were shooting at me!]" She shook her head. "[We''ll settle this later. What''s the plan, Captain? We have a few [minutes] before they try another sally. We''re going after the tiny-chompers, right?]"


    Rgrarshok''s voice sounded in their ears. "{If they used tunnels, then no. We have no idea what sort of booby-traps might be down there. We need to regroup and get to the shuttle before any rescue attempt.}"


    Myyreh''s shoulders drooped. "[You''re right, boss. Damn it all.]"


    Resh''skk slithered forward and placed a gauntlet on her shoulder. "<We''ll get them back. I''ll even let you have first go at Sssnnathor after I get to him.>"


    One edge of her mouth curled up in a sad smile. "[No, I''ll let you have first go after I get to him.]"


    <hr>


    Maria lay on a metal floor, curled into a ball. Her surroundings were nothing but metal walls, forming a cube about six feet across. There was light inside here, but that was it as far as creature comforts went.


    Her uniform and translator bead were gone; the huge Dorarizin who''d captured her made it quite clear that either she took them off herself or he''d remove both items himself. Not wanting to get those claws anywhere near her ear or body, she''d complied.


    At least she still had her underwear on. And, at least she wasn''t alone.


    Oscar sat across the little cell from her, his legs folded like a meditating monk and his jaw set forward like he''d bitten into a lemon. He was only clad in boxers himself; he''d been given the same ultimatum and had complied without saying a word. Come to think of it, he hadn''t said anything since they''d been captured.


    The memory of that made Maria curl even tighter into herself. She''d been held in an iron grip, cloaked and unable to yell a warning, as she watched Oscar approach the hologram version of herself. Within an eyeblink he''d also been snatched, but at least he''d been able to get a arm up beforehand...for all the good that did. In spite of his size, the big guy was pretty fast.


    Their little cell swayed in constant motion; the two of them were clearly getting moved somewhere else, but there were no cues to give her a sense of direction.


    Maria sniffled and felt tears well up in her eyes. She didn''t know which possible fate would be the worst. Either Sssnnathor was going to have them tortured, or maybe he''d dress them up and turn them into pets. Or maybe he''d have them walk around naked so he could...


    No. She couldn''t afford to let her mind go there or she''d really start sobbing. Maria uncurled herself and wiped a hand across her face. The motion got tears and snot all over her hand. "Fuck," she muttered.


    Oscar said nothing.


    "Not gonna talk, eh?"


    He shook his head, then touched his ear and motioned to the walls around them.


    Maria mirrored his posture as she leaned against the cold metal behind her. "Fuck it. I don''t care who''s listening in. We''re in real trouble, aren''t we?"


    Oscar shrugged.


    "Snape''s not a dummy," she said. "He''ll figure things out, and when he does...either we get killed or he''ll hold us as hostages when he boogaloos out of here." She slumped, staring at the metal deck beneath her legs. "You don''t think he''ll..." she started, before trailing off.


    Oscar worked his jaw as if chewing on some gum before finally speaking. "He''ll what?"


    "You know. Will Snape...will he do that to me? Or to you? I guess he might swing both ways."


    He shrugged again. "I don''t think so. Way too much chance of hurting us by accident. He wants us nice and alive, for the moment. Best not to think about it."


    "Easy for you to say!" she snapped. Then, more softly, "Sorry. I know you''ve had all sorts of army training and you''ve been in bad situations before. I''m just a nerd who likes history." She hugged her knees to her chest. "I guess it''s like you said awhile back. You never know how you''ll react until you''re really dropped into the shit. I thought I''d made peace with the idea of being in danger, but now...now I don''t know. I don''t know how much longer I can keep it together."


    Oscar leaned forward and put a big warm hand on her knee. "You can only do what you can." After a moment Maria covered his hand with her own. They stayed like that for a long time as their little prison swayed with an increasing tempo.


    <hr>


    The Claw''s chosen asteroid was a tumbling and irregular lump of ice, one of many left over from the planet''s decades-past terraforming. This one was just the right size, with no internal cracks or crevices to weaken its structural integrity. That integrity was about to be put to the test.


    Because of its usual mission, the Claw did not possess much in the way of armaments. What armor and weapons the ship carried were more intended to fight off the occasional pirate rather than withstand the concentrated fire from a planetary defense system. Therefore, the Senate team had to get creative. One way to get creative was to take advantage of the surprisingly large heat capacity of water-ice.


    Bright light pulsed from the Claw''s engines as it approached the icy ball. Several missiles appeared as distant specks behind the ship as it drove forward. Point defense lasers speared out from the ship, melting a hole which was almost wide enough to admit the ship. The Claw''s engines didn''t shut off as the ship drove its wedge-like prow hard into the ice and wedged itself deep into the asteroid. Within moments all that was visible of the Claw was the merest hint of its engines protruding from its self-made hole.


    Those engines pulsed harder as the speared asteroid began to slew about, aiming itself towards the planet below. As it moved, the distant specks resolved into thin tubes which smacked into the rock-like surface of the ice. Bright, soundless flashes erupted as their warheads went off, but after the flashes faded there were only a few new shallow craters in the asteroid''s surface.


    The icy moonlet began to glow with friction as it plunged into the planet''s atmosphere.


    <hr>


    Resh''skk poked his helmet around the edge of the main entrance. "<Coast is clear. Nobody in sight. Looks like everybody got the hell out of [Dodge]. [Myyreh], you''re up.>"


    Myyreh slipped around him like flowing smoke. She now carried one of the guard''s flechette rifles as she sprinted towards the bottom of the ramp. There was a clump of trees near that ramp which he thought should give good concealment. Myyreh must have thought so as well, because she crouched behind one of the trees and, after scanning ahead of her, gave Resh''skk the ''go'' signal.


    "<Move, people!>" he yelled behind him.


    The rest of the team jogged at double-time through the entrance and down the main ramp. Resh''skk kept guard by the entrance until the last of them was safely at Myyreh''s location, then he slithered down to rejoin them as he kept his maser trained back on the entrance. He half expected the palace''s point defense to start firing at them, but it looked like the system was only interested in aerial targets.


    They kept moving in a leapfrog-style manner, with the two armored-up team members keeping constant watch from either end. Resh''skk had a moment where he thought they might actually make it to the shuttle without incident, but that notion died as the Claw''s shuttle came into view. The craft was parked in a little grove of taller vegetation, presumably to screen it from the palace''s point defense. But overlaid in his vision were many large IR-emitting shapes secreted in the shrubbery. Those shapes all wore heavy armor, so they were clearly not any of the Senate team.


    "[Problem?]" asked Myyreh as she jogged up behind him. Then she got a look as well at the situation. "[Aw, spit.]"


    "<They''re waiting for us to arrive,>" said Resh''skk. He looked around. There were a few shuttles parked on a nearby street. He figured that was probably the transportation for their current problem.


    The Captain leaned around his other side as she touched her ear. "[Grawfren, can you get out of that grove? Looks like there''s a welcoming committee.]"


    *"[I''ll try. I''ll be taking fire from both them and the point defense the moment I take off, but I''ll try to keep the damage to the shuttle at a minimum.]"*


    "[We''ll coordinate it, then,]" said the Captain. "[The moment you get airborne we''ll open fire on the guards to take their attention off of you. On three....]"


    It almost worked. Grawfren all but leapt the shuttle out of its cover in an instant, and in that same instant every team member with a weapon began shooting at the shrubbery. The whine of hypersonic flechettes was intercut with the deeper hiss of Resh''skk''s maser, and within moments the shrubbery erupted as the guards charged out of their concealment. They ran or slithered at the team with amplified speed, and Resh''skk had a brief distant thought that he admired their courage. In spite of his weapon scything through their ranks, not enough of them were going down...


    Overhead, the shuttle ducked towards the ground again...but not fast enough. A large bang an a plume of smoke from its rear indicated that the craft had been tagged by a laser from the palace. Grawfren managed to pull out of her sudden plummet as the shuttle scraped along the ground and banged into one of the other parked shuttles. The craft was now on the other side of the charging group of guards, and even further away than before.


    "<Well, fuck,>" Resh''skk muttered. He sighted his weapon on the lead guard and got ready to fire...


    Then he blinked in astonishment as one of the parked shuttles suddenly turned and drove straight along the ground towards them. For a moment Resh''skk thought it was aimed at his team, but then realized at the last moment that whoever was driving the damn thing was aiming at the guards.


    Armor and flesh met the prow of a vehicle designed to withstand both the freezing vacuum of space and the crushing depths of a gas giant. There was quite a bit of screaming and a lot of crunching as the shuttle slid to a stop, rolling over the remains of its victims.


    The shuttle''s side-door slid open, revealing the last person Resh''skk expected to see. "<Ter''yeik? You''re supposed to be on the ship!>"


    "[No time to explain! Get on board!]"


    Rgrarshok stood with an expression like a looming thundercloud. "[All right. Grawfren, Egwreh, Kgrashak...get your tails over here. We''re heading out.]"


    Resh''skk kept guard until the last crewmember was in, then all but sprinted into the shuttle himself...and came to a dead stop. The two Matriarchs stood with sheepish expressions near the front of the shuttle, but nobody was paying attention to them.


    Everyone was glaring at the feathered form seated at the pilot''s station, and Resh''skk heard the Captain''s knuckles crackle as she clenched one gloved paw tight.


    "[I''ll explain everything later!]" yelled The Silken Feather. "[But for now we really need to be leaving!]"

 Chapter Seventeen

    "{If you birdbrains had any hand in causing this disaster, I will gut you. I will leave ALL of you screaming in a pool of your own entrails.}"


    Ngralh put a hand on Rgrarshok''s hunched shoulder. "{Let''s hear them out, Captain.}"


    Their unexpected pilot had kept their shuttle on the ground during their escape, and at the moment the team was parked in an unobtrusive side street quite a ways from the palace. Thus far they didn''t see any signs of pursuit.


    To her credit, The Silken Feather stood in the middle of the shuttle''s crowded interior and faced the furious Captain without flinching. "[I merely wished to get better reconnaissance on the Claw''s location and get some idea of the security around it. I would not have made any move to steal it if it would have triggered an alert.]"


    "[We''re very sorry!]" said Ck''Trrk''Ka. Her coppery crest and body feathers were flat against herself in distress. "[We didn''t mean any harm, it was just...we had to make sure to get the Claw back...]"


    Rgrarshok took one substantial step towards the Matriarch and loomed. "{FUCK the Claw! Two of MY CREW are in jeopardy!}"


    Ma''elge''yk raised a hesitant claw. "[Technically, [Maria] isn''t a member of your crew...]"


    Before she could finish, the yellow Matriarch was suddenly subject to some looming of her own. "{She put herself in harm''s way for this mission. That makes her my crew, and if you value the current state of your SPINE you will not utter another word.}"


    Ma''elge''yk went flat against the deck and nodded with great haste.


    Rgrarshok took in a deep breath that seemed to suck up all the air inside the shuttle, and then released that breath with careful slowness. Then she relaxed her clenched fists and nodded. "[Right. Next steps. Grawfren, what''s the status of our ship? Were you able to make contact?}"


    "{I was. It''s on its way to the surface,}" replied the pilot from the pilot''s station. "{Looks like the computer activated Emergency Option SNOWBALL. As a matter of fact...}"


    Grawfren touched a control, and overhead the shuttle''s hull became transparent. A fireball shot with a yellow streak through the deep blue sky overhead, but its straight-line trajectory was interrupted on occasion by a bright flash that knocked it off course before the fireball resumed its former trajectory.


    "{Still getting pounded by the planetary defense network,}" continued Grawfren, "{But the ice-armor is holding. It''ll make it down in one piece. The landing site is the one we picked, out near that mountain range in the desert.}"


    "{That''s one thing going right at least,}" said Rgrarshok. "{Egwreh, we''re going to need heavier weaponry for any rescue attempt. What have you got on board the Claw that you can re-purpose in a hurry?}"


    The engineer shrugged. "{I actually fabbed up a few more masers, just in case [Resh''skk] broke one.}"


    Resh''skk snorted. His helmet''s visor was raised, but otherwise he was still clad in his power armor. "[As if! By the way, nice job on this one. It shoots like a dream.]" He patted his weapon with one gauntlet.


    Egwreh bowed her head in his direction. "{I can also outfit the Dorarizin among us with extra armor. It won''t be power armor, but it''ll stand up to energy weapons better than this stuff.}" She tapped her own uniform.


    Myyreh also had her visor raised, and her face was drawn with worry. "{But where do we start looking? That bastard could be hiding the tiny-chompers anywhere on this planet!}" She stared at the deck. "{[Oscar]...}"


    Rgrarshok laid a paw on her pauldron. "{We''ll figure something out. We are a pretty good team of investigators, after all.}"


    The Silken Feather dramatically cleared her throat. "[May I speak?]"


    Rgrarshok turned and gave her a dead-eyed stare. "{Be quick.}"


    "[I think it''s safe to say that wherever [Sssnnathor] is, he''ll have the [tiny-chompers] with him. Agreed?]"


    "{A safe assumption,}" said Bgrarh, who also regarded the thief with pitiless eyes. "{But so what?}"


    The Silken Feather took in a deep breath. "[In that case, I know where they are. I know where [Sssnnathor''s] underground cloning facility is located, and that must be where he''s taken them.]"


    Bgrarh sneered. "{And you''ll tell us if we release you, is that it?}"


    The thief shook her crest. "[No. I don''t want to see the [tiny-chompers] hurt any more than you do. It''s [Sssnnathor''s new pleasure palace. That''s where he''s hidden his laboratory. I''ll give you the coordinates.]"


    <hr>


    The metal box containing the two humans pitched side-to-side one last time then thumped down onto something hard.


    "Looks like we''re here," said Oscar.


    Maria bit back a smart-ass retort and just nodded. Thus far she''d been able to stop from screaming, but it was a struggle. She knew that if Sssnnathor began any sort of proper interrogation she''d fold like wet cardboard.


    "I''m here," said Oscar. "Just breathe. Focus on your breathing and follow my lead, okay?"


    She gave another nod in response.


    A few clicks sounded from one side of their little cell, and that side hinged up and out. The Dorarizin who''d commanded them to strip poked his head in and made a few clacking, buzzsaw-like sounds. Then he smacked himself in the forehead in a very human gesture, then held up a claw in a ''wait one minute'' manner before withdrawing.


    "At least they didn''t start right in on the torturing," said Maria.


    "I told you, we''re too valuable."


    Maria peered towards the open end of the crate. They were in one corner of some kind of sterile-looking space that reminded her of a medical lab. She could just make out the corner of a big glass tank at one edge of the door. A few armored Dorarizin legs paced nearby, and every so often one of the guards would lower their helmet to peer curiously into the crate.


    After about ten minutes, one of the guards edged closer and shoved his helmet right into their space. He reached out with one gauntlet towards Oscar''s head, his finger extended as if he was going to poke the human in the forehead.


    "Careful," said Oscar. "Your boss is not gonna forgive you if you hurt us."


    The guard''s gauntlet paused right as a commanding growl-click sounded out. That command made the guard whip himself back out of the crate only to meet the steady glare of the lead Dorarizin. The latter pointed at a far corner, and the guard went to the designated spot with a sheepish set to his shoulders.


    The lead Dorarizin leaned down and rolled a pair of commbeads into the crate. As the humans inserted them, he disappeared again and returned with a pair of fluffy robes. He set the robes at the edge of the crate before speaking.


    "[I''m Nerlharg-of-Aergh, his Excellency bids you welcome. Are either of you injured?]"


    "No," squeaked Maria.


    Oscar just shook his head.


    "[Excellent.]" Nerlharg gestured to the robes. "[Please, don these. I apologize, but this is the best we could do on such short notice.]"


    Maria crept forward and grabbed the smaller robe. At least their captors seemed to be acting civilized for the moment.


    After they''d robed-up and crawled out of the crate, Mara arched her back and felt a welcome crackle of vertebrae as she looked around.


    It was an extensive space with a surprisingly low ceiling...low for a xeno, that is. The floor was flat gray stone, while the walls were roughly hewn with no attempt to make them pretty. Harsh pale-white light shone from the walls on the equipment spread about the big room. Most of it was pipes and cables strewn in a crazy-quilt arrangement along the ceiling, but the most attention-grabbing items were the tanks.


    Each transparent tank was a cylinder easily fifteen feet across; they were arranged in a grid pattern throughout the lab. All were empty except for the one closest to them, which was filled with hazy liquid and a coiled figure.


    Maria approached the nearest tank, keeping a side-eye on Nerlharg to see if he''d protest. Instead he just waved them forward. She walked right up to the tank and pressed her face to the glass, while next to her Oscar did the same.


    The fluid inside was filled with swirling bits. Some of the flecks glittered with a metallic sheen, while the others looked more pale and organic. But in spite of the fluid''s murkiness she could see the figure it surrounded.


    It was Sssnnathor. The tyrant was curled into a loose ball, his arms hugged around his own torso while his eyes stared unseeing. He gave a mild twitch now and again, and at every twitch his eyes seemed to focus for a moment before returning to hazy.


    She had a moment of puzzlement. Sssnathor had been at the party right when they''d been kidnapped. Had he raced all the way here (wherever ''here'' was) and plonked himself into the tank? Maybe this was some kind of rejuvenation bath or something...


    "[Magnificent, isn''t it?]" said Sssnnathor from behind her.


    Maria spun and let out an eep at the sight of the tyrant towering over them.


    Sssnnathor lowered himself to her height and smiled. "[So. What do you think?]"


    Oscar shifted his jaw around a little before replying. "Looks like you''re cloning yourself, sir."


    Sssnnathor tilted his hood. "[That is...technically correct, although what I have achieved here is far more advanced than any mere clone. But before we get to that, please follow me. You never did get a chance to eat before your performance was ended so, er, abruptly.]"


    He slithered away while Maria glanced at Oscar. He gave a slight nod, so she walked after Sssnnathor with as much dignity as she could muster. Nerlharg brought up the rear, and as the Dorarizin walked he touched his ear and murmured commands.


    Next to a ring-shaped Jornissian workstation was a table with quite a few plates of multicolored alien dishes. Those dishes were segregated into two halves, with a clear demarcation line between them.


    Sssnnathor waved languidly towards the table. "[I was planning to have a little repast of my own, in celebration of his decanting. But there was also a chance you''d be here, so I made sure to include some [human]-safe dishes. Everything to the right is safe to eat and drink.]"


    Oscar didn''t respond, instead he reached out and picked up what looked like a bite-size piece of dark yellow cheese. But since these were xenos, that ''bite-size'' piece was about the size of a paperback novel. He nodded at their ''host'' and took a bite.


    Maria reached for some ''cheese'' of her own, then hesitated.


    "[Oh, please,]" said Sssnnathor with a hissing laugh. "[If I wanted to drug you, I''d have done so well before now. Please eat, you need to keep up your strength.]"


    She felt a little like a child being told to eat her greens, but Maria swallowed her pride and picked up a ''cheese'' block of her own. It tasted...familiar but strange, like some combination of pineapple and soy sauce overlaid with an aftertaste like celery. Its texture was smooth and the most ''cheese-like'' thing about it. She kept a close eye on Oscar while she ate her own piece, but he didn''t show any signs of distress so she shrugged and kept on eating.


    Sssnnathor''s hood scrunched in a little as he selected a few morsels from ''his'' side of the table and munched on them with clear satisfaction. "[Lovely. Now, as to the true nature of your comrades...]"


    Maria opened her mouth, only to be interrupted by a raised hand from Sssnnathor. "[No, please. Let me finish, so that you won''t have to go through the embarrassment of lying. Your clothing was much more advanced than any standard armor. I''m pretty sure that cloaking tech is not available to any mere troupe of entertainers. Nerlharg?]"Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Dorarizin nodded. "[We have not yet, ah, ''secured'' the other members of their troupe. Two of them are wearing very advanced power armor. From the reports, the armor sounds like seventh-generation in make.]"


    Sssnnathor smirked down at the two humans. "[And what is your interpretation of these facts, my friend?]"


    "[They''re an undercover Senate team. Probably here to retrieve the Claw.]"


    The Jornissian turned to regard the nearby tank holding his clone. "[Yes, that''s my interpretation as well.]"


    Maria looked at Oscar, who in return shrugged and said, "Maybe we are. Maybe not."


    In response, the two xenos gave their respective versions of a chuckle.


    She was tired of Oscar''s man-of-few-words nonsense. Maybe she could bluff their way out of this. Maria set her jaw and faced Sssnnathor again. "Okay, fine, no bullshit. We''re with a Senate team, and you''re in big fucking trouble for grabbing us. If you want to get out of this in one piece you''ll hand over both us and the Claw. I''m sure you can cut a deal."


    "[A deal, eh?]" Sssnnathor sounded nothing but amused at her blustering. "[Oh, little one. I''ve been making contingency plans for longer than you''ve been alive.]" He sighed. "[I suppose there''s nothing for it. [Nerlargh], I''m authorizing Code HARSAK PRIME.]"


    Nerlharg gave a deep bow, then turned and stalked out of the room. One of the other armored guards moved up to take his place. Maria was surprised that she missed the furry bastard; at least he''d seemed like a reasonable sort.


    She cleared her throat. "Um, sir, what''s Code HARSAK PRIME?"


    Sssnnathor continued his staring at the tank, and at her question he shook himself as if recovering from a trance. "[Er? Oh, yes. We''re going to activate the entire planetary defense system. It will fire on anyone approaching this planet. Just in case you lot have an invasion fleet on the way.]"


    "Okay." That didn''t sound too terrible...


    "[And, of course, it will also destroy anyone trying to leave the planet.]"


    Maria''s face went slack with shock, and Sssnnathor actually looked troubled upon seeing her distress. "[Oh, please don''t worry! You''ll both be safe aboard my ship, which has the necessary transponder codes to pass through safely. Anyone else leaving...such as your Senate comrades, for example...well, I''m sorry to say they won''t make it.]"


    Her mind whirled. She knew that this was a sparsely populated planet, but there were still a few million souls living here. They''d all try to evacuate as well...and would get shot down like so many target drones. How many people had this bastard just sentenced to death? She glanced at Oscar to see if he''d also reacted, but his face was set like granite as he stared at the tyrant.


    Sssnnathor straightened up. "[Anyhow. First things first, as you [humans] say. Come, let me introduce you.]" He flowed towards the tank, and after one final caress of its transparent wall he nodded.


    That nod must have been the outward indicator of a command from his implant, because within moments the liquid level in the tank began to decrease.


    "[You see, it''s all a matter of what one means by immortality,]" mused Sssnnathor. He kept his palm pressed up against the transparent wall of the tank.


    "Immortality means not dying," said Maria.


    "[How charmingly direct! Yes, that is the simplest and best description. Alas, galactic culture doesn''t see it that way. They prefer the idea that immortality consists of having progeny who will carry your family name forward into the depths of time.]"


    Maria glanced over at Oscar, who still didn''t look like he was about to say anything. She cleared her throat. "Well, what with all of your fancy nanotech I imagine you could make yourself ageless, right?"


    "[I could, and I have. Right now I possess cybernetic and nanotech enhancements far beyond that allowed in Senate space.]" Sssnnathor removed his hand from the tank wall and fiddled at his palm with his other hand. He turned and displayed that palm towards Maria, showing a metallic glitter among his blue-and-black scales. "[Even now, I can live for a very long time. Perhaps eons. Yet I am still but one physical body, and a single physical body can still be destroyed. Even as I am, I am not truly immortal.]"


    Sssnnathor nodded towards the tank. "[And so I embarked on my greatest work. I had to become more than just one.]"


    By now the fluid level in the tank was nearly at the bottom while Sssnnathor damn near bounced on his coils in anticipation. As the last of the soupy liquid gurgled away down the drain, one side of the tank noiselessly retracted into the floor.


    The clone of Sssnnathor sprawled on the floor of the tank as he feebly tried to rise. His silvery eyes were unfocused.


    The tyrant slithered into the tank. "[Shh, shh, it''s okay. I know you''re confused. Let me give you some enlightenment.]"


    He reached down and gripped the clone''s hand, and with a little bit of fiddling he exposed the same metallic glitter as was in his own palm. Then he pressed his palm against his clone''s, interlacing their fingers as the clone stared around in bleary confusion.


    Then the clone jerked and thrashed as if he''d touched a live electrical wire. Sssnnathor jerked in a counterpoint rhythm.


    Maria had no inkling of what was going on, although she did wonder if they''d have a chance to flee now that Sssnnathor was occupied. She glanced behind him and saw the armored wall of a Dorarizin guard staring with no expression down at them both.


    So much for that. By the time she turned her attention back to the pair of Jornissians, all thrashing had ceased. The clone shook his hood, and as Sssnnathor backed out of the tank the copy''s once-vacant expression turned to one of utter delight.


    "[It worked!]" cried the clone. He regarded his hands, then looked up at the equally happy tyrant. "[Oh, wow. That looks so strange.]"


    "[Like looking into a mirror but not, eh?]" replied Sssnnathor. "[Come on out and we''ll get you cleaned up and dressed.]"


    Another guard walked over bearing a clothes bag and a Jornissian-sized towel. He handed the latter to the clone as it slithered out of the tank. "[Thank you, Nrgran,]" said the clone. The penny dropped for Maria as the clone toweled himself dry. She turned to Sssnnathor.


    "He knew the guard''s name. You downloaded information into his head?"


    Sssnnathor stretched his neck in pride. "[I downloaded myself. He is me, in every way that matters.]"


    Sssnnathor-2 finished wriggling into a panama-style suit which matched Sssnnathor-1''s outfit. "[No, it''s more proper to say that you are me.]" The tyrants stared at each other for a moment with narrowed eyes, then both burst into hissing laughter before embracing.


    "[It wasn''t an easy task,]" said Sssnnathor-2 after they broke the hug. "[The hardest part was figuring out how to transcribe organic memories and brain patterns using a secondary cybernetic nervous system. Then I had to make a clone with the proper cybernetics already installed via nanotech.]" He gestured down at his own long body. "[It''s taken a couple of centuries to figure out the details, but as you can see it''s a success.]"


    Oscar twisted his jaw and spoke. "Looks like you plan to do this a lot more times." He motioned at the other tanks throughout the room.


    "[Of course,]" said Sssnnathor-1. "[This is just the beginning! Now that I''ve performed the proof of concept, we can do it again.]"


    The two tyrants started speaking in unison. "[And again, and again, and again, and again...]"


    "But you''re going to evacuate!" said Maria. She pulled her robe tighter around herself. "You won''t have time to grow any more, um, yous."


    "[Not here, no,]" said Sssnnathor-2. "[But I have recorded the data from this success. Once I''ve found another appropriately out-of-the-way place to rebuild, it will be [child''s play] to reconstruct what I''ve got here. Within a [decade] or so, there will be enough of me to take the fight to the Senate and crush them. After that, I estimate the population of me will surpass many trillions in number. And that ''species of me'' will go on, passing our memories back and forth the whole time, forming a massive, galaxy-spanning [gestalt] entity that will truly live forever.]"


    "So what''s with the show-and-tell?" asked Oscar. "Why didn''t you just shove us on board your escape ship and be done with it?"


    The identical Jornissians both chuckled. As they replied they both spoke, completing each other''s sentences.


    "[Well, for one thing this is the result of a lot of work-]"


    [-yes, a lot of hard work. I can''t help but want to show it off-]"


    [-surely you understand that, I hope? And besides, I think it''s appropriate that [humans] of all species should bear witness to my triumph-]"


    [-because I have an offer for both of you.]"


    The hair on the back of Maria''s neck prickled. She knew what was coming before it was said. One of the Sssnnathors slithered around behind her and placed his clawed hands on her shoulders in a gentle caress. As her heart did its best jackhammer impression he brought his snout down and whispered into her ear.


    "[Ssshhh, little one. There''s no need to fear. I can make it so that you won''t have to fear anything ever again. How would you like to live forever?]"


    Maria glanced over at Oscar, who stood in his robe with folded arms and a stony expression while the other Sssnnathor whispered in his ear. She swallowed and felt like she was about to vomit back up the ''cheese'' she''d just eaten. "I don''t know if I like the whole cloning idea, sir," she said.


    Sssnnathor''s tail-tip brushed against her bare leg and his hands squeezed ever-so-softly at her deltoids. "[Oh, there will be plenty of time to decide that. For starters, I could give you the same enhancements I now possess. You will be stronger, faster, more durable. You will never age, and any injuries will heal faster than you can imagine. It will take some time to reconfigure my enhancements for [human] biochemistry, but I am a rather brilliant nanoengineer. I should be able to achieve it.]"


    The tyrant''s tail wound delicately around her calf and slid upwards. "[Hmmm, you are so warm. I can see why they call you [humans].]"


    Maria bit her lip. "Er, I don''t understand, sir."


    Mercifully Sssnnathor''s tail stopped its upward trajectory. But his hands now moved forward over her chest and clasped together over her belly as he hugged her from behind. "[Mmm, so warm.]"


    She shot a pleading look at Oscar, although there wasn''t really much he could do. The other Sssnnathor finished whispering in Oscar''s ear, only for the human to shake his head.


    "No," was all he said.


    The Sssnnathor on Maria released her, and both Jornissians now flowed around to face the man. Maria let out a shaky breath at her stay of molestation.


    "[What do you mean, no?]" snapped one of the tyrants. "[Don''t tell me you buy into that nonsense the Senate spews out.]"


    The other Sssnnathor smiled, clearly trying to act as the ''good cop''. "[I''m not just offering this to only you two. Once I''ve figured it out, I can give my enhancements to every [human] in the galaxy. And those who wish to can follow my lead and duplicate themselves.]"


    "[Isn''t that a noble thing?]" asked the first Sssnnathor. "[Imagine how much pain and suffering, how much needless death you could eradicate among your kind.]"


    "At what cost?" asked Oscar.


    "[No cost, other than for [humanity] to ally with my cause.]"


    Maria''s eyes widened. "You mean, fight the Senate alongside you?"


    The closer Sssnnathor smirked at her. "[Why not? What have they ever done for you, other than deny you the technology that should be rightfully yours?]"


    Maria glanced at Oscar, who was back into ''saying nothing'' mode. "It''s not that simple," she said. "I wasn''t born then, but I''ve read about the social dislocations when the Karnakians started giving us advanced power and medical tech willy-nilly. Things are still kinda unsettled back home, to be honest."


    The other Sssnnathor waved a dismissive hand. "[A mere case of idiots not knowing what they''re doing. Your species was primitive when the Karnakians discovered you, but that was no fault of your own. Just a matter of bad timing in your planet''s pattern of extinction-level events. You deserve so much more than the paltry crumbs they throw you.]"


    The first Sssnnathor sighed. "[I suppose it''s a lot for them to take in. Well, you''ll have plenty of time on board my ship to reconsider.]"


    Nerlharg loped in through the entrance. He blinked in surprise at being confronted with two of his boss. "[Oh. I take it the decanting was a success, Excellency?]"


    "[Quite so,]" said one of the Sssnnathors. "[I apologize for not waiting for your return, but we are pressed for time and I couldn''t resist showing off to our guests.]"


    The Dorarizin gave an imperturbable shrug. "[As Your Excellency wishes. The system is set, and HARSAK PRIME will activate in [ten minutes]. I''ve notified the crew of the [Shrenthhah] to begin warming up their engines.]"


    "[Wonderful. Would you please escort our guests to the transport? We''ll be there shortly.]"


    One of the Sssnnathors slid over to the workstation and popped out a couple of data chips. He handed one to his counterpart, and in perfect synchronization they placed each chip into the breast pocket of their respective suits.


    "[So we have a decision to make,]" said one of the tyrants. "[Which do you prefer? I was leaning towards [N''''illl''kan], she''s an amusing little thing-]"


    "[-Hmm, yes, I do like her. We''ll need to select two, of course-]"


    "[-of course!-]"


    "[-perhaps [Glgrarh] for the second. He whines so cute when I discipline him-]"


    "[-a fine choice. Let''s go fetch them.]"


    As the pair of Jornissians headed for the exit, Maria cleared her throat. "Er, you are going to tell everyone on the planet about HARSAK PRIME, right?"


    One of the Sssnnathors looked at her in mild surprise. "[Of course not. I''m going to broadcast the news that a Senate invasion fleet is on the way. I want lots of attempts to flee, with lots of destruction and chaos. How else can we sneak away with no one tracking us?]"


    They slithered out the door as Maria''s gut churned.


    <hr>


    Oscar stared at the metal floor of the corridor as he and Maria marched along. Behind him he could hear the heavier footfalls of Nerlharg, but for the moment that Dorarizin seemed to be the only one escorting them. Given how fragile and slow humans were in comparison, Oscar supposed that was reasonable. Nerlharg struck him as a very deadly combination of smart and vicious.


    "I guess your boss must trust you," said Maria back over her shoulder. Oscar raised an eyebrow at her. Was that a possible tactic?


    "[He does,]" replied Nerlharg.


    "I mean, you know about the whole cloning and personality-download thing," she continued. "If the Senate found out about that, they''d hunt him down like a do...like a wanted criminal."


    "[I suppose they might. If they knew.]" His voice was still calm and even, as if they were discussing the weather.


    Maria shrugged. "But you must know how hard it is to keep a secret when a lot of people know about it. Aren''t you worried that he''s going to see you as a liability, what with all the secrets in your head..."


    The two humans flinched as a huge paw swung in a horizontal arc over their heads. The claws of that paw embedded themselves in the corridor wall with a dull squawk. Both Maria and Oscar spun to face Nerlharg as he leaned down over them with bared teeth and gleaming eyes.


    "[Don''t think that you being so valuable means that I can''t discipline you. I am not just a mere [flunky], I am His Excellency''s most trusted companion. He''s promised me the same gifts that he has. Immortality is within my reach, so consider this a warning. I am not a fool, and don''t go trying foolish things like undermining my loyalty to him. Understand? Or do I need to spank you?]"


    With a screech of rending metal Nerlharg tore his clamped paw from the wall. Oscar didn''t say a word as he moved to put himself between the Dorarizin and Maria. He got into a ready stance and brought up his fists.


    Nerlharg gave a laugh like a saw cutting deep into bone. "[Ah, so gallant! You think you could take me, little one?]"


    Oscar didn''t reply. With his tongue he probed up into the space between his upper jaw and his left cheek. His questing tongue found a hardness there, and he shifted his jaw to bring that hard, flat object into his mouth.


    "Oscar...don''t...." whispered Maria behind him. He placed one fist behind him, with three fingers sticking out. He could only hope that she intuited what was about to go down.


    "[With one hand, even! Truly you must be a fearsome warrior among your kind!]" Nerlharg leaned forward. "[Go ahead, I''ll let you have the first blow.]" He tapped his chin with one claw. "[Right there.]"


    Oscar withdrew a finger from the fist at his back, leaving two protruding...


    Then one...


    With great ceremony Oscar Williams closed his eyes, leaned forward, and spit at the floor between Nerlharg''s legs.


    The flashbang-grenade button, the one he''d bitten off of his sleeve just as he was getting captured, hit the hard metal surface and promptly detonated.


    Oscar spun upon hearing the crack of the explosion, and opened his eyes. Maria crouched on the floor with her hands over her ears and her mouth open. He couldn''t hear a damn thing for the moment, but he could feel some dull thumps behind him as he grabbed Maria''s shoulder and ran. The small woman stumbled along after him, but quickly picked up the pace and started to outrun him.


    Oscar risked a quick glance behind him and saw Nerlharg frantically batting at a spreading fire on his robe and leg-fur. The flash from the pyrotechnics in the grenade must have been close enough to catch him on fire.


    There was a T-junction just up ahead, and the two humans turned as one and continued running.

 Chapter Eighteen

    They continued to sprint while making several turns, and all the while Maria followed Oscar''s lead. Her lungs began to burn, and she now regretted not spending more time in the gym when she had the chance. Her initial lead on Oscar dwindled until they were running side-by-side. She could feel herself beginning to fall behind while his stride remained as constant as a metronome.


    They passed the occasional archway indicating bulkhead doors, each one of a size and thickness worthy of a bank vault. Just as they passed another set of retracted doors, Maria slowed and stopped. She put her hands on her knees and wheezed. There was still an almighty click-screaming from far off, sounding as if someone had chucked a load of dry bone into a wood-chipper.


    Oscar grabbed at her shoulder, then blinked in surprise as she batted away his hand.


    "No," she panted. "I can''t run as fast or as far as you. I have to go back."


    "Screw that noise," replied Oscar. He reached forward with both hands, clearly getting ready to bodily throw her over his shoulder and run.


    She held up a pleading hand, which stopped him for the moment. "No, please listen!"


    "We don''t have time-"


    "You''ve gotta let them know. You need to tell the crew about HARSAK PRIME, otherwise a shitload of people are gonna die. You''re better at the running and the sneaking stuff, you can make it out of here. I''ll only slow you down."


    "That''s not true! Look, if you''re tired we can hide out somewhere, let you catch your breath..."


    The distant biomechanical screaming died away, to be replaced by a growling clicking that reverberated through the hallways. Oscar looked over Maria''s shoulder with rising panic in his eyes. "We gotta move."


    Maria''s breathing slowed as she came to an uncomfortable realization. "You gotta move. If I stay with you, we''ll both get caught. Without me, you''ll have a chance. Plus if I go back, the Snapes will figure they''ve got at least one human and split. That way-"


    "That way what? You think you can steal back the Claw?" Oscar''s eyes were now furious as they bored into hers. "Do you honestly give a shit about that right now?"


    Maria''s jaw set. "No there''s something else. The crew doesn''t know about Snape''s duplicating shit, they just wanna get us back. So if by some miracle we do both get out of here, the Captain won''t wait for us to tell her what''s up. She''s just gonna grab us and evacuate to keep us safe, right?"


    Oscar risked another glance behind her. The growling was still distant but coming ever-closer. "Maybe, so what?"


    "So they won''t chase after Snape. He''ll be long gone, and then he''ll turn himself into another goddamned species all by himself. But if I''m with him, the team will chase after him. And if he somehow makes it off of the planet with me as a captive, then the whole Senate will be on his ass. He won''t be able to hide."


    "That''s not true-"


    "It is. It''s a simple equation. If I''m with him, there will be more urgency to take him down. You see, Muscle Boy, I''ve had some more time to get comfortable with the idea of dying. Besides, I''m not giving you a choice."


    Maria paced backwards a couple of steps until she was on the other side of the archway. On the wall just above her head was a standard control panel, with the same layout as those anywhere else in xeno space. She reached up and slapped its activation area with one hand.


    Oscar didn''t expect her action and thus was too slow; he only got in a single step towards her before the armored doors slammed with finality in his face.


    Maria took another, shuddery breath. Then she turned on her heels with almost military precision and began running back the way she''d come. Her legs instantly complained about having to run again, but she ignored them. She only hoped Oscar wasn''t stupid enough to reopen the doors and chase her down. He''d lose too much time, time better spent getting the hell out of here. There were no sounds of pursuit behind her, so she figured he must have made the same calculation.


    The growling came closer and closer. When the hackles-raising noise sounded just around a junction in the hallway in front of her, Mara stopped and knelt in the center of the hallway, raising her arms over her head to make sure she was very visible.


    Nerlharg came charging around the corner in a galloping run, his claws leaving deep divots in the metal floor of the hallway. With an almighty screech of rending metal he skidded to a stop. Nerlharg''s once-ornate robes were now a scorched and smoking wreck, and there were patches of charred fur here and there on his legs and lower torso. His eyes narrowed as he regarded Maria.


    "[He left you behind, eh? As a distraction?}" His feet thumped into the floor as he approached her. His head twitched around, looking everywhere as he sniffed suspiciously at the air. "[Where is he hiding?]" There was a creak of tendons stretched taut as he clenched his paws into fists.


    Maria was scared out of her mind and didn''t try to hide it. "He''s gone," she squeaked. "I ditched him. I didn''t know about the grenade in his mouth."


    Nerlharg stood over her like a tsunami about to come crashing down on her oh-so-fragile head. "[Why did you stay behind? What are you playing at?]"


    "Nothing! Your boss made me the same offer he made you. The one about immortality. I want it."


    After a very long and dangerous moment, Nerlharg''s fists unclenched.


    <hr>


    During Sssnnathor''s terraforming of ''his'' planet, the planners brought in several desert-dwelling species to round out the ecosystem and give a little bit of a ''buffer'' between the lush lands at the equator and the more-or-less lifeless expanses towards the poles.


    One of those species was a batlike creature the size of a small deer called a ''jnarlth''. Jornissians prized them for their delightfully crunchy bones; apparently that feature made for quite a satisfying ''texture'' when swallowed.


    Now several jnarlth poked their narrow heads out of various crevices in the harsh, sun-baked earth. They regarded with curious fear the long, smoking trench dug in the soil by the thing that had screamed overhead and driven them all to take shelter.


    At the end of that trench was a smooth white shape that steamed with both the heat of reentry and the many, many hits it had taken from orbital defenses. The Furious Claw of Inquiry''s punch-dagger shape became exposed as its surrounding icy cocoon melted. For hundreds of meters around the ship, the hard-packed arid soil rapidly turned to mush from the unexpected influx of water.


    In the distance, a gleam of sunlight on metal rapidly resolved into a very fast moving shuttlecraft. Like a skipped stone, the craft skimmed right over the new-created mud-flats and as it approached the ship a ramp on the side of the Claw hinged down. The timing was impeccable; as the lip of the ramp squelched into the mud the shuttle sped up the ramp in a silver streak.


    The ramp hinged back up and closed.


    There was a moment of quiet. A few of the braver jnarlths pulled their angular bodies out of their burrows and cautiously stilt-walked towards the ship.


    Those more headstrong creatures dove back for safety as a bright red beam stabbed out of the top of the Claw and hit the ground where the ramp had been. The water in the mud instantly converted to steam, creating a huge billow of white vapor that began to rise into the sky like a beacon. The beam fanned out as it rastered over the ground in front of the ramp. After a minute of firing, the beam shut off. When the steam dissipated, a path of glassy rock was now visible, making a path through the mud.


    The jnarlths peeped back out of their hidey-holes, but none of them made a move to actually emerge.


    After a few more minutes of quiet, the ramp thumped down again, this time giving out a dull clank as its metal lip met the still-cooling glass of the impromptu roadway.


    The same shuttle flew back down the ramp, followed close behind by a low-slung ground vehicle shaped like a brick with the corners cut off. It bounced along on large knobby tires as it kept pace with the shuttlecraft. Two huge armored figures clung to the ground vehicle''s roof with a casual air that belied the speed of their ''chariot''.


    The pair of vehicles turned and headed off at an angle to the initial approach, aiming for another place near the edge of the desert. Within a few minutes they were just dots on the horizon. As their dust plumes faded into the distance, the jnarlths decided as one that it was a very good time to be somewhere else.


    <hr>


    Maria kept her eyes downcast as Nerlharg steered her up a ramp. She glanced up and saw they were in a huge garage; one side of the area consisted of a retractable door. The ramp itself was the entry door to a big vehicle the size of a semi tractor-trailer. Its shape was more like a big cigar slung between two rows of wheels. From the look of those wheels, it was clearly intended for off-road use.


    Both Sssnnathors waited at the top of the ramp, and both gave her fanged smiles that did not help the churning in her guts. Was she insane? No, she''d done the right thing. Oscar could move faster without her, and he had to get the word out about Snape''s plans. Just as she had to be here, to light a fire under the Senate''s ass.


    Sssnnathor-1 nodded to Nerlharg. "[I received your report. No sign of the other [human]?]"


    "[No, Excellency. Shall I continue the search?]"


    "[No time. We''ll have to make do with her. Let the other one die stranded on this planet with his comrades.]"


    Nerlharg nodded, and with a final push he sent Maria up into the vehicle''s cabin. The Dorarizin gave her a faint sneer as he moved forward towards the driver''s station.


    Maria ignored Nerlharg as she looked around. The vehicle''s interior was strictly utilitarian, with pipes lining the walls and harsh lighting everywhere. The pipes were festooned with lots of interesting and unreadable alien symbols. Eight armored guards stood along the cabin walls with an aloof air, four Dorarizin and four Jornissian. In the very back of the vehicle huddled two curled-up figures, one feathered and one furred.


    "I thought we were getting on board your ship," she said.


    "[No, it''s too large and too obvious to store it here or at my main palace,]" replied Sssnnathor-1. "[The [Shrenthhah] is safely hidden in the nearby mountains. About [sixty minutes] of driving and we''ll be there.]"


    Outside of the panoramic windscreen at the front, Maria saw the retractable wall roll up into the ceiling to reveal a down-sloping ramp. The vehicle surged forward, and as she stumbled Sssnnathor-1 caught her shoulder with ease.


    "Thanks," muttered Maria.


    Sssnnathor did not withdraw the hand. "[Nerlharg tells me you wish to take me up on my offer,]" he said. "[You are smarter than the bigger [human], I''ll give you that.]"


    Maria looked up with trepidation at both of the Sssnnathors hovering over her. "I hope so. I do expect you to follow through on your promise, sirs."


    Sssnnathor-1 gave a hissing-purr of a laugh. "[You may be assured of that, little one. Let us be clear and honest with each other. I plan to use you as an example to the rest of your species, so that I may recruit more of your fellow [humans] to our holy cause.]"


    Maria ducked her head and regarded her bare feet. "In that case, sir, I''ll do my best to be a model citizen."


    Sssnnathor-2''s large, claw-tipped hand settled on her other shoulder. "[I expect no less.]" The hand moved behind her and stroked up the back of her neck, while Sssnnathor-1''s hand moved up to brush her cheek.


    She did her best to ignore the gratuitous caressing from both hands as she continued speaking. "Excellencies, where do you wish me?"


    "[So formal! Heh. Please, go and speak to the two that we''ve selected from our harem.]" Sssnnathor-1''s hand waved languidly towards the rear of the vehicle. At the gesture, the two unclothed forms clenched themselves tighter in abject fear. "[Due to our quick departure, I haven''t had the chance to speak to them yet. Please explain to them that they are honored above all in accompanying me. Just the same as you are. Do your best to keep them calm, understand?]"Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Yes. I''ll do what I can, Excellency." Maria felt trepidation about how easily she slipped into ''subservient'' mode, but she tamped that down as she walked with fake certainty towards the rear of the vehicle. The cabin rocked and swayed as she moved, and out of the panoramic side windows the flat beige landscape of the planet''s arid salt-flats rocketed past.


    She had an hour until they reached the mountains where Sssnnathor''s escape ship waited with patient inevitability. Maria figured she''d spend a few of those precious minutes in calming the two slaves down before re-approaching either Sssnnathor. In addition to being a goad to action for the Senate team, she wanted to see if she could get at least one of the cloning data-chips off of them. She hoped her new slight-of-hand skills were up to the task.


    As Maria approached the two huddled masses, the Karnakian was the first to move. Her feathers were the pure white of new paper, and her red eyes fixed on Maria as if seeking validation for her soul.


    "[You''re a [human]! You look so...]"


    "Sparkly, yeah yeah, been there, done that, had the discussion about qualia. Who''s he?" Maria pointed at the other, gray-furred figure.


    The curled-up Dorarizin stirred and unfolded himself. "[I''m Glgrarh-of...-of-[Sssnnathor].]"


    Maria blinked. She was not too familiar with Dorarizin naming conventions, but she knew that his declaration wasn''t right. "Oh, come on. You must have a proper clan name!"


    Glgrarh tucked his head into himself. "[That is my name now. If I show any signs of disobedience, He will punish me.]" One amber eye peeked out at her from the ball of gray floof. "[If you have any sense, you must do as he says.]"


    Maria rubbed her forehead. "I''ll take that under advisement." As she spoke, the vehicle rocked again as it thumped over some random desert rock. The petite human stumbled, only to be stopped again in mid-sway by a clawed and feathered arm clamping onto her shoulder. She looked at the Karnakian and patted the ''hand'' on her person. "Thanks, Miz...?"


    "[N''''illl''kan,]" replied the Karnakian. "[Please, you must follow [Glgrarh''s] example. Don''t antagonize Him at all.]"


    "I won''t." Maria made a circular gesture that included all three of them. "It''s all right, okay? We''re okay. We''re gonna be fine. He likes you two. That''s why you''re here."


    "[But...why are there two of him now?]" whispered Glgrarh.


    "I''ll tell you later." Maria caught the briefest glimpse of something gun-metal gray amidst the white floof of N''''ill''kan''s chest, and Maria pounced at the opportunity to distract the pair. "What''s that?" she asked while pointing.


    "[This? Oh, this is just some bauble that the Master handed to me and asked me to keep safe.]" N''''ill''kan drew the object closer to her chest. "[I can''t let you see it. That might invite His wrath.]"


    Maria put on her most disarming smile. "Aw, come on. He asked me to introduce myself, get to know you, tell you to chill out. The three of us are gonna be good friends from now on. Surely I can have a look at it?"


    "[I suppose...]" The Karnakian glanced up towards the front of the vehicle, where the two Sssnnathors bent low on either side of Nerlharg as he drove. The guards just stared at the three of them with bored nonchalance. N''''illl''kan made a furtive gesture, and with the typical blurring speed of a xeno she tossed the object into Maria''s hands.


    It was a small case which was surprisingly heavy for its size. Maria saw why as she unlatched the top and swung it open. The case''s lid and sides were thick metal; this thing was more like a safe than a case.


    Within was a very recognizable object, nestled in a foam cutout. With trembling hands Maria set the case down and pulled the object out.


    Maria Vargas felt her breath catch in her throat as she felt the weight of the relic in her palms. At the moment it was ''upside-down'', showing nothing but smooth polished bone. She regarded the twinkling gems embedded in the claw-root before turning it over to see the angular runes inscribed into its surface.


    "[Master asked me what it says,]" said N''''ill''kan. "[But it''s an ancient script, I can''t read it.]"


    Maria rubbed a thumb over the inscription. A distant corner of her mind drew a bit of amusement from the fact that such touching by a ''pagan'' would have sent both Matriarchs into conniptions. "Well you''re in luck there, Nicky. Because I can read this."


    N''''ill''kan''s crest rose, and the fuzzball that was Glgrarh unrolled a little. "[Really?]" they said in unison.


    "Yeah. Hang on, let me see..." One part of Maria''s brain shrieked at her to stop messing around with this nonsense and work on the problem of getting those data-chips away from the Sssnnathors. Oh, and also work out how to not die in the process.


    But the larger, scholarly part of her mind was now presented with an academic puzzle and would not be denied. She sat cross-legged on the metal deck as she held the Claw vertically and read down the runes.


    "Okay, superlative here...Something above? Pronoun...this? Yes, this...everything? Okay, got it, this first part is the preamble saying the next part is the most important bit...then it says...something for others?"


    She chewed on her lip in deep thought, not noticing how both of the slaves stared at her in silent awe. "Is it...gah, I can''t understand this rune...something best? Oh..."


    Maria''s brain clicked as the proper translation fell into her head. She sat in puzzled silence for a minute or so. This was the big secret of Ta''irr''qc''s Last Sutra? This was it?


    But then the more Maria thought about it, the more it made sense.


    Yes, it was really all that mattered.


    The human laughed. "I guess you did have it all figured out, you old buzzard. That is the most important thing."


    On impulse Maria hugged the Claw to her chest, hoping that if there was some sort of afterlife then Ta''irrl''qc would feel her affection even through the millennia since his death.


    It must have been her imagination, but Maria could swear she felt the faintest ghost-touch on her shoulders and back, as if incorporeal feathered arms reached out and hugged her. There was another almost-there nudge at her scalp as if a great fanged snout, wrinkled with age, nuzzled at the top of her head.


    To the end of her days, Maria Vargas swore that she''d also heard a faint voice in her head. The voice was ancient and cracked, yet still clear and resolute.


    You''ll have to tell them, little one. They don''t listen to me any more.


    With watery eyes, Maria nodded. She reverently set the Claw back into its safe and latched the lid closed with great emphasis.


    N''''ill''kan cleared her throat. "[Ah, what did it say?]"


    Maria told her.


    The Karnakian tilted her head in puzzlement. "[That''s it?]"


    "That''s it. But that''s enough." Maria stood and blinked away the tears in her eyes. She stalked towards the two Sssnnathors with new determination in her stride.


    <hr>


    The old ''move-through-the-air-vents'' ploy is a staple of human action movies...but it''s also nonsense. Most HVAC systems have vents you couldn''t fit a small child into, let alone Arnold Schwarzenegger.


    But that''s for human-scale HVAC. When dealing with aliens things get a little more complicated. True, most ducts in an alien building are still far too small to move through, but the sheer scale of xeno architecture meant that at least a few of the main ducts were plenty big enough to admit a human, even one the size of Oscar Williams.


    Of course, ''plenty big'' is still a relative term.


    Oscar wriggled forward like a robe-clad inchworm, his arms stretching out front and trying to help pull himself along the dull gray sheet metal of the duct. He had no sense of where he was, so the first thing he had to do was orient himself. From what he''d seen of Sssnnathor''s main palace and city, the bastard liked pyramids. So if this secret lab was also in a pyramid, then if he kept heading up and out he should hit a outside wall.


    It was a logical plan, but he''d yet to find anything resembling a damn window.


    Oscar froze as he heard clanking footsteps drawing closer. The patrols were now more frequent, but as of yet he''d remained undiscovered. From what he''d seen of the place, it was still under construction. That was probably the only reason he hadn''t been caught. If the building''s security network was in place he''d have been pinned to the floor before he could take ten steps.


    The steps resounded below him, and he wondered if they were using infrared scans. If they were, he hoped that the surrounding metal and concrete was enough to mask his signature. The booted feet stopped below him for a long, heart-pounding moment...and then kept moving.


    After the steps faded into the distance, Oscar resumed his wriggling. His current goal was the distant light shining through a vent cover. It had a brighter sheen than the artificial lights elsewhere in the building, so he hoped that meant a nearby window.


    Oscar kept moving and ignored the various warning pains from his body. His toes were scraped raw and his knees were all but hamburger from rubbing against sheet metal for what seemed like ages. A few tears in his robe had exposed his back, and he now sported a couple of nice scrapes across one of his lats from errant fasteners. He pushed down the pain and focused on moving. One shoulder forward, then the other, then one hip, then the other...


    He pressed his face up against the horizontal slats of the grill and peeped around. Outside the vent was a hallway of polished marble, and from the left spilled a very bright light which indicated sunshine. There wasn''t anyone in sight, but his field of view was limited. There could be an entire platoon of guards right below him and he wouldn''t know.


    Oscar sighed and lowered his head. He pressed the top of his scalp forward into the grill, hoping that the architects of this place had followed the same specs as those used on board the Claw. The vents on board the ship were a simple cover held in place by friction, so a push should be enough to...


    The vent popped loose before he expected it, and Oscar lunged forward in panic as the cover dropped towards the hard marble floor. He got one arm free and ignored the painful twang in his shoulder as he grabbed and caught the errant piece of metal before it could clatter onto the floor. He now hung half-out of the vent, with his robe flopped downward to reveal his boxers.


    "At least I didn''t go commando this morning," he muttered as he gripped the edge of the vent with his other hand. With much painful pushing and shoving he managed to birth his body from the vent and lower himself down without making too much of a racket. As he set the grill against the wall he peered in every direction. His luck held; the hallway stretched away to both sides with no sign of any guards.


    Better yet, about ten feet down the corridor to his left was a large picture window. Oscar moved with his head on a swivel as he padded towards it and peeked around its lip.


    Beyond the window, the sun beat down on a large expanse of flat white and brown soil. In the distance he could see mountains looming in a range that extended as far as he could see to either side. The hard clay was churned in a double-line extending from below him, near the base of the pyramid. He followed that line and saw far off a small black shape, wreathed in dust kicked up by its passage.


    "The Snapes," he muttered. "The bastards are bugging out. With Maria, I''ll bet."


    He drummed his fingers on the windowsill as he thought. What now? He was oriented, but he had to get in contact with the team. If he was a communications suite, where would he be? Maybe near the top of the pyramid?


    Oscar''s musing was interrupted by a rumble that shook the floor. He spun and looked around in a panic, wondering if the bastard Sssnnathor had set the place to explode like a proper Bond villain.


    A harsh warning klaxon sounded through the corridor, echoing off of the polished marble. From his left, off in the distance, Oscar heard the loud hisses and growl-clicks that passed for alien shouts of alarm. A clattering from that direction indicated that the guards had just gotten a figurative boot up the ass, so he decided that the proper direction of travel was away from them.


    Oscar felt fresh adrenaline wash away his various aches and pains as he sprinted off down the corridor to the right. He was near one corner of the pyramid, and the hallway made a left-facing angle he couldn''t see around. As he neared the corner, he slowed and peeped around the edge.


    An armored Dorarizin chose just that moment to look around. The faceless visor stared at Oscar for only a second before the guard''s yell resounded through the hallway. "[HEY!]"


    The human didn''t waste time in cursing; he flinched back and turned to run...only to see an armored wall of guards fast approaching from the other direction.


    "Fuck," he muttered, as he glanced around. There was a vent nearby far up the wall, maybe he could...


    Oscar leaped like he was going for a slam-dunk and got his fingers into the vent grill. He used his bodyweight to pull the vent loose as the first Dorarizin came pelting around the corner. Without hesitation he threw the grill at the Dorarizin''s head and leaped again...


    A whine of engines sounded outside, which caused more shouting among the guards around him. Oscar ignored it all as he gripped the edge of the duct and pulled himself up...


    The wall to the outside exploded inward. Oscar felt a chunk of concrete smack into his ass as he shoved himself up and into the duct. This one was a little roomier than the first, and he managed to get his legs up and in while the world outside the duct was filled with lots of screaming and crunching.


    He wriggled inward while behind him the sounds of carnage continued. After a few moments the noise abated, but he didn''t stop one single bit in his movement. Oscar froze as the duct in front of him suddenly went white-hot along a surgically precise line. The metal in that line dripped and fell away, and he felt the heat from a similar bisecting behind him.


    Oscar yelped, then grunted as the maser-cut section of duct fell with a thump into the hard floor beneath. He heard the pained screech of rending metal above him, and flopped over in a panic as he brought his fists up.


    Over the peeled-open duct hovered a Dorarizin in a very familiar set of black power armor. Oscar relaxed and grinned. "Hey, honey-babe. Fancy meeting you here. What a stroke of luck, eh?"


    The armor''s visor hinged up to reveal Myyreh''s answering grin. "[Not luck. It''s a good thing you monkey-boys have such a unique IR signature.]" Her gauntlets crumpled the torn metal of the duct flat on either side of his head as she bent forward.


    "It''s among our more attractive featurullmphh..." Oscar''s head swum as Myyreh subjected him to a deep, forceful kiss that scoured the inside of his mouth and made him see stars. He lay back in bliss for a moment before his job reasserted himself and he tapped on the side of her helmet to get her attention. She pulled herself away and out of his mouth with reluctance.


    Myyreh caressed his scalp with one armor-clad finger. "[So cheeky.]"


    "For you, always. Where''s the Captain? I gotta tell her what''s up."


    <hr>


    Captain Rgarshok rubbed her temples with both paws. Why couldn''t anything about this moon-cursed mission stay simple? She sighed and regarded [Oscar], who stood at attention before her. "{Right. We''ve got to split up.}"


    She looked up at Resh''skk, who clutched at his maser like it was the only thing keeping him from going completely [ape-shit] on every guard in this compound. "{[Resh''skk], you''re with Myyreh on [Maria''s] retrieval. Take the ground vehicle, and terminate both [Sssnnathors] with extreme prejudice while you''re at it. The rest of us need to figure out how to shut off the planet''s defense grid.}"


    Resh''skk''s stormy face relaxed, and the two armored-up soldiers nodded. They began to walk away...only to have an additional gray-feathered figure step forward to follow them.


    "[Tk''rii''na?]" asked Ma''elge''yk in surprise.


    There was a fire in Tk''rii''na''s eyes as he faced down his Matriarch. "[I must go. I swore a sacred oath to protect the [tiny-chomper]. As Sutra [Ninety-One] states...]"


    "[Yes, yes, I know.]" Ma''elge''yk waved an arm towards him. "[Go, then.]"


    "{We can''t take him,}" said Myyreh. "{He''s not armored enough...}"


    That fire didn''t leave Tk''rii''na''s gaze as he stared down Myyreh. "[I can drive.]"


    After a moment of mutual staring, Myrreh shrugged her ears. "{Fine. Let''s go.}"


    "[The rest of you should go too,]" said the Silken Feather. "[I''ll take care of the defense grid. [Sssnnathor] must have an override back in his main palace.]"


    Rgrarshok stared for a moment at the thief. "{If this is some sort of trick, I really will gut you.}"


    The Silken Feather shrugged. "[There''s no larger play here. I want to get the [fuck] off of this planet, same as you. Plus the more of you go, the more likely it is that [Maria] gets back safe. Trust me, I can get in there no matter what security he has in place.]"


    After a long pause, Rgrashok nodded. "{Grawfren, Egwreh, Kgrashak, [Oscar]. You''re with her.}"


    "[What do we do?]" asked Ck''Trrk''Ka.


    "{You and the other [Karnakians] go with Team...Silken Feather, but once you get to the palace you two Matriarchs and your guards WILL SIT YOUR ASSES IN THE SHUTTLE AND NOT MOVE, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?}"


    The Captain''s roar reverberated off of the walls. In the very far distance, a group of guards which was cautiously approaching the Senate team''s position heard the yell. As a unit they reconsidered their life choices up until that point and decided, without any discussion among themselves, the alien equivalent of ''Fuck This for a Game of Soldiers''.


    Many years later, some of them even became upstanding members of galactic society.

 Chapter Nineteen

    Oscar peeped around the edge of the shuttle door and regarded the looming mountain of Sssnnathor''s main palace with resigned dread. Going back into that damn place was not something he looked forward to. He turned to the others. The Dorarizin on ''Team Silken Feather'' now sported breastplates and greaves of something that looked like hard plastic, worn right over their original low-profile armor. He was sure that in spite of its fragile appearance that new armor material was fearsomely tough. For her part, The Silken Feather now had the Karnakian version of the team''s low-profile armor and had even strapped a breastplate onto herself, although since it was shaped for a Dorarizin the piece of hard-armor sat loose against her keel-like chest.


    At least Oscar was out of that damn robe. He now wore a spare set of his original low-profile armor, which he''d set into combat mode within seconds of donning. His elbows and knees still ached from his vent-crawling, but at least they were now armored.


    Through his visor, the human fixed the thief with his best glare. "You''re sure this side entrance is there?"


    "[It''s how we got in before,]" replied The Silken Feather.


    "All right." He looked up at Kgrashak. "You''re the senior officer. How do you want to proceed?"


    The doctor leaned out and performed her own scan of the distant palace. She held a massive maser rifle casually in one paw. "[Most of the guards have fled. [Sssnnathor''s] fake announcement of the Senate invasion fleet is going live any time now, which will only add to the exodus. There should be just a few die-hards left inside, if any.]"


    "So we just waltz on in?"


    "[It will be more what you [humans] call ''leap-frogging'' rather than ''waltzing'', but yes that''s the idea. Our biggest worry will be the automated defense systems.]" Kgrashak turned and nodded to Grawfren. The pilot slouched with her usual bored air at the front of the shuttle. "[You stay here with the other Karnakians. If Team [Maria] needs a hand, go help ''em. We can fortify in place if need be.]"


    Grawfren nodded with one ear. "[What do I do if they get [antsy]?]" The pilot tossed her snout towards the Karnakians, who apart from The Silken Feather huddled like brooding chicks in the far corner of the shuttle''s interior.


    "[If they try to leave, kill ''em,]" said Kgrashak.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka gave a trilling laugh, but the Matriarch''s humor died away as she saw the utter seriousness in the doctor''s face. "[We will stay in the shuttle, as ordered,]" she said.


    "[We will also defend the shuttle if attacked!]" added Ter''yeik. The former Second Claw''s crest was halfway risen in a mix of determination and fear.


    "[I expect you to,]" replied Kgrashak. "[You are all still breathing only through the grace of my Captain. Don''t give her...or ME...a reason to rescind that grace.]"


    Oscar peeped outside again. It was still as quiet as a tomb. Shit, why did his brain have to go and use that metaphor? "Wish I had a sidearm, at least."


    Kgrashak''s stormy demeanor changed into a sly smile towards Egwreh. "[I guess it''s time to give it to him.]"


    Oscar turned to the engineer with wide eyes. "Wait, does that mean what I think it does?"


    Egwreh smiled. "[It do.]" She reached into a bag at her feet and drew out a chromed weapon that looked like a toy in her mitt. Its appearance was similar to Kgrashak''s maser, but sized and shaped for Oscar. And its clean, flowing lines made it look more like a bespoke hunting rifle than a mass-produced weapon of war.


    The engineer placed the rifle in Oscar''s hands. He stared at it with something akin to hunger, then realized there were no sights on the damn thing. "Wow. Okay, how do I aim it?"


    "[Oh, right. Let me sync it with your armor...]" Egrweh stared off into space as her implant made the necessary ''handshake''.


    Oscar suddenly saw a targeting reticle pop up on the inside of his visor. Thanks to long-ago training he made sure to keep the rifle pointed at the deck, well away from anybody inside the shuttle. The reticle helpfully told him that the deck was less than one meter away, and as he jiggled the rifle around the reticle moved to follow the muzzle''s movement. He looked up and moved the rifle to point outside, careful not to sweep any of his comrades with the weapon. The targeting reticle now told him that the palace was one thousand six hundred and twenty-two meters distant.


    "[It''s not a slug-thrower, so you won''t have to worry about windage or elevation drop,]" continued Egwreh. "[Whatever you point at, you hit. The effective beam lethality range is about [five hundred meters]. Also, the display at top right shows an estimate of how many shots you have left with the rifle''s power pack. The longer you hold down the trigger with each shot, the fewer shots you''ll have.]" She handed Oscar a few equally-chromed square blocks. "[I tried to make this similar to a [human] rifle in terms of loading magazines.]"


    More of the old muscle memory came back as Oscar looked down at the rifle and saw an eject button, right where it would be on an M4 carbine. He pushed the button, removed the block that popped out of the rifle''s bottom, and inserted one of the blocks which Egwreh had just handed him. He saw the rifle''s power level obediently jump back up to maximum in the upper right of his visor.


    Oscar grinned so wide that he thought the top of his head would come off. "Well shit, Emma. And here I didn''t get you anything."


    "[Just stay alive,]" Egwreh replied. "[That''ll be enough of a return gift. Oh, and I''ll need that rifle back when this stupid mission is over, so that I can destroy it...don''t pout at me like that! If the Inquisition so much as catches a whiff that we gave a [human] a military-grade beam weapon, we''ll be lucky to keep our fur.]"


    <hr>


    Maria paused a few paces short of the twin Sssnnathors. She peeped out a side window and looked back along their path. A few faint whirls of dust spiraled in the wake of their speedy passage, but the hard-packed desert soil didn''t show any tracks.


    If she squinted, she could make out what might be a tiny black dot right at the horizon. The maybe-there object danced and shimmered in the hot desert air. So perhaps the cavalry was on the way. Or maybe it was a mirage, a cruel trick from her all-too-human eyes.


    In case it was rescue, Maria figured she had to distract those on board so that her comrades could get closer without notice. Then she mentally kicked herself. These assholes must have radar and other high-tech stuff on board. But on the other paw, using radar would also give away their location. So maybe the rescue team could sneak up unobserved...if her captors weren''t looking out the window.


    It was worth the risk. Maria took a deep breath, and before she could second-guess herself she reached out and touched Sssnnathor-1''s elbow. She wanted it to be a friendly touch, but not too friendly. From the way the tyrants acted around her, it was clear they wouldn''t mind adding her to the ''harem''.


    The huge snake-like alien twisted with blurring speed to look down at her. He had the same viper-style face as Hrathra''sstah, with the same permanent scowl. She hoped that his real mood wasn''t so stormy.


    "I talked to them," she said with a big plastic smile. "They''re feeling much better."


    Sssnnathor-1''s voice was much more jovial than his expression. "[Of course they are! No one could stay sad when faced with someone like you.]"


    Maria opened her mouth to ask just what that meant, but before she could speak he swooped one arm around and under her. Faster than she could blink, Maria found herself sitting on his forearm while her feet dangled well clear of the deck. Sssnnathor-1 carried her up towards the vehicle''s cockpit like a proud father carting his newborn in one arm.


    Sssnnathor-2 sat coiled up next to Nerlharg, who slung himself off of the saddle-like driver''s chair. "[The autopilot is set, Excellencies.]" The Dorarizin glanced at Maria and gave an annoyed ear-flick as Sssnnathor-1 slithered up with her in hand, but otherwise ignored her.


    The second tyrant''s hood, in contrast, scrunched in with pleasure as he set eyes on Maria. He pointed out the windshield at the mountains which loomed ever-closer.


    "[Another [twenty minutes] and we''ll be there, my dear! My announcement will go live in a few [minutes], so we''ll have a nice bit of carnage underway right as we take off.]"


    Maria glanced at the display in front of the pilot''s chair. There was a lot of alien scribbles that must have carried lots of information, but she didn''t see anything like a radar display.


    It was time to make with the distracting.


    She pressed herself against Sssnnathor-1''s cradling arm and wrapped her arms around his substantial bicep. It was without a doubt the most disgusting thing she''d ever done. She tried to sound even more scared than she was. "We''ll be safe, right?"


    Sssnnathor-1''s hood twitched with surprise at her unexpected caress. "[Yes, quite safe.]" He cradled her closer to his chest, which was exactly what Maria wanted. The jacket pocket containing his clone data-chip was now within easy reach.


    What she didn''t want, however, was for him to reach around with his other hand and start stroking her back...but that was exactly what he did. "[Our departure might be a little excitable but there''s no danger, my dear. Once we''re underway in warp, I''ll show you just how grateful I am that you''re with me...with us.]"


    Sssnnathor-2 slipped closer. "[Yes, don''t forget about me-]"


    "[-of course not, this will just take some getting used to-]"


    "[-for me as well, just don''t [hog] the [human]-]"


    "[-now be fair, you did get to hug her in the lab-]"


    "[- that''s true. Hey, how about we-]"


    "[-yes, a truly capital idea!]"


    Sssnnathor-1 turned his chest sideways, giving plenty of room for Sssnnathor-2 to press himself up against Maria. Her heart went into overdrive upon finding herself the filling in an evil tyrant sandwich.


    "[Poor thing,]" hiss-purred Sssnnathor-2. "[I can feel her heart. It''s beating so fast.]" His hand settled on her head as he combed his sharp-nailed fingers through her hair.


    Sssnnathor-1''s tongue flicked near her ear. "[Yes, she smells of fear.]"


    "Yeah, just, er, be careful," squeaked Maria. She wriggled herself sideways so that she had a shoulder pressed against each tyrant''s chest. That made it feel more like a group hug and less like the prelude to a gang-bang. To her relief, the Sssnnathors let her do so without complaint. But their caressing hands didn''t stop. One hand stroked along her bare calf, making her twitch in surprise.


    "[We''ll be very careful, little one,]" said Sssnnathor-2.


    "[You''re so warm,]" murmured Sssnnathor-1. His free hand moved up to also comb through her hair. "[I wonder how warm you can become?]"


    Maria glanced towards the rear of the vehicle. The two slaves stared in horrified fascination at her ongoing molestation, while the eight guards leaned against the walls and looked at the proceedings with a casual yet interested air. Nerlharg slouched next to the driver''s saddle, and he was also focused on the snake-on-human action. His gaze was much more clinical and detached...as if the Dorarizin was taking notes for the future, when he had a human slave of his own.


    Good. At least she was keeping everyone from looking behind them. She risked a quick peep towards the nearest window, and that black dot was now much more obviously ''there''. Okay, she just needed to keep it together for a few more minutes at most.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    But then Maria bit her lip to keep from screaming as one of Sssnnathor-2''s hands moved up from her calf. He pushed under the hem of her robe to caress the back of her thigh. His jacket front rubbed against her shoulder, and that additional contact made her freakout fade as she realized there was a golden opportunity to get her hands on both data chips. She''d need an appropriately big distraction. She hoped by now she''d done enough distracting of her own, it was time to get her rescuers in on the action...


    Maria oriented herself, then nestled her head against Sssnnathor-2''s shoulder. She used the motion to disguise another peep out the side window, just as she''d done before...


    She caught a glimpse of something that looked like a cross between a tank and an ATV, bouncing along on oversized tires as it approached rapidly from their left rear. There was a long armored figure clinging to its roof that could only be Resh''skk, and flanking him were two huge gorilla-shaped wolves that could only be the Captain and Bgrarh.


    "What''s that?" she said with all the innocence she could muster.


    With a unified "[Eh?]" the two tyrants turned to look in the same direction. Upon feeling their movement Maria slipped her hands along both of their chests as if to steady herself.


    There was a huge "[GAH!]" in unison from the two Sssnnathors. At the same time, all of the hours of training with Oscar and those Sotek-be-damned poker chips finally paid off. With nary a whisper of excess motion, Maria neatly plucked out the two data chips, one from the jacket pocket on each side of her. She then hugged the chips and her arms to her chest as if terrified. To be fair, she didn''t have to act for that latter bit.


    The next few seconds was a whirl of shouted instructions and movement. Maria felt a thump in her rear as her body was suddenly encased in Nk''''''traa''il''s chest floof.


    "[Stay there,]" growled Sssnnathor-1, while Nerlharg leapt back into the driver''s station with a fearsome snarl.


    The tyrants acted in sync, each one facing their respective line of guards on each side of the vehicle. Their hissing voices spoke in perfect unison. "[Get up there! They''ll try to board us, and I''ll have your SKINS if they do!]"


    One of the Dorarizin guards all but tore open a large hatch leading up to the vehicle''s roof. The vehicle''s interior instantly filled with dust and heat from the outside, along with a lot of wind noise. Over that noise Maria could hear the basso growl of their pursuer''s engine.


    And then from outside, floating over the desert wind, came the simultaneous hiss-screaming and click-roaring of three terminally pissed-off apex predators.


    It was the most wonderful noise she''d ever heard.


    <hr>


    Oscar moved forward to peer around the next corner, only to have a feathered arm gently but firmly pull him back.


    "[Allow me,]" said The Silken Feather. "[If you get hurt, your illustrious Captain will turn me into a [duster].]"


    He grumbled, but allowed the green Karnakian to move past him and do a peep of her own. They''d made it up the ramps of the building''s atrium and were now in the upper levels of the pyramid.


    "[Drones. Three of ''em,]" said The Silken Feather. Oscar''s visor suddenly lit up showing three red circles, hovering over the hard metal floor of the adjacent corridor as if he could see through walls.


    For a brief moment Oscar devoutly wished he''d had this tech during his tours of duty overseas. The musing was interrupted by Sssnnathor''s plush, level voice sounding out overhead.


    "[My dear subjects, may I please have your kind attention. I have received reliable intelligence that a Senate fleet is en route to this planet. There is no need to panic at the moment, please remain calm. I am still gathering data, and I''ll report back when I have more to tell you. I repeat, please remain calm and do not panic.]"


    Oscar could picture the inhabitants of this planet, both those corrupt and those merely drifting, now turning to stare at each other upon hearing the announcement. He could imagine them all in unison deciding that now would be a perfect time to panic.


    "That tears it," he grumbled. "What do you figure, about twenty minutes before the first one of ''em try to take off?" He could picture that as well, a silver streak rising from the planet only to be cut into pieces by atomic fire. How many would die just so that Sssnnathor could cover his tracks? Thousands? Maybe millions?


    "[We have more like [fifteen minutes], I think,]" replied Kgrashak from her position behind Oscar. "[As for our robot friends, shall we hit them all at once?]"


    "[A sound strategy,]" replied Egrweh from the rear of their little squad. "[I''ll lead, draw their fire, and take out the one on the left. Feather, you take out the center while [Oscar] deals with the one on the right.]"


    "Done," said Oscar, and before he could finish the single word Egwreh was a white blur of motion. The Silken Feather was a similar green streak as Oscar rolled out into the intersection with his comparatively paltry human reflexes...


    He didn''t have to worry about incoming fire, since the three spherical drones were busy trying to cut down his huge comrades. Oscar set the reticle on his designated target and squeezed the trigger...


    The expected recoil never arrived. This weapon was not like any rifle he''d ever fired, it was more like using the Finger of God. One simply pointed, and whatever was in the direction of that pointing ceased to exist. Oscar''s target threw out a bright sheet of sparks as his invisible maser beam sliced into and then down across it like the proverbial hot-knife-through-butter.


    As the drone''s bisected halves thumped onto the metal floor of the corridor, Oscar let out a pleased croon. He stroked the rifle fondly. "Ooooh, baby, where have you been all my life?"


    The other two drones were now also so much scrap thanks to The Silken Feather and Egrweh. The latter twitched an ear towards him in good humor. "[Give me five [credits] and I won''t tell Myyreh what you just said.]"


    "I''ll give you ten, and you''ll tell her how much I was whining for her while she was off battling the forces of evil."


    Kgrashak laughed as the four of them moved forward at the speed of a human sprint. "[You''re learning, [Oscar].]"


    The Silken Feather twitched her head towards Oscar as they ran. "[Wait, so that wasn''t a joke earlier? You and her are really...?]"


    "We''re really." Oscar''s reply brooked no room for argument.


    The thief cocked her head sideways in mid-jog. "[Wow. You [humans] really are as adventurous as they claim.]"


    <hr>


    "[Shoot out their tires!]" cried [Tk''rii''na]. The Senate vehicle''s pilot station was now configured for a Karnakian, which was a saddle-like affair similar to a Dorarizin''s but shifted forward to allow for the prominent chest-bone of a raptor. [Tk''rii''na] leaned forward in his seat to peer out the side of the windscreen, his lips peeled back to show an array of fangs that would give even a Dorarizin pause.


    Myyreh had to admit that the damn [Karnakian] could drive pretty well...even if his tactical sense was for utter shit. "{If we shoot out the tires, their vehicle will tumble,}" she said. "{That will seriously hurt or kill [Maria].}"


    "[Oh.]"


    "{Hatch opening on the roof,}" said Bgrarh''s voice in Myyreh''s ear. "{Looks like they''re going for a repel-boarders situation, just like we wanted.}"


    Myyreh smiled without humor and crouched. That was the plan, or at least what would pass for one until a proper one came along. Put the big, obviously dangerous people on the roof and get the guards on board...or [Sssnnathor] himself, for that matter...to come up and fight them off. In the meantime, she waited inside and out of sight, like a row of cannon getting ready to deliver a devastating broadside...


    <hr>


    Resh''skk crouched, spreading his arms wide as he coiled his body underneath himself. He felt the Dorarizin on either side of him make similarly threatening poses. At the moment, their opposition consisted of the two guards on top the roof of the other vehicle. He could see gauntleted hands reach up and grip the edge of the hatch as more guards tried to come up; their two comrades already up-top crouched as if to receive the charge of the furious Jornissian.


    Instead, Resh''skk did a quick-draw from his hip that would have made Wyatt Earp himself weep with jealousy. His maser stabbed out twice, two precise shots that drilled through each guard''s torso. The lifeless bodies tumbled off the side of the car, bouncing along in the vehicles'' wake.


    The next guard trying to come up, a Dorarizin, had just gotten her head up in time to see the fate of her two compatriots. With admirable speed, she yanked her head back inside. Resh''skk took advantage of the pause in the action to perform a quick IR scan. Cycling through several wavelength bands in a second told him nothing; the sun beating down on the metal hull meant that any infrared from inside was smeared and indistinct.


    "<Maybe four guards?>" he said with uncertainty. "<Big blob of heat towards the rear, another at front.>"


    "[Got it,]" replied the Captain. "[Cover us.]" Two furred blurs on either side of Resh''skk signaled the departure of her and Bgrarh. With a mental shrug, Resh''skk uncoiled his body like a massive spring to join them.


    Resh''skk already weighed more than the average person, so his impact on the roof made Sssnnathor''s vehicle sway. The tough metal of the hull dented slightly under his armor.


    The Captain didn''t so much as stumble. She stood near the vehicle''s front like a monolith, a black silhouette framed against the now-setting sun. Her roaring voice would have carried across even the vacuum of space.


    "[[SSSNNATHOR!] I AM RGRARSHOK-OF-NGRAZ, ALPHA OF WE-WHO-HUNT-BETWEEN-THE SPACES! AS A DULY APPOINTED OFFICER OF THE SENATE, I PROCLAIM YOU UNDER ARREST! YOU WILL STAND DOWN AND STOP THIS VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY!]"


    "<Which Sssnnathor do you mean?>" purred a voice from the rear.


    Resh''skk flowed into a spin, dodging to the right on instinct as a tail-tip whipped through the space his hood had just occupied.


    Sssnnathor crouched next to the hatch, with Bgrarh struggling uselessly in a few of the tyrant''s coils. Resh''skk tamped down his rising panic. Where had that bastard come from? Why hadn''t he heard or seen his approach? The targeting reticle for his maser seemed to slide right off of the tyrant, and the peripheral information in his visor started to fizz into static.


    Rgrarshok screamed again, wordlessly this time, and in response Sssnnathor grinned and heaved his body to the side. Bgrarh flew out into space, earning a simultaneous scream from Resh''skk as well...


    In mid-air, the big red Dorarizin twisted in a way that didn''t look possible, aiming one paw with extended claws out to just touch the hull. The metal squealed as his claws dug in...and as he kept falling, there was more squealing as Bgrarh dropped down along the hull and out of sight, towards the salt-crusted earth beneath which sped by far too fast.


    Sssnnathor chuckled. Resh''skk decided he didn''t need any stupid targeting, and whip-fast he brought his weapon to his shoulder and pulled the trigger...but nothing happened.


    "[Bgrarh!]" yelled Rgrarshok.


    Resh''skk answered with a yell of his own, "<Stay back! This bastard isn''t normal!>"


    "<You said it, not me,>" said Sssnnathor with a grin as he glided forward with menace. There was another squeal of torn metal behind Resh''skk, and he risked a quick glance backward...only to see the other guards now surrounding the Captain. And they all wore a lot more armor than her.


    <hr>


    "[Problem.]"


    Oscar turned from the pleasing mound of cut-apart drones in the hallway to regard his comrades. They were now in a gunmetal-gray room shaped like a pill, with a door on opposite sides and a slit-like window running along one curved wall. That window was well above his eye-height.


    "What''s up?"


    The Silken Feather pointed a talon at the door leading out of the pill-room. "[Through there is the main computer suite that controls the defense network.]" Then she gestured at the console in front of her. "[This is a more advanced system than I expected. I can still hack the door, but it''ll take me at least [thirty minutes].]"


    Oscar shook his head. "We''ve got less than ten before people start trying to evac. That''s twenty minutes of them getting blown to shit! We''ve got beam weapons, can''t we just cut through the door?"


    Egwreh regarded the vault-like door with an engineer''s eye. "[That would take even longer. About [forty minutes]."


    "Shit shit shitty shit." Oscar looked around the room, then his eyes lit on the window-slit and he pointed up. "What''s through there?"


    The Silken Feather peered through the window and stroked her chin. "[Hmm, it looks like an access corridor that carries power cables to the computer system. The cables are armored, so cutting into them will also take too much time...Ah! You see that?]"


    Oscar waved his arms, showing that his fingers were still out of reach of the windowsill. "No, birdbrain! I can''t see anything!"


    He let out a little whoop of surprise as two paws closed around his torso and lifted him with no effort into the air and brought him up to the level of the window.


    "There you go, cutie," whispered Kgrashak in his ear.


    "Thanks," he muttered back as he looked through. Beyond the window was a corridor lined with multicolored piping on all walls as well as the floor and ceiling. It was mostly dark, with only the occasional bulb to shine down a weak light here and there.


    The Silken Feather tapped a claw on the hard transparency. "[Do you see the dark gray box on the wall opposite us?]"


    "Yeah?"


    "[That contains the power relay for the door. If we can trip that open, then the automated safety protocols will take over and open the door for us!]"


    "Got it. Can we shoot it through the window?"


    "[Destroying the relay won''t do. We have to cycle it manually, that''ll make the system think it''s just a power outage.]"


    "[We can cut out the window material, though,]" said Egwreh. "[That''ll take maybe [five minutes].]"


    The Silken Feather''s plumage fluffed out in protest, making her look like a emerald puffball. "[I can''t fit through there!]"


    Oscar sighed. His knees were not gonna be happy with him. They still bled from his previous vent-crawl, and even though he now wore armor over them they''d still take a good amount of abuse. "No, you can''t fit. But I can."


    <hr>


    Tk''rii''na heard a lot of thumping and screaming from above. He paid that no mind, instead he fixed his four-eyed gaze across a few [meters] of arid desert air to meet the furious purple stare of Nerlharg. By now they were racing almost neck-and-neck along the flat hardpan. Before them both, the teeth-like range of mountains approached ever closer.


    He slewed the vehicle right, slamming its chisel-like front hard into Sssnnathor''s vehicle. His Dorarizin counterpart reacted with equal ferocity, keeping the two vehicles locked into the same trajectory.


    Tk''rii''na backed off, then slewed right again only to be met with an opposing slam which shook the vehicle. He performed an answering slam yet again, starting a predictable, constant rhythm that earned a complaint from [Myyreh].


    "[This thing isn''t indestructible, you know!]" she cried in protest.


    Tk''rii''na ignored her as he met his opponent''s gaze through a few [meters] of air and transparent armor. He twitched his arms as if getting ready for another slam, making the movement so big and obvious that Nerlharg had to see it.


    "|Sutra Twenty,|" he muttered. "|Through yielding, I vanquish...|"


    Right as he would have started yet another sideways-slam, Tk''rii''na stomped on the emergency brake.


    The other driver was already in motion to his left, expecting the slam from Tk''rii''na...but met nothing but air, as the Karnakian was already slowing. Sssnnathor''s vehicle sped through the space where Tk''rii''na would have been as the raptor stared with fearsome concentration...and right as the rear of his opponent came into view, he hit the accelerator.


    The Senate vehicle leapt forward with a smash, its sharp prow digging into the hard alloy of the back of Sssnnathor''s vehicle. The jolting crash spun the two ground-craft around like a pair of interlocked dancers while arid red soil sprayed around them in a wide, fan-like arc.


    As the spinning slowed, Tk''rii''na heard the briefest grunt of admiration from behind him.


    The Karnakian kept enough presence of mind to yell out, "|TELL [MARIA] SUTRA FORTY-TWO!|" before a howl of torn metal signaled Myyreh''s exit straight through his vehicle''s hull.

 Chapter Twenty

    Don''t weep for the stupid, you''ll be cryin'' all day.


    - Father Anderson, "Hellsing Abridged"


    <hr>


    Rgrarshok swayed atop Sssnnathor''s truck as it continued to rocket along. At the moment both the driver beneath her and Tk''rii''na continued to engage in a vehicular shoving match. She gripped at the hull with her foot-claws to steady herself as the semicircle of six armored guards closed in on her. There was a little shrieking voice in the back of her mind, screaming that Bgrarh was dead. She tamped that voice down. There would be time enough to grieve once they were all out of danger.


    There was no way she could hit or slash hard enough to affect her opponents, not through their armor. Fortunately she had a couple of large weapons quite close by. One was the Claw''s vehicle next to her. The other was the planet itself.


    The first guard slashed at her, and she ducked as they''d expected. That dodge opened up her side to another, simultaneous attack already incoming from another guard.


    What they didn''t expect was for her dodge to also include falling sideways off of the roof. Both attacks hit nothing but air, and as Rgrarshok fell she grabbed the limb of her first attacker and heaved. He went flying over her head as she dug the claws of her free hand into the side of the vehicle. She swung herself in a long arc towards the rear, using her one-handed grip as a pivot to land back on the roof behind her attackers.


    Her foot lashed out in three quick kicks, smacking into the backs of three of them like a trip-hammer and sending them out into space to join their comrade. The latter was already bouncing along bonelessly far behind the car, out cold from the impact. Two of them also flew into empty space, while the third kickee went tumbling over the top of Tk''rii''na''s vehicle before vanishing from sight.


    The two remaining Dorarizin paused; they''d just lost four of their number in less than a second. She didn''t give them a chance to recover, and dropped to her side as she gripped the roof with the claws of one paw. She swept both her legs around like a scythe, smacking the two guards in the legs and knocking them both flat. She kicked at one of them and connected solidly with his helmet, sending him flying off and out of the battle.


    But her next kick was too slow, and the remaining guard caught it. She roared as his gauntleted fist squeezed, and felt a bright pain and crunch as he broke her foot.


    Rgrarshok threw herself off towards the empty side of vehicle, the guard trailing behind her as he still clung tenaciously to her foot. He didn''t realize her intent until she once more fell off the side of the vehicle, dragging him off with her. She dug in both sets of paw-claws as the guard fell past her with a yelp. There was another, bigger flare of pain from her ruined foot...and then the guard was gone.


    The Captain drove her claws in like pitons as she clambered her way back up to the roof. She managed to get one arm over onto the roof right as the world filled with a screech of brakes. A gigantic crash from somewhere behind her made the whole vehicle spin like a tumble-dryer. She gripped at the hull in sudden panic as her body streamed straight out like a flag in the wind.


    <hr>


    "<What''s the matter with your fancy armor, soldier?>"


    Resh''skk ignored the taunt from Sssnnathor, barely audible over the sound of the Captain battling as well as the smashing from Tk''rii''na''s attempts to stop the truck. He could barely hear the faint whine of overloaded servos from his arms as he grappled with the tyrant. In spite of Resh''skk''s amplified strength, Sssnnathor looked quite smug as the two big Jornissians coiled around each other in a seemingly infinite knot. The bastard causally held Resh''skk''s gauntlet away from his side, preventing the soldier from completing a hold on his neck.


    Sssnnthor grinned wider. "<Where is your fearsomeness now?>"


    Resh''skk still didn''t reply. He didn''t know what sort of unholy cybernetic crap Sssnnathor possessed, but even if the tyrant was stronger he was still an amateur.


    And amateurs did stupid things like taunting when they should be killing. He had to wait for the right moment...


    The moment came in a flash of familiar red fur behind Sssnnathor. Resh''skk stopped his gauntlet''s futile pushing and instead pulled. Sssnnthor lurched to the side as his hood twitched in surprise...


    Bgrarh-of-Arhraz clamped his big arms around Sssnnathor''s neck, clasping his paws together and squeezing in desperation. The tyrant croaked and reached up one hand, and with that same casual strength peeled back one of Bgrarh''s paws. A crunch and a howl told Resh''skk that the tyrant had crushed Bgrarh''s paw.


    But Sssnnathor''s movement also exposed his side. Resh''skk now had his opening. He slammed his gauntlet back forward, smashing into Sssnnathor''s ribs with a blow which could turn concrete to powder. Any normal Jornissian would now be sporting a giant hole in their torso.


    Sssnnathor didn''t have a hole thanks to his augmented flesh and bones...but the force of that punch still had to go somewhere. The shockwave flowed into the tyrant''s chest, rupturing a few important blood vessels and damaging his lungs. Sssnnathor wheezed and recoiled, his eyes suddenly going cloudy.


    Bgrarh was in the middle of trying to bite out the tyrant''s throat when Sssnnathor slid off the roof.


    Unfortunately, Resh''skk was still tangled up in Sssnnathor''s body, which meant he was sliding as well. He clamped both gauntlets into the roof, but thanks to the weight of the tyrant all that did was leave torn gouges in metal as he continued to slide. He lashed his tail and got mostly free of Sssnnathor''s hold, but he could feel the other''s hands clinging to his armor with still-formidable strength. His hands were almost at the edge of the roof...


    Bgrarh was a blur as he stuck the claws of his good paw into the roof near the edge, then he leapt out to hang off of that piton-like hold as he kicked down into Sssnnathor''s face. The blow made the reeling tyrant release his grasp, and Resh''skk caught a glimpse of his long blue-and-black body tumbling along the soil.


    Across the roof, Resh''skk also saw the Captain pulling herself up with a pained grimace. Then the world spun with a resounding crash as Resh''skk''s hold slipped.


    "<SOTEK''S WITHERED NETHERS!>" he roared in mid-air, then continued with a string of Jornissian cursing that would have made a US Marine go pale as he bounced and rolled to a stop.


    Resh''skk pushed his torso up with a groan and coiled his tail under himself. The armor had taken most of the damage from his fall, but he still felt like he''d been beaten with a dreadnought. His mood did not improve as he picked up his hood and saw the tires of Sssnnathor''s truck throw up a huge spray of dust. The vehicle roared off with impressive speed, leaving Resh''skk standing in mute fury.


    The Claw''s own vehicle let out a grinding noise, then a roar as Tk''rii''na restarted the engine. One of its sides now sported a torn-open hole, probably from Myyreh''s dynamic exit. Resh''skk flowed like lightning towards that hole, coiling his tail at the last moment to spring himself in as the vehicle started moving.


    "<GET ON THEM!>" Resh''skk roared, and Tk''rii''na only bobbed his crest in assent. The Karnakian''s eyes were laser-focused on the dust plume ahead of them.


    On the non-torn-open side of the vehicle was a rack of spare weaponry. He snatched a fresh maser off of the rack and checked it. The automatic movement helped calm his inner turmoil. Yes, Myyreh had managed to get into that bastard''s truck. But there was still one Sssnnathor remaining, and [Maria] was still in danger.


    <hr>


    Oscar reached down out of the window-slit and shoved against a nearby pipe with his free hand. With more pained grunting he managed to birth himself into the access corridor. Once most of his body was out, he swung a leg down and thumped onto the floor...which was also lined with tubing. The uneven footing made him stumble and fall to one knee. His armor took most of the blow, but one of his raw knees still rubbed painfully against the suddenly-rigid armor material.


    "Fuck FUCK FUCKITY FUCK!"


    Egwreh''s voice floated through the smashed-open window. "[You okay?]"


    "Eh, I''ll live." He hobbled over to the junction box, which was held closed with a very ordinary-looking mechanical latch.


    "Easy peasy," he said as he swung the lid open and to the side. "Okay, I see the switch." The thing looked a little like a standard circuit-breaker, but sized for giant alien hands. Its handle now stuck up towards the ceiling. "I just flip this down, right?"


    "[Exactly!]" called out The Silken Feather. "[We have about six minutes left.]"


    Oscar wrapped both hands around the switch handle and tugged downward.


    The handle didn''t move.


    "Dammit," he muttered, as he re-set his hold on the switch and pulled harder.


    There still wasn''t so much as a budge.


    "Uh, guys? This thing feels stuck, is there some sort of latch or something I''m missing?"


    Kgrashak''s snout poked through into the corridor. "[No, you just pull it down! Maybe it''s just stuck.]"


    "Crap on a crutch."


    "[Put your back into it!]" yelled Egwreh. "[We''ve got four minutes!]"


    "Put your back into it," Oscar muttered in a sarcastic, nasal tone. "Fine." He kept his hold on the switch handle as he brought up one foot and then the other, bracing them on either side of the junction box. He crouched sideways in the corridor and heaved, now using his legs as well as his arms.


    "Cooome....onnn..." he grunted, as the switch refused to move. He paused and panted. "Is there anything out there I can use as a lever!"


    "[No, nothing!]" cried Egwreh."[Three minutes!]"


    Oscar heaved again. Nothing. He pulled until he felt the tendons on the ends of his biceps twang painfully. A pang of despair stabbed into his gut as Oscar Williams realized he wasn''t strong enough. Thousands, maybe millions would die by fire because he was weak, he was just a puny human with no business ever setting foot off of his planet, nothing but a useless little creature...


    Unbidden, the memory rose up in his head of Myyreh lying in a hospital bed, swaddled in bandages from the attack that had nearly killed them both.


    He remembered her words to him, her blue eyes blazing with fervor.


    Not useless. Never useless.


    Oscar bared his teeth and pulled anew with fresh energy. He was not weak, he was the strongest sonofabitch he knew. Another memory floated up, the nickname bestowed on him by the Hispanic members of his Ranger platoon.


    El Oso.


    He was Oscar the Bear, and he was going to move this fucking switch or die trying.


    A pained screaming filled the corridor, and he dimly realized that it was him making that horrible noise...


    Oscar only felt the slightest warning movement from the switch before it snapped down. His gloved hands slipped off of it, and the sudden lack of resistance meant he damn near somersaulted off of the wall and landed on his front with resounding thump. He lay there in stunned silence for a moment.


    Kgrashak''s yell pulled him out of his momentary stupor. "[[Oscar!] Are you all right? Say something!]"


    "...something. I turned the switch off."


    "[We know, The Silken Feather is already in the control room. We''ve got to get you out of there. Can you reach my hand?]"


    Oscar looked up and saw her gray-furred paw waving overhead. "Yeah. Gimme a minute..."


    He rolled over onto his knees, letting forth another pained grunt. He tried to push himself up, but his right arm just wouldn''t cooperate. All it gave him was another fresh burst of pain as he staggered to his feet. He looked down at his traitorous appendage with bemusement.


    "Huh. I think...I think I did something really bad to my arm."


    <hr>


    Maria thanked whatever deities existed that she was currently encased in Karnakian chest-floof. Sssnnathor''s truck felt more like the inside of a tumble-dryer while Nerlharg and whatever maniac was driving the other truck played bumper-cars. Nk''''''traa''il embraced Maria in her wing-arms and did what she could to protect the human from the worst of the impacts, and thus far was succeeding. The human could hear smashing and screaming from above, plus the anguished scronk of torn metal...


    In the middle of it all, the entire truck lurched from an impact near Maria''s head. The vehicle spun to a stop, and before Maria''s head could stop spinning she felt a scaly hand reach through the fluff to grab her shoulder. That hand yanked her out, none too gently.


    Maria shouted at the sudden flare of pain in her shoulder, just as she found herself dangling in the air. That shout died to a gurgle as Sssnnathor wrapped his arm around her middle and grasped her throat with his other hand. He squeezed almost hard enough to stop her breathing. She blinked her eyes in a panic, trying to clear them of tears and get her bearings.


    The two slaves still huddled in the back of the vehicle, but there was no sign of any remaining guards. The roof sported quite a few new holes as well.


    Another new item was the large, jet-black armored figure of Myyreh. The alien crouched in between Sssnnathor and the slaves, the large smoking hole next to her showing her method of entry.


    They all stood or crouched or cowered in a little tableau for a moment, before the whole truck lurched and began moving again.


    "[Surrender,]" said Myyreh in an amplified whisper.


    Sssnnathor''s voice sounded next to Maria''s ear. The tyrant sounded quite amused. "[Or what? Yes, yes, I''m sure you''ll threaten me with all sorts of horrible pain and death if I hurt this little one.]" His tongue flicked out, leaving a trail of saliva on Maria''s cheek. "[They are so precious, aren''t they? I can''t blame you for becoming attached. That is why you are going to throw yourself back out the way you came. Your people will allow me to leave. Or I will visit such pain on this one.]"


    His hand squeezed tighter, and Maria thrashed in a panic with her air cut off. Her vision started to form a black tunnel...


    Maria wheezed as Sssnnathor relaxed his grip. "[You see? I can snuff her out before you could possibly reach me.]"


    Myyreh stood from her crouch. She reached up and casually rested her gauntlet on one of the myriad of pipes running along the hull. Her other gauntlet sat on her hip, like she had all the time in the world. "[You''re a tenacious bastard, I''ll give you that. Reminds me of Sutra Forty-Two.]"


    Maria blinked. What the stink was Myyreh saying? The Dorarizin was no scholar of Karnakian religion. Hell, neither was Maria for that matter. She''d only studied a bit of it, starting from when Hrathra''sstah began her quest to view the Claw. Even then, Maria had only picked up some of the more famous ones. Sutra Forty-Two was something about being a pipeline to the Great Spirit.


    Sssnnathor''s voice hardened. "[Leave now. I won''t ask again.]"


    A pipeline...


    Maria swiveled her eyes to where Myyreh''s gauntlet lay on the pipe. It was not as casual a grip as it looked; the Dorarizin had her digits clamped around the pipe, denting it slightly.


    She kicked, pushing her dangling lower body up and off of Sssnnathor, trying to curl herself into a ball around the arm still tight around her chest, her movement now exposing the tyrant''s belly...


    Another scronk, followed hard on by a loud wet thunk that sounded like someone shoving a knitting needle through cooked turkey.


    Sssnnathor''s grip on Maria released, and she fell with a yelp. She let out a "FUCK!" as one leg banged against something hard and metallic, then a "DAMMIT!" as she fell into Myyreh''s waiting gauntlets. It was better than hitting the deck, but Myyreh''s armor wasn''t exactly yielding.


    Maria rolled out of Myyreh''s hands and backpedaled, her eyes wide as she stared at Sssnnathor.


    The tyrant, in turn, was staring down at the jagged end of pipe that now sprouted out of his lower abdomen. He thrashed about as he realized that the pipe went all the way through him, pinning him to the spot.


    Maria peeked to the side and saw that the same pipe also ran clear through Nerlharg. A stream of blue gore ran down from the twitching Dorarizin and onto the driver''s station beneath. The latter let out some desultory sparks to show it was also speared.


    "Helluva throw," she said in a shaky voice.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "[Thanks]", replied Myyreh. She reached up and tore off another length of piping from the wall while Sssnnathor began to pull himself up along the pipe towards the free end. Green ichor oozed from around the hideous wound and from Sssnnathor''s mouth, but otherwise the tyrant didn''t look so much as fazed.


    Sssnnathor stopped his pulling as Myyreh''s gauntlet closed around the end of the first thrown pipe and bent it up. He snarled and whipped his tail around at her head, a blur of motion that Maria could barely follow.


    Myyreh caught his tail-end in one paw, but she still staggered under the augmented force of that blow. With her free, pipe-wielding arm Myyreh wound up and did a one-handed baseball-bat smash across Sssnnathor''s snout, dazing the tyrant.


    "[You wanna live forever, you sadistic prick?]" Myyreh roared. "[Then LIVE. WITH. THIS!]" She punctuated her screaming with further smashing.


    As the tyrant reeled there was another blur, and now Sssnnathor had a pipe sprouting from his throat that pinned him to the deck from another angle. He let out a gurgle, his silver eyes clouding over as more green blood ran out of his mouth. Myyreh bent the end of the new pipe as well.


    "Fuck yeah," Maria muttered. Her satisfaction was short-lived, as the whole vehicle suddenly rocked as it ran over a rock. Oh yeah, they were still speeding along way too fast for comfort. "Can we stop this thing?"


    Myyreh was already stepping past the twitching tyrant. She leaned over the driver''s console, ignoring the by-now-quite-dead Nerlharg. "[Oh. Oops.]"


    "Oops? What oops? Whaddya mean OOPS?"


    "[I was a little too successful. The console''s ruined, so the automated systems have taken over. We''re locked into this heading at maximum speed. At least the desert is flat for now...]" But then Myyreh looked up at the mountains, which now loomed so large in the windshield that Maria couldn''t see the tops of them. At the base of those mountains lay a large box canyon with a very unyielding-looking cliff at the end of it.


    A cliff which was now perfectly centered in their windshield.


    Myyreh''s voice started to betray some panic. "[People? We need an evac, [stat].]"


    Sssnnathor gurgled as his face twisted into a triumphant leer.


    <hr>


    "[May the Great Spirit preserve us,]" said Tk''rii''na as he crouched over his console as if trying to increase their speed through sheer willpower.


    "<[Myyreh] has her jump jets to slow down, she''ll be fine,>" said Resh''skk. "<[Maria] and the [Dorarizin] are the problem. We need to get beside ''em and transfer everyone across. Just keep your course steady and parallel with the other.>"


    Resh''skk poked his head out of the torn side to take stock. The dust plume from Sssnnathor''s vehicle billowed high into the blue sky on his left. Rgrarshok and Bgrarh clung to the top of the runaway machine, leaning against each other in mutual support.


    "<Captain! Can you and [Bgrarh] jump across when we come alongside?>"


    Rgrarshok shook her head. "[I''m not jumping anywhere anytime soon.]"


    "[I''ll help her across,]" said Bgrarh. The big male cradled one of his arms with the other.


    A jet-black arm waved out of the similar hole in the other vehicle.


    Resh''skk''s hearts skipped a beat as he saw a smaller figure in a white robe peer around the armored Dorarizin. Maria yelled something that was lost over the roar of the engine noise. Myyreh looked down at Maria, then shook her head in bemusement


    "[There''s two slaves on board as well,]" said Myyreh. "[[Maria] refuses to leave unless we also take them off.]"


    "<First things first. We''ll get her off, then deal with the others.]"


    "[Agreed. When you''re close enough, I''ll pass [Maria] to you.]"


    Resh''skk looked around at the jagged edges of his hole. "<Too risky. Bring her up top and hand her off there. I''ll meet you.>"


    Just before Myyreh broke the connection he could hear a distant, indignant yell over the comm. A yell from a blessedly familiar voice.


    "[I am not a [Harsak-Crushed] bag of groceries, you overgrown furball!]"


    Resh''skk grinned and slung his maser onto his back as he clambered out of the hole.


    <hr>


    Oscar glared at Kgrashak after she''d finished fiddling with his injury. "Kate, don''t you think this is a little overkill?" He waved his right arm, which now wore a thick cocoon of silvery bandages. There was a lot of semi-audible concerned peeping from the Karnakians seated around him.


    The doctor stood up and folded her arms with a satisfied air. "[You tore your [bicep] tendon. Almost completely through, I might add.]"


    Oscar crossed his arms too, or rather tried to. His right arm stayed straight. "Not my fault you make switches so damn hard to throw."


    The shuttle lurched hard to the right, causing Kgrashak to sway. The Dorarizin clutched at an overhead handle to steady herself while Oscar slid sideways into The Silken Feather.


    "[My brave little one!]" she chirped, and threw a wing-arm around his shoulders. "[Care to try nesting in me again?]" Her snout drew close to his ear. "[I won''t tell [Myyreh] if you won''t.]"


    He swatted her nose away with his good hand. "Back off, turkey."


    Kgrashak ignored them both as she called up to Grawreh. "[What''s going on?]"


    "[Emergency. Team [Maria] needs an evac. [Maria] and two of Sssnnathor''s slaves are in trouble. Everybody hang on, I''m gonna step on it.]"


    The resulting acceleration threw Oscar further into The Silken Feather''s chest fluff. Her crest rose in amusement. "[Oooh, so adventurous! I have to confess, I''m getting a little excited by all this attention...]"


    Oscar reached over and grasped the closest green feather, then yanked it out with a sharp tug. The Silken Feather squawked and flinched away.


    He held up the feather. "Every time you sass me, I''ll pull out another one."


    Around them the various Karnakians snickered.


    <hr>


    "They go too, or I''m not going."


    "[I said I''d take care of them. But you go first.]"


    "Ooof...PUT ME DOWN!"


    Myyreh ignored Maria''s indignant shout as the Dorarizin tucked the human under an armpit and headed for a ladder at the vehicle''s rear. Maria''s head was pointing towards the front as Myyreh did so, and she was scared to look in that direction. She was sure that somehow Sssnnathor had freed himself and was getting ready to strike.


    But the tyrant hadn''t moved, he was still pinned to the deck by two lengths of pipe. His eyes were still glaring, however, as his hood tracked Myyreh and her bundle.


    Maria glared back and flipped Sssnnathor the bird as Myyreh clambered up the ladder.


    <hr>


    Sssnnathor watched them go, then shifted his glare to his two consorts. With one hand he reached up and grasped at the pipe protruding from his throat. He ignored the quite amazing amount of pain as he tore the pipe loose from the deck and then hand-over-hand pulled its length back out through his larynx.


    The two consorts shrieked and huddled against each other, a sight that filled Sssnnathor with fresh strength. He was indeed the strongest, the one to be feared, the one who would survive. Already he could feel the cybernetics and nanomachines in his body toiling away to repair the horrible damage he''d suffered. But he would survive, he would live and burn that entire Senate team to ash.


    With a gurgling groan he tugged at the pipe through his center. But that one wouldn''t budge, it must be embedded in the vehicle''s chassis. So instead he bent the pipe''s end back straight again and started to push himself up off of it. His straightening wasn''t perfect; it resulted in a wavy portion that gave him a new higher level of agony as he worked it back out through his intestines.


    <hr>


    Maria heard the whine of the shuttle''s engines as Myyreh pulled them onto the roof. The wind battered at her head, making her hair fly in her eyes. But in spite of that she could see the oncoming dark wall of the cliff, now way too close for her peace of mind.


    She twisted her head to the side and saw the team''s vehicle now paced alongside them. Through the transparent armor of the front she could also see Tk''rii''na driving with a determined set to his crest. He tilted his head to look up at her and nodded, then resumed his laser focus.


    The two Dorarizin crewmembers hobbled up next to them, and with a hearty shove Bgrarh sent the Captain across the gap. He crouched and followed her with an easy-looking leap. They pulled themselves down the roof hatch and into the vehicle as an armored-up Jornissian clambered up the other side.


    Maria looked down at the gap again and tried to gauge the distance. Yeah, that didn''t look too bad. Maria tried to turn her head to speak to Myyreh. "Okay, put me down now so I can jump across tooaaaAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"


    The human shrieked and her robe flapped around her as Myyreh chucked her across the few meters separating the vehicles. Maria stared into the blue sky above, and had time for one thought-


    Adventures suck.


    -before two arms caught her with a casual yet fearsome strength. Her view was now filled with the metal-plated hood of an armored Jornissian. Its visor hinged up to reveal Resh''skk.


    "[Are you hurt?]"


    Maria almost said no, but then realized her back ached something awful from banging into Resh''skk''s armored forearms. "Ow."


    Resh''skk grinned and looked up. "[She''s fine, Myyreh, I''ve got her...BEHIND YOU!]"


    <hr>


    Myyreh''s vision spun as something wrapped around her leg and yanked her back down into the dark interior of the vehicle. She grunted in pain as Sssnnathor whipped his tail and slung her against the wall, denting it deeply. The armor kept her from getting killed, but didn''t entirely take away the resulting blunt force trauma. Myyreh tumbled to the deck, trying to reorient herself and kill that bastard...


    The slaves screamed with fresh fear as Sssnnathor landed on top of the armored Dorarizin. "[I''m going to eat your heart, you BITCH!]" His voice was gurgling and raspy, but improving all the time.


    Myyreh didn''t reply, she just fought back, punching at his face and throat with blows that did nothing. He went for the grapple, of course, and she managed to keep one arm free from his coils. She pushed off of the deck, and the embracing pair tumbled as she threw them both in front of the hole she''d torn in the side of the vehicle. She took advantage of his momentary distraction to punch again, right at one silver eye. At least she could blind the bastard.


    To her disbelief Sssnnathor caught her punch, squeezing her fist with a strength he shouldn''t have been capable of. He gave a hissing scream into her face, unhinging his jaw as spittle flecked against her visor. She glanced down and saw the hole in his stomach starting to close over.


    Then she glanced towards the front and saw the cliff approaching like the fist of a malevolent god.


    <hr>


    Resh''skk tore the roof hatch open and dumped Maria into it. "<Bgrarh, catch her!>"


    He ignored her yell of indignation and promised himself to spoil his warmcuddle friend rotten once this whole mess was over. He reached for his back and pulled loose the maser, sighting at the struggling figures now visible in the opposing vehicle''s torn-open side.


    "<Fuck.>" There wasn''t a clear shot, not yet. "<Come on, I give me one good angle...>"


    <hr>


    Myyreh groaned as her captured gauntlet sparked. Sssnnathor crushed it inward, screaming all the while. She ignored the scream and tried desperately to work her other arm loose...


    A square metal box flew into her line of sight, smacking the tyrant right across the nose and leaving an ugly green gash. The gash closed over as he screamed again, this time towards the Karnakian slave who now stood and stared back at him with a defiant sneer on her lips.


    "[YOU DARE? I''LL CRUSH YOUR SKULL, YOU ARROGANT-]"


    Myyreh used the distraction to throw herself to the side, rolling Sssnnathor and bringing up the arm that held her fist. Bringing it clear of her body, and into the line of fire from Resh''skk.


    A sizzle sounded out as a line of bright orange glowed along Sssnnathor''s elbow joint, and he hiss-howled in pain as his arm parted in two.


    Myyreh-of-Relgreh shook the severed arm loose from her damaged fist and punched at the still-closing wound on Sssnnathor''s belly.


    It was a punch fueled by her rage and every bit of energy she could muster from her armor. Her fist sank deep into him, and she bared her fangs as she forced the fist upward into him, seeking his heart.


    Sssnnathor''s coils loosened as he gagged and Myyreh stood, lifting the huge tyrant clear of the deck with no effort. She roared and punched downward, using the Jornissian like a very meaty and un-aerodynamic boxing glove. He left a substantial dent in the deck, and his hood flopped dazedly as she punched again, driving her entire arm farther up into him.


    She punched him into the deck a third time, feeling her fist grate against the cage of reinforced bone around his heart.


    In the middle of her enraged fugue state, Myyreh looked up and saw nothing an oncoming flat wall of ochre sandstone.


    She punched at the air towards the front, causing Sssnnathor to fly off of her impaling arm with a squelch. The tyrant slammed into the windshield and shattered the transparent armor.


    Myyreh spun, grabbed the two slaves, and jumped for it. She spun as she activated her jump jets, using her own armored back as a battering ram to make a hole through the rear of the vehicle.


    <hr>


    Oscar peered out the winshield in a panic. The cigar-shape of Sssnnathor''s runaway truck bounced along next to the more angular vehicle from the Claw. All he could see of people was Resh''skk on the roof of the latter, aiming his maser at the former. "Where''s Myra? Is she still on board?"


    Grawfren pushed him out of the way. "[Trying to fly here. Go strap in.]"


    He touched his ear. "Anybody have eyes on Myra?"


    Before anyone could reply the rear of Sssnnathor''s truck evaporated in a spray of metal. A black-tinted missile soared up from that explosion, clutching two figures under each arm.


    Myyreh''s yell echoed over the general channel. "[We''re all clear! Break off the pursuit!]"


    The Claw''s transport spun away from Sssnnathor''s vehicle in a graceful arc. Oscar sagged in relief, then let out a yelp as the shuttle slowed to a sudden stop and made him bang his forehead against the windscreen. He rubbed his head and gave the pilot a hurt look.


    "[ I toldja to strap in,]" Grawfren replied to his silent accusation.


    Oscar looked out again, just in time to see the explosion as Sssnnathor and his vehicle met the cliff wall. There was a huge puff of rock dust followed by a sharp crack and a rumble as the impact shook loose rocks from the cliff above. The rain of rocks fell on Sssnnathor''s truck, and within moments the vehicle was lost to sight under a pile of rubble.


    The Captain''s voice sounded over the comm, more tired that Oscar could ever remember. "[Grawfren, bring the shuttle down. We need to regroup and figure out what the [hell] to do next.]"


    <hr>


    The two Senate vehicles sat parked midway up the box canyon while Kgrashak kept busy tending to everybody''s injuries. To Maria''s surprise, the worst of them all was the two slaves. She stood nearby and held Nk''''''traa''il''s hand as the doctor worked on her.


    "[They weren''t in healthy shape to begin with,]" explained Kgrashak to Myyreh. The latter stood nearby, her visor hinged open and with a guilty set to her ears as the doctor finished applying a field dressing to Nk''''''traa''il''s side. "[That sudden acceleration broke a few bones.]"


    "[I didn''t have time to be gentle,]" said Myyreh. She looked down at the ground. "[Sorry.]"


    "[Please, don''t feel bad!]" said Nk''''''traa''il with a pained chirp. "[We are in your debt.]"


    Next to her, Glgrarh nodded. He sat on his haunches with a fresh look of hope in his eyes. "[Yes, we owe you our lives. If you wish we can be of service to you instead-]"


    "[Stop that!]" snapped Myyreh. Then, more mildly, "[You''re no longer slaves. Or servants. Don''t worry, we''ll make sure you get to a safe place.]"


    "[You should take off that armor and let me look at that hand,]" said Kgrashak.


    "[I''m keeping this on until I''ve made sure that bastard snake is dead,]" replied Myyreh.


    A familiar voice sounded from behind Maria. "That''s my sweetie, always the tough one."


    Myyreh''s downcast face broke into a fanged grin. "[You cheeky monkey. What did you do to your arm?]"


    Oscar strode into Maria''s line of sight, his right arm hanging straight down by his side and swaddled with silver bandages. "Hey, you should see the other guy. You okay?"


    Myyreh gave a shrug of her ears. "[Couple of broken bones in my hand. Nothing major.]" She motioned at her arm, its armor now bearing a thick coating of green blood.


    Oscar stared at the gore-covered arm in shock. "Holy shit. Did you eviscerate him?"


    "[Sort of. We do need to check that he''s dead, though.]"


    Maria laughed. "I think we can be sure of that."


    Before them all, at the foot of the cliff, squatted the pile of boulders which marked the last resting place of Sssnnathor. Multiple cracks streaked away from the impact point along the cliff face high above. Maria looked up and saw that some of those cracks reached clear up to the edge of the cliff.


    "Huh, glad I wasn''t in that thing when it hit," she muttered.


    Maria gave Nk''''''traa''il a final comforting pat of her hand, then strode forward and away from the group. She was thankful beyond words that they''d brought along a spare set of her low-profile armor ''just in case''. It was hard to stride with purpose when wearing nothing but a robe.


    "[Where are you going?]" said a voice from behind her. "[Don''t you even think about going anywhere near that [fucker].]"


    Maria turned and grinned at Resh''skk. "Oh, come on. He got gutted by Myra and took a bunch of boulders to the noggin. The dude''s dead."


    Before the soldier could grump at her some more he was all but bowled over by a couple of Karnakians. "[Hey! Watch your speed near...]"


    The two Matriarchs all but prostrated themselves before Maria. The coppery figure of Ck''Trrk''Ka spoke first. "[We hear you saw Ta''irrl''qc''s Claw! [Sssnnathor] had it on board his vehicle!]"


    Ma''elge''yk nodded her yellow crest in excitement. "[Yes! The slave told us! She said you actually touched it!]"


    Maria edged away from them and pressed her back against the comforting bulk of Resh''skk. His glower made the two religious leaders tone down their hyper behavior. "She''s not a slave! Not any more."


    "[Of course, poor choice of words, very sorry, but never mind that! Did you touch the Claw?]"


    "I did," Maria replied. "I''m sorry if that was a heresy or something on my part, but I just had to look at it."


    Ck''Trrk''Ka waved an arm. "[In ordinary times, we would not welcome such handling. But this situation is anything but ordinary.]"


    The two Matriarchs turned as one to stare at the distant rubble-pile.


    "[Could it still be intact?]" asked Ma''elge''yk.


    "Oh, I''m sure it is!" said Maria. "Snape had it in this really strong armored box, and there was lots of padding around it." She waved at the crash site. "Sure, you''ll have to dig through a ton of rock or so, but it''ll be fiiiine!"


    Right as she finished speaking that last word, the earth rumbled beneath them.


    <hr>


    Sssnnathor''s eyes focused as he came to. He hurt everywhere, his chest especially. A constant stream of data from his implant kept him informed of various horrible injuries.


    But injured was not the same as dead. Fresh determination filled him as he picked up his head and stared around. The vehicle''s interior was crumpled like a wadded-up metal can, with a flickering emergency light as the only source of illumination.


    Outside the crunched-in nose of the vehicle sat a mass of jumbled rocks. One of the rocks protruded halfway through the shattered windscreen and onto a blue smear of guts which was all that remained of Nerlharg.


    "[So sorry, old friend,]" he croaked. "[I''ll miss you. But I will rebuild, I swear it. I still have the data.]"


    Sssnnathor patted his jacket pocket to comfort himself. But no comfort came; he didn''t feel the expected shape of a memory chip. It couldn''t be possible! He shoved his hand into the pocket, hoping it was just stuck at the bottom.


    It wasn''t there. He frantically searched the other pockets of his now-ruined jacket, only to find them empty as well.


    Sssnnathor screamed for about a minute straight, right up until a mountain fell on his head.


    <hr>


    The teakettle-like scream from the distant wreck cut off as the entire fractured cliff face slid off and downward, throwing up a huge cloud of dust as it avalanched down onto Sssnnathor. Maria only caught a glimpse of the destruction before Resh''skk grabbed her up and wrapped his armored body around her.


    "[Close your eyes and cover your ears!]" he yelled, in a tone that Maria automatically obeyed.


    Maria''s world shook and heaved, and she gagged as alkaline dust filled her nostrils. After an endless few moments, everything went very quiet and still. With great caution, she cracked an eye open. Her protector now wore a thick coat of tan dust, and as he stirred it started to stream off of him. Maria spat the bitter, chalky dust out of her mouth. Her hair was coated with the stuff as well, and she tried to brush herself off...only to get it all over her hands.


    "Damn it."


    Resh''skk chuckled. "[Don''t worry, the showers aboard the [Claw] will get that off.]"


    Maria''s brain kicked back into gear as she realized she wasn''t dead. "Shit! The Matriarchs!]"


    The Jornissian uncoiled from around her, and beyond Maria saw two dust-covered bumps. The bumps roused and shook themselves, flaring their feathers out to throw off the rock-dust. The Matriarchs stared at each other in a mute, horrified realization...then craned their necks to stare off at the boiling mound of dust where the cliff had been.


    Maria''s heart beat faster as the dust settled to reveal that...


    Well, that there really wasn''t a cliff anymore. A mountain of boulders, some as big as the shuttle, now rose in a sloping pile from the base of the canyon up towards the lip. There was still a flat vertical section along one edge. But the rest of the cliff, consisting of megatons of rock, now covered Sssnnathor''s grave. And also covered the Claw, or at least where the Claw used to be.


    "Ah, shit," said Maria. "It...it''s not fine any more. It''s gotta be crushed to bits by now."


    "[The Claw,]" whispered Ck''Trrk''Ka.


    Ma''elge''yk clutched at her head with both hands and let loose a wordless shriek.


    Resh''skk nudged Maria back with one gauntlet. "[We, ah, may want to leave them alone for a bit.]"


    "Eh? Oh, yeah." Maria turned and walked away as quietly as possible, with Resh''skk keeping himself between her and the two Karnakians.


    "[THE CLAW!]" screamed Ck''Trrk''Ka at the giant mound of rock. "[IT CAN''T BE!]" She whirled and pointed at Ma''egle''yk. "[This is YOUR FAULT!]"


    The 34th-Path Matriarch bared her fangs. "[What? How can this be my responsibility?]"


    "[It''s the fault of ALL of you [34th] path HERETICS! If you didn''t exist, Tk''rii''na and Ter''yeik would have NEVER conspired to steal the Claw!]"


    "[That''s ridiculous! We had nothing to do with your internal strife!]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka showed her teeth as well. "[I''m going to make it my life''s goal to remove your cancer from this galaxy!]"


    Ma''elge''yk crouched lower, tapping her foot-claws as if limbering up for some disemboweling. "[I''d like to see you try, [bitch]!]"


    Maria stopped, and turned back. The two Karnakians both now crouched in preparation for a fight. She ground her teeth. It was ridiculous, so ridiculous. That crazy old monk had the right of it, she knew that now, but somehow they''d missed the message.


    "Hey! Stop it!"


    Her yell went unheeded. By now the screeching from the two raptors was nothing but noise in her translator bead. "Fucking bullshit stupid crazy space-dinos..." She looked up and saw the maser fastened to Resh''skk''s back. She clambered up onto his back and tugged at the weapon.


    The handle jerked out of her hands as Resh''skk twisted his body clear around to give her an accusing stare. Shit, she kept forgetting how damn limber Jornissians were. "[What the [hell] are you doing?]"


    "I need your fancy laser gun."


    "[I''m not supposed to even have this thing on the same planet as you! Besides, you couldn''t even lift it!]"


    "Fine, then you hold it and aim it where I show you."


    Resh''skk looked over at the Matriarchs now circling each other. "[I''m not gonna shoot ''em. Even if I kinda want to.]"


    "I don''t want you to shoot them, I want you to shoot up there. Follow my arm..."

 Chapter Twenty-One

    Ck''Trrk''Ka''s vision narrowed until she could only see her bright yellow foe. When that [bitch] Ma''elge''yk leaped, she''d be sure to be ready with a countering kick...


    A bright flash from her side caught her attention, and she risked a quick peek in that direction. That peek became a full-on stare as a geyser of molten rock spewed forth from the top of the remaining cliff-face. The geyser moved across, carving out a deep rut. Then it stopped, and resumed to trace a vertical line down from that first rut.


    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other Matriarch staring in similar fascination. It wasn''t until the geyser started the next vertical line that Ck''Trrk''Ka realized it was tracing out a Karnakian rune. A rune from the ancient scripts.


    When the third rune started, her feathers went flat against her skull as she realized what the geyser was writing. "|No! No, don''t you dare!...|"


    The Matriarch turned away from the wrecked cliff and saw [Maria] sitting on [Resh''skk''s] shoulder. The [Jornissian] held his maser weapon against his other shoulder as he fired at the distant rock face. [Maria] held her pointing arm next to his helmet, tracing her finger in the air as she showed the soldier where to ''write''.


    Ma''elge''yk hopped in place and waved her wings, showing a distress equal to Ck''Trrk''Ka''s own. "|Please! You mustn''t! This is forbidden!|"


    "[Eat my shorts,]" said the human as she continued her tracing.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka took a step forward, only to stop at a warning hiss from [Resh''skk]. His unblinking eyes didn''t waver.


    "[I can shoot at the cliff, or I can shoot you. Your choice.]"


    She turned back and saw Resh''skk''s invisible beam trace out the last rune. It wasn''t quite complete, but it was bad enough. "|No,|" she murmured as despair filled her.


    [Hrathra''sstah] slithered up next to Resh''skk, and she tilted her emerald hood as she regarded the giant rune-sculpture. "[Hmm, not bad. But shouldn''t that bottom rune have a cross-bar?]"


    [Maria] smacked her head. "[Of course, the superlative. Sorry Boss, I keep forgetting. Put a hash line through the middle of that last one, [Reshy].]"


    "[On it.]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka sank to the ground in defeat as the final rune flared into completion. She stared at her taloned hands. In spite of all her power, all the millions of disciples she commanded, she had nothing left. Her world was crumbling around her, and she couldn''t keep hold of it.


    She looked up and spread her arms, as if beseeching the rocks to give answers. "|Why?|" she cried out.


    The [human] slid off of [Resh''skk''s] shoulder and paced forward with the odd, wobbling gait of her kind. "[Why? You dare to ask why? It''s because YOU. DON''T. LISTEN!]


    It didn''t seem possible for such a small being to generate such a furious shout.


    Ma''elge''yk started back as [Maria] stabbed a finger over at her. "[Neither do you. You''re just as bad. Like a couple of [bad eggs], the pair of you.]" She then pointed at the distant set of runes. "[Read it. Both of you.]"


    "|I know what it says,|" said Ck''Trrk''Ka. "|I''ve read it all my life.|"


    "|I know it by heart as well,|" added Ma''elge''yk


    "[Then one more time won''t hurt. Read it again.]"


    The Most Reverend Beacon-of-Light, Matriarch-of-the-33rd-Path raised her eyes with a heavy heart. Her gaze traced down again over the runes she knew so well, the ones that her Path took such pains to keep secret. Always before, reading The Final Sutra had brought her a measure of peace. There was no peace this time, now the sacred text was out in the world where anyone could read it.


    "[Do you want to know how a [human] translates The Final Sutra?]" asked Maria. She didn''t wait for a response from either Matriarch. "[It''s pretty simple. ''This Above All Else: Be Excellent to Each Other''.]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka gave a sad, warbling chuckle. "|That''s pretty accurate.|"


    "|Yes, I agree,|" added Ma''elge''yk.


    "[Okay, so if that''s what it says then why don''t you follow it?]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka fluffed out in anger as she rose. She turned to glare at Maria. "|I have studied the works of Ta''irrl''qc for centuries, you...you...hatchling!|"


    [Maria] didn''t flinch as she faced down the Matriarch''s anger. "[I''m sure you''ve studied it. But have you listened to it? He was trying to tell you something. Tell us something. Think about what he asked us to do. Not to ''be nice'' to each other, not to ''be kind'' to each other. But to be excellent.]"


    The human wobbled forward and poked at Ck''Trrk''Ka''s chest. "[Be the best that you can be. Never accept that you can''t succeed, and never rest on ''good enough''. Not for your own sake, but because that''s what the universe needs you to do. Because otherwise we wind up chasing our own tails. We get lost in rituals and think that they point the way forward. We think that we know the truth.]"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka shook her snout. "[It''s not that simple, little one...]"


    "[But it is! And it''s not just you, okay? We [humans] get lost in our own little truths and rituals, and somehow believe that we know everything. For a time we thought there were spirits inside every rock and tree. Even after we knew better than that, we thought we were alone in the universe. We thought that we were the masters of all creation. But we were wrong. We''re still wrong, all the time.]"


    [Maria] pointed at the ten-story-tall Final Sutra, its runes still glowing red with a faint residual heat. "[That? That''s how we get to right. All of us. Now you two [birdbrains] have a decision to make. Are you going to sit here and squawk and shed each other''s blood? Or are you going to [FUCKING] LISTEN to the one whose words you both claim to revere?]"


    She dropped her hand and glared at both of the Matriarchs. "[At long last, are you going to be excellent to each other? Make your choice.]" The human turned and wobbled away, escorted by Jornissians on either side.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka turned again to regard the huge carving on the cliff. She felt Ma''elge''yk step up beside her. She waited for the inevitable taunt.


    "|It''s impressive, isn''t it?|" said the Matriarch of the Thirty-Fourth Path. "|I imagine it was even more impressive to read it off of the Claw itself.|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka waited for some follow-up verbal jab, but none came. She swiveled one eye back to regard the other. "|It was. The words themselves are a balm, of course, but to read them while holding the last remains of our dear master...I always found it a transcendental experience.|"


    "|Hmm. I''m sorry I never got the opportunity. I''m also...sorry about what happened. You were right, sort of.|"


    Now the coppery Matriarch turned her head to stare at her opponent in disbelief.


    "|I shouldn''t have goaded you into trying to take back the Claw,|" continued Ma''elge''yk. "|I do bear some of the blame for this.|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka stared at the ground for a long time. "|You didn''t ''goad'' me into anything. I walked into this with both sets of eyes open.|" She peeked back at [Maria], who''d just rejoined the others. Even from such a distance, the little [human''s] soul was still a fascinating swirl of sparkles.


    Ma''elge''yk turned to regard [Maria] as well. "|She really does have a way with the scriptures, eh? Perhaps she was a Karnakian in a past life.|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka chuckled again, less sadly this time. "|Careful! Keep talking of reincarnation and you''ll wind up in the Seven Rings.|"


    The yellow Matriarch responded with a full-throated, chirping laugh. "|I still might! Maybe those [lunatics] are right and the [humans] are closer to the divine. Nothing would surprise me at this point.|" Ma''elge''yk turned and looked around the box canyon. "|This is nice spot, you know. A bit dry, but we can always bring in more water.|"


    "|Hmm.|" Ck''Trrk''Ka looked up at the carved Sutra in the distance, then up into the sky above. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains, giving the entire canyon a red and golden glow. She grinned as she realized what Ma''elge''yk was hinting at. "|It is nice. A good spot for a temple.|"


    Ma''elge''yk''s tone became unexpectedly shy. "|We could, er, put a temple on each side. There''s enough room. It would be a little bit cramped, but we like to build upward anyway.|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka took in a deep breath. What she was about to say made her feel like she''d just stepped out of an airlock without a pressure suit...but it had to be said. "|No.|" She pointed at the giant carving. "|One Sutra, one temple. One temple where both Paths may come and worship.|"


    "|That''s an...interesting idea. We''ll need a suitably large amphitheater for congretory singing, maybe in the center there just before the landslide...|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka leaned forward and sketched in the dust before them. She was so excited that her talon trembled. "|Yes, and we''ll have dormitories for the two paths on each side. Central offices here at the front...I could always use a bigger office.|"


    "|As can I. We can make the entire corner here a parking lot.|"


    "|We''ll need two lots, there''s never enough parking!...|"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka felt her despair fall away as the pair chatted and sketched in the dirt. For the first time in a long while, her heart was filled with nothing but excitement for the future.


    <hr>


    "|That''s impossible,|" murmured Ter''yeik. The former Second Claw stood in a stunned daze next to Oscar as the two of them looked upon the distant Matriarchs'' excited and impromptu planning session.


    "[Aw, come on [Ter''yeik]. You should know better than to throw around words like ''impossible''.]"


    Ter''yeik waved his arm at the fluffed-out pair. "|I''m telling you, that is Not. Possible! The enmity between my path and theirs has lasted for longer than your entire civilization!|"


    "[Yeah but that''s just, like, your opinion man.]" The [human] let out a warbling chuckle. "[It''s funny, sometimes you can beat on people''s opinion for ages and get nowhere. But sometimes one little word is enough to get ''em to change their minds.]"


    [Oscar] put his good hand on his hip and looked at the distant Matriarchs. Even from a [hundred yards] distance their excited peeps and chirps were audible as they huddled together.


    Ter''yeik turned and stared down at the diminutive creature. "|Change their...minds?|"


    "[Of course. It''s not like ideas have inertia, ya know.]"


    The Karnakian continued to stare at [Oscar], who finally noticed the scrutiny.


    "[Uh, [Ter''yeik]? What''s wrong?]"


    Ter''yeik stared as, for the first time ever, he truly saw a [human].


    He saw a creature made of spun sugar and glass, someone he could poke a claw through with minimal effort. Slow, fragile, easy to kill. [Humans] weren''t even apex predators on their own planet. The Karnakian had read about plenty of [Earth] animals which could kill [humans] with ease.


    And yet...[humans] hadn''t died out. They''d taken one look at their precarious situation and decided they wanted no part of it. And so they''d just...changed things. By the time his own kind discovered Dirt, the peril of extinction had most definitely shifted onto the so-called apex predators.


    [Humans] didn''t accept their place in the grand scheme of things.


    They just didn''t.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Ter''yeik had heard of this so-called [placebo] effect that [humans] displayed. He''d dismissed the stories as utter nonsense.


    But now he knew they were true. The stories were all true, every bit of them.


    How could they not be? He''d just seen it with his own eyes. One of the smallest and weakest of [humans] had turned that ultimate power against a religious cold war percolating for tens of millennia. It had offended her, and so she''d simply pointed and deemed it not to be.


    And lo, it was no more.


    [Humans] were small, they were fragile, and there were no limits as to what they could accomplish.


    They had no limits at all.


    <hr>


    Ter''yeik held up his wing-arms and began backing away, slowly. All four of his wide red eyes remained fixed on Oscar.


    "Dude, what''s wrong?" Oscar turned to face the Karnakian and took one step forward.


    The Second Claw let out a little shriek and hunched himself low, taking a few more steps back in the process. His keeled chest heaved as if he was in the middle of a panic attack.


    Oscar turned and waved his un-damaged arm to get the others'' attention. "Hey, guys? Need a little help here, Teriyaki''s freaking out!"


    Ter''yeik let out a long, guttural trill that somehow got across a message of utter fear, as if he was trapped in a small room with some horrible wild beast. "[No limits,]" he moaned.


    The human turned back and raised his good hand, palm out. He pitched his voice lower and soothing. "Teriyaki, my man, relax. I''m not mad at you about the whole trying-to-frame me thing from earlier. It''s all water under the bridge."


    Ter''yeik''s chest heaved even more deeply, but he didn''t speak.


    "What''s going on? Just talk to me, I can help-"


    The word seemed to snap Ter''yeik out of his mute paralysis. "[NO! No help, no limits! You have NO LIMITS!]"


    "But I-"


    Ter''yeik screamed like an overloaded flute, then turned and fled up towards the canyon''s mouth faster than Oscar could hope to run.


    The Captain limped up just as Ter''yeik reached the outlet to the flat desert beyond. "[Dammit, [Oscar]!]"


    "The fuck did I do? Not my fault these raptors are nuts."


    "[You''re not wrong about that.]" The Captain sighed and her eyes unfocused as she accessed her implant. "[Now what was his tracker''s shutdown code...ah, yes.]"


    The distant cream-colored figure of Ter''yeik lurched and then fell forward in a sudden cybernetic paralysis. He twitched, trying to overcome his locked-up nervous system. A faint shriek of "[No limiiiits!]" came drifting back to the pair.


    Ck''Trrk''Ka bustled up on the other side of Oscar. "[What happened?]"


    Oscar shrugged. "Don''t ask me. Dude just freaked out and did his best Jesse Owens impression."


    The Matriarch sighed. "[Unfortunate. To be fair, he has been under a lot of stress as of late.]"


    Two more Karnakians joined the group, one gray and one blue. They also stared curiously at the distant, wailing, and very stationary figure of Ter''yeik.


    Oscar smiled at the newcomers. "Hey there Tarky, Frick. Good to see you''re not dead."


    "[Yes, that is fortunate,]" said Irr''''kttz.


    "I heard you two raised the alarm when Maria and I got snatched. Thanks."


    Irr''''kttz bobbed his crest. "[It wasn''t enough, but I am pleased to have played some small part in your rescue.]"


    The human patted the gray Karnakian on what passed for the alien''s shoulder. "And you! I hear you got up to some bad-ass driving."


    Tk''rii''na looked puzzled and glanced back at his feathered tail. "[What does having a poor posterior have to do with driving skill?]"


    "Er, never mind. Old human expression."


    Ck''Trrk''Ka gave an imperious peep that was the Karnakian equivalent of clearing her throat. "[Irr''''kttz, will you please go collect my wayward Second Claw? Be very gentle with him.]"


    The alien bowed and hustled off as Ck''Trrk''Ka sighed again.


    "Don''t be too hard on the guy, ma''am," said Oscar. "I mean, I know he had a hand in...well, in all that." He turned and waved at the giant rockfall behind them. "But it wasn''t malicious."


    "[We''ll make sure Ter''yeik receives the best of care,]" said the Matriarch. "[Some time in a quiet and peaceful place will do wonders for him.]"


    Oscar couldn''t help but ask. "We?"


    Ck''Trrk''Ka shrugged her crest. "[The Matriarchs have come to an understanding. We''re going to petition the Holy Diarchy to annex this planet.]"


    "It''s a little far from the Karnakians'' neck of the woods," said Oscar.


    "[Exactly. It will make coming here that much more of a pilgrimage.]"


    Tk''rii''na darted his head around. "[We''re short one in number. Where''s the thief?]"


    Oscar turned and pointed near the shuttle. "I just saw her over there..." His finger indicated empty space. "Aw, crap."


    The Captain growled and shook her head. "[I suppose Ter''yeik made a good distraction.]"


    "[It doesn''t matter,]" said Ck''Trrk''Ka. "[Someone like her will get back into trouble. Eventually her luck will run out.]"


    Rgrarshok touched her ear. "[Ah, that''s some better news. I apologize, but we must be going. One of our drones spotted the other one.]"


    <hr>


    A pair of blue-and-black taloned hands gripped into the hard-packed desert soil, and corded muscles heaved to pull a long, trailing body further along. Sssnnathor glared ahead at his goal, the crumpled body of one of his Jornissian guards. The setting sun made a long, black shadow which trailed away from the corpse. That shadow was the only reason he''d been able to spot it. ''It'' was one of the casualties from the fight atop his vehicle, a fight that had nearly killed Sssnnathor as well. But he was far too augmented to die from something minor like massive internal damage and a fall from a speeding vehicle. Still, he needed the water and rations within that guard''s armor. His internal injuries were healing, but far too slowly. He needed to get more mobile, and fast.


    With one last, desperate heave Sssnnathor reached his goal. He peeled back the dead guard''s chestpiece and gave a hiss of delight at finding a water pouch. The tyrant snatched the treasure out and poured it down his throat. All too soon the pouch was empty. A little more scavenging yielded a few ration bars, which the tyrant swallowed just as hastily.


    As Sssnnathor ate the wind picked up, kicking up a veil of dust which surrounded him. He paused in the middle of his desperate eating. Was he hearing things? He could have sworn he''d heard the whine of shuttle engines.


    He turned at a noise, and saw a small figure wobble his way out of the blowing dust. The [human] held a silvery rifle at the low-ready position, and the setting sun made that weapon appear blood-red.


    "<Of course it would be you,>" muttered Sssnnathor.


    Behind the [human] limped the mammoth wall of fur known as the Captain. Sssnnathor didn''t have to look around to sense the other Senate team members surrounding him.


    The [human] stopped just out of easy tail-smash range. He tilted his helmet as he regarded Sssnnathor. After a long moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.


    "[You are [fucking] nicked, me old beauty.]"


    Sssnnathor dropped the last half-eaten ration bar and raised his hands. "<Very well. I surrender.>" This could still work. After a little bit of healing time while in custody, he''d be able to break out of confinement with ease.


    The [human] tsked. "[Aaaand that''s a problem. Seems that [Sssnnathor] is already dead. Confirmed killed a ways off in that direction.]" He pointed into the distance. "[Or at least, if he''s not dead now he sure will be in a few days when he dies of thirst.]"


    "[The paperwork is already completed,]" said the Captain. "[So you see, you''re more of an inconvenience than anything else.]"


    Sssnnathor flicked his tongue out as he thought furiously. "<If I die, the secret of my technology dies with me.>"


    "[Oh, you mean these?]" The Captain pulled a couple of familiar data chips out of her uniform. "[I believe this is all we require.]"


    As Sssnnathor clutched at his jacket pocket in shock, the Captain nodded at the [human] and strode off into the whirling dust.


    Sssnnthor glared at the [human]. "<So they''ve made you their pet assassin, eh?>"


    "[Nope. This is my call. They trust my judgement. If it''s any consolation, it wasn''t easy. But you''re too determined, and what with all of your implants and modifications there''s no way we can keep you in jail. Sooner or later you''d break out and start this whole [shit-show] all over again.]"


    Ssssnnathor''s voice became a shout "<But why? Why throw your species'' fate in with those...those cowards? I offered you ETERNITY!>"


    The [human] shook his head. "[I had a little chat with one of your slaves on the drive over here. If eternity means winding up like you, then y''all can keep it.]"


    He raised his rifle.


    <hr>


    It was many hours later,and the Claw was now back in orbit. Thanks to some fancy hacking of the planet''s comm systems by Bgrarh and Egwreh, those below now knew that they were soon to be under new management.


    A lot of them left, of course. Those with a more ''checkered'' past felt no desire to become subjects of the Diarchy. As they fled, they passed unharmed through the planet''s security systems...but many of their ships wound up bearing a few little extra surprises. The surreptitiously planted tracers would activate if they ever re-entered Senate space.


    The crew was all patched up from the various injuries, and at the moment they all waited for orders on where to proceed next.


    "{We''re about the closest thing to actual authority out here,}" said Myyreh. "{I bet the Senate will make us stay in orbit until they can scramble an emergency fleet.}"


    [Oscar] didn''t respond. Myyreh lay at a slight incline on her bunk, with [Oscar] in turn laying along her torso on his side. His head came nearly to her chin, and with her un-bandaged paw she combed his hair. The tiny-chomper hadn''t said much since coming back on board, and now he''d been silent for longer than usual.


    "{You made the right call, you know.}" she said at last.


    [Oscar] stirred. "[Eh?]"


    "{[Sssnnathor]. It was the proper course of action.}"


    "[Oh, I''m not upset about that. He had it comin'', worse than anyone I''ve ever known. And I''ve known some nasty people.]" He wriggled against her so that he now lay on his back. "[I''m just bummed I had to give [Egwreh] back that rifle. I really liked that rifle.]"


    Myyreh wrapped her arms around him. "{So I heard. I think we should write a ballad of your feats when you broke back into [Sssnnathor''s] palace. [Oscar], the Slayer of Drones!}"


    [Oscar] chuckled. "[And Flipper of Switches!]"


    They lay in a pleasant silence for a while, until [Oscar] spoke.


    "[I thought I''d get a lecture.]"


    "{Hmm?}"


    "[From you. Something about never doing something this reckless again.]"


    Myyreh sniffed his hair as she pondered his statement. "{It wouldn''t be right for me to make such demands. Our job involves risk. We can try to reduce that risk, but there''s no way I could prevent you from ever being in danger again. And even if I wrapped you in padding and never let you leave the ship...well, then you wouldn''t be you anymore. You wouldn''t be the person I love.}"


    [Oscar] picked up her bandaged paw and kissed it. "[I could say the same. And since I love you all the way back, how about not getting hurt next time?]"


    "{I make no promises.}" She bent down and kissed his forehead. "{But I''ll do my best.}"


    The pleasant silence returned for a while.


    "{So how long until your arm is healed?}" asked Myyreh.


    "[Kgrashak] said about ten days. You?]"


    Myyreh raised her bandaged paw and regarded it. "{I should be getting these off tomorrow. I''ll be back to full functionality within a [week].}"


    "[Huh. Wish I could heal as fast as you guys. I guess nanotech can only do so much.]"


    She hummed as she hugged him again. "{It''s too bad. I was going to give you such a snuggling after I rescued you.}"


    "[This doesn''t count as snuggling?]"


    "{Not for me.}" Myyreh slid her good paw downward and gave his center a gentle grope. "{This is just the prelude to snuggling.}"


    "[Ah. Honey-babe, you know I''m always game for some sexy-time. But maybe we should take it easy? [Kgrashak] is gonna give us both that look if we make our injuries worse.]"


    Myyreh leaned down and ever-so-gently licked his earlobe. "{I view it more as an exercise in adaptability.}" Her paw increased the pace of its groping. "{There''s a position I''ve always wanted to try...}"


    <hr>


    Maria came to a halt as she entered the Claw''s lounge. The place was packed, since everyone on board was here either sitting coiled-up while they faced the door..faced her. She did her best to keep her voice level. "Hey guys and gals. What''s up?"


    Captain Rgrarshok stood. "[[Maria Vargas], for displaying uncommon valor in service of the Senate it is my privilege to award you the Order of Hgnalth.]"


    Maria half expected the Captain to break out some sort of over-sized medal and pin it to her lapel. Instead, the big Dorarizin just bowed. Maria bowed back, then cleared her throat. "Oh. Sorry, I don''t know what that is."


    Rgrarshok''s face split in an rare grin as she straightened up. "[I''d be surprised if you did. You''re the first [human] to ever be honored thus.]"


    "Wow." She looked behind the Captain and nodded at Oscar, who slouched against a bulkhead. "He doesn''t get a medal?"


    "I''m a member of the crew," Oscar replied. "Being brave is my job."


    "[But not yours,]" said Rgrarshok. "[Now for the bad news.]"


    Maria crossed her arms. "You didn''t say there was bad news."


    "[It''s not that bad. Your medal is a matter of public record, but the circumstances around it are definitely not. The official story is that [Sssnnathor]...and only one [Sssnnathor]...tried to kidnap you. He died in the attempt.]"


    "Hey, if you want me to keep schtum about the duplicating stuff that''s no skin off my nose," said Maria. "Just out of curiosity, does this mean I get a big-ass medallion or something?"


    Rgrarshok gave a grating chuckle. "[No, but I thought you deserved some sort of physical reward. I asked Egwreh to modify your baggage.]"


    Maria''s arms dropped to her sides and she frowned at the two Jornissians coiled off to the side. "You let them mess with my stuff?"


    Hrathra''sstah smiled and shrugged.


    Egwreh stepped up and held forward the ¨¹berduffel. It swung from her paw, seemingly unmolested.


    "[It''s the same as before,]" said the engineer. "[I just added a few more functions to it.]"


    Maria''s eyes narrowed as Egwreh set the ¨¹berduffel on the deck in front of her. At least it looked the same as before. "Oh yeah? Like what?"


    "[For a start, it now has an integrated power system woven through it. That''s for a sensor suite which tracks your bio-signature. I''ve also added an outer layer of nanofabric. You won''t notice it, but it''s interfaced with the sensors. If it senses you''re in distress it''ll auto-deploy. You can also manually deploy it by saying the word [Teddybear].]"


    "Teddybear?"


    In response to Maria''s question, the ¨¹berduffel seemed to explode up into her face. She shouted in alarm and waved her hands to fight off the swirling fabric tornado which surrounded her for a moment...


    Then she stopped and regarded her hands, which were now wrapped in a matte-black fabric. Maria looked down and saw the same skintight fabric also covered her body. She reached up and felt at her face, which also had a mummy-like wrapping. The fabric didn''t seem to impeded her sight or breathing. "Cool! So it''s an emergency pressure suit?"


    "[Among other things,]" said Egwreh.


    Resh''skk let forth a hiss-laugh. "[Since you insist on getting yourself into trouble, I asked them to augment it a little.]"


    Egwreh reached forward and tapped a claw against Maria''s wrapped-up chest. She felt the fabric over the impact spot harden. "[It also acts as low-profile armor, similar to what you used during the [Sssnnathor] infiltration. It doesn''t have any offensive weaponry, of course.]"


    "Of course. I''m guessing you''ll want me to keep quiet about this as well?"


    Rgrarshok nodded her ears. "[It''s not strictly illegal, but it would be tedious to explain. Officially it''s just a pressure suit.]"


    "Got it." She looked down again and tugged at her sleeve. "Soooo...how do I get it off? Do I just say ''Teddybear'' again or..."


    Another fabric whirlwind resulted as the armor sucked itself back off of her and back onto the ¨¹berduffel. The force of it pulling off of her spun Maria around in a full circle. Egwreh regarded Maria as the latter tottered about and blinked in surprise. "[Hmm, that release is a little too forceful. I''ll need to recalibrate it a bit.]"


    Rgrarshok raised a paw to get everyone''s attention. "[And I also have some more good news. Our relief will be here by tomorrow, which means that in another few weeks we''ll be back in Senate space.]"


    Maria saw everybody relax in relief as the realization spread that there was now a time limit on how long they''d be crammed together.


    "[Have they given us our next mission yet?]" asked Ngralh.


    The Captain clasped her paws behind her back. "[I have chosen our next mission, XO. We''ll be heading to [Hsnrahtath-5] right after we drop off all of our guests.]"


    "Sounds like a Jornissian planet," said Oscar.


    Bgrarh cocked his head. "[Wait, isn''t that place mostly ocean?]"


    "[It is,]" said Rgrarshok. "[Famed for its beaches and mild climate. Oh, I''m sorry. Did I say ''mission''? I meant ''vacation''.]"

 Chapter Twenty-Two (Epilogue)

    "...and so I made the decision to stay behind. I know it was stupid, and believe me I had plenty of regrets when the two Snapes got all grabby with me later on..."


    Maria Vargas sat on the floor of a drab prefabricated room. She slouched back against the comforting coiled-up body of Resh''skk as she went through the whole nonsense for what felt like the millionth time with yet another Senate representative. Her interviewer was an unfamiliar Jornissian with a name she couldn''t be bothered to remember. Whoever he was, he must have been a high-level spook; the powers that be had *built* this room right on location, just to give them a secure place to speak. What gave the debriefing a touch of the surreal was that the spook sat behind a human-style desk. The aforementioned spook had his hands clasped together on the desk top, nodding and smiling in a clearly coached and very human manner as Maria went on.


    After she''d finished, the Jornissian paused for a few moments before speaking. "[I thank you for your courage. If it''s any consolation, you did the right thing. We estimate that Sssnnathor''s copies would have dominated the galactic scene in less than a [century]. That would, of course, have been a significant disruption. And I trust you understand the need to keep quiet about this whole affair.]"


    She sighed and nodded. "Yes I do, as I''ve said the last ten damn times I''ve been asked that same damn question."


    The Senate representative spread his hands in another calculated human-like and pleading gesture. "[I have my own orders. We need to make sure everyone is, er, ''on board'', as you [humans] say.]"


    "Oh, you bet I''m keeping my mouth shut. I saw up close and personal how bad Snape was, and I don''t want to give any more would-be immortal dictators any ideas."


    "[I fear the need for secrecy is a little more complicated than that,]" said the spook. "[You see, this whole affair also involves the [Karnakians].]"


    "Ah, crap."


    Maria''s body shook as Resh''skk chuckled behind her. After a moment, the representative gave a hissing laugh of his own. It was the first genuine bit of emotion she''d seen from him.


    "[I can well understand that sentiment! It was big news when the [Thirty-Third] and [Thirty-Fourth] Sacred Paths reached their historic agreement. Many people, especially those of a feathered persuasion, are asking many questions as to how it happened.]"


    The area between Maria''s shoulder blades took on a psychosomatic itch, as if the mother of all targets had just been pinned on her back. "Aww, double crap."


    Resh''skk''s body tensed. "[Is she in danger?]" asked the ex-soldier.


    The spook shook his hood. "[Not at the moment. We''ve discussed things with the two Matriarchs, along with those in their retinue who were present during [Sssnnathor''s], er, apprehension. They''ve agreed to keep silent about what exactly occurred, for [Maria''s] sake.]"


    Maria felt a little of her tension ease. "I guess you''re worried about some reactionary nutjob from one of the Paths trying to kill me, eh?"


    "[To be honest, we''re worried about just the opposite. By all accounts the relations between the two Paths are thawing faster than anyone could anticipate. There is, however, a concern that if your pivotal role in that thaw is uncovered there will be a few [Karnakians] looking to...well, to [canonize] you.]"


    Maria rubbed her forehead. "That beats dying, but yeah. I don''t need any of that nonsense. I''m just a nerd who likes history, ya know?"


    The spook smiled with real warmth. "[I know.]" His eyes flicked up towards Resh''skk. "[I''m satisfied, for what that''s worth. You''ll be looking out for her?]"


    "[Do you really need to ask?]" replied Resh''skk. He clenched one hand, giving an audible crackle of knuckles that sounded like logs snapping.


    "[Er, no, I suppose not. If it makes you both feel better, this is the last debriefing. And may I say privately that I''m grateful you chose to accompany [We Who Hunt Between The Spaces] on their vacation. I always wanted to visit Hsnrahtath-Five, and now I get to do so on the Senate''s [dime].]"


    Maria smiled. The dude might be a bureaucrat, but he had his priorities in order. "Yep, this is prime basking real estate. We''re now gonna go do a whole lot of that ourselves." She picked up a tote bag that lay next her, and slung it over her shoulder as she stood. "Come on, Reshy."


    Resh''skk escorted Maria out of the drab room and down an equally drab and prefabricated corridor. The door at the end, however, was made of real wood. As Resh''skk opened it, Maria felt a little like Dorothy stepping through into the magical land of Oz. The lobby beyond had a low ceiling (well, low for aliens), complete with a polished flagstone floor and dark-brown wood for the walls. Overall the atmosphere was homey and welcoming, in stark contrast to the soaring and intimidating architecture she remembered from Sssnnathor''s palace. Off to one side was a timber-framed archway that showed a pure azure sky and a lovely expanse of white-sand beach. The latter, of course, was heavily populated with snake-like aliens flopped on their backs as they soaked up the sun.


    Maria blew out a breath. "Thank the Great Flying Spaghetti Monster that''s over. Hang on, I need to change."


    Resh''skk paused as Maria stripped off her shirt and jeans, revealing a dark green bikini underneath. It was a tame garment by human measures, although Maria was sure her abuela would still have given her some stink-eye over showing so much skin. She packed her clothes into her tote as she glanced over at her friend and bodyguard. "You''re not taking off your shirt?"


    "[I don''t tan, you know that...]"


    Maria pulled out a pair of oversized sunglasses and donned them. "That''s not the point! If you''re on a beach you''re supposed to show off yer bod...if you have one, and I know you do. So let''s see it! Sun''s out, guns out!"


    With a shrug of his hood, Resh''skk unbuttoned his shirt and handed it to Maria. She stowed his garment in her tote as she gave his upper body an appreciative stare. Resh''skk would be considered ''ripped'' even among Jornissians. She smiled in satisfaction. "Thaaaat''s better. We need to get those Jornissian hotties checking you out. Then they''ll get all jealous of our Boss." She slung her bag over one shoulder and hugged his rock-hard bicep against her side with her free arm.


    Resh''skk twitched in surprise at her contact. "[Er, are you making a, um...look, [Maria], maybe I''ve given you the wrong signals...]"


    "Oh, hush. You''re my friend, Reshy. One of my best friends. I''m not about to go messing that up just to sample some alien nookie."


    He relaxed, then patted her arm in a silent thanks. The pair made their way to the archway and onto the warm sand.


    She grinned up at Resh''skk. "Careful, you''re smiling. I''d hate to have my favorite Grumpus getting all happy on me."


    He said nothing in response, only smiled wider.


    Maria could feel eyes on them both as they maneuvered along the crowded beach. Much of the staring was at her, of course. But Resh''skk also received his share of curious (and, yes, lustful) consideration.


    Most of the throng was Jornissian, but there were a few feathered or furred forms here and there. Maria saw no sign of the Dorarizin crew or their ''adopted'' human, for which she was grateful. The pack had opted for another resort, ostensibly to avoid anyone making any connection between them and Hrathra''s group. But Maria was sure the real reason was to get away from everybody else after spending so long cooped up together on the same ship. It was a sentiment she heartily agreed with.


    A long green body came into view, clad in the Jornissian equivalent of a bikini. Hrathra''sstah lay flopped on her back in the sand, soaking up the sunshine with a gentle smile.


    "[I''ve made a decision,]" she said as Maria and Resh''skk came walking/slithering up. "[I''m staying right here for the rest of my life.]"


    Maria unfurled a beach towel on one side of Hrathra while Resh''skk took up a basking posture of his own on the other side. The human looked around at the sunny scene. "Well, if we''re gonna settle down I can think of worse planets."


    "[No, I mean I''m not moving from this spot. You two will have to feed and bathe me.]"


    "I don''t think that''s gonna work, Boss."


    Hrathra fixed Maria with an amused red eye. "[Oh? And what are you going to do about it? It''s not like you can move me.]"


    Resh''skk leaned over and flicked the underside of Hrathra''s hood with his tongue, making the long green alien shiver. "[I''m sure I can get you moving, [sweetie]. As I recall, I got you moving pretty good last night.]"


    Maria shook her head as she seated herself on her towel. "Eeeesh, you two are worse than a couple of teenagers. Don''t make me break out the spray bottle."


    <hr>


    Bluffing is a concept which all sapient species understand. At the moment, Rgrarshok-of-Ngraz was doing a whole hell of a lot of it as she regarded the paltry hand she''d been dealt. The tiny-chomper game of [Poker] had spread like wildfire throughout Senate space. Some of that popularity was due to being similar enough to existing games, what with its mixture of wagering, chance and bluffing. Part of it was due to the game''s relative simplicity. But most of its popularity was due to the fact that the ''face'' cards looked like tiny-chompers.


    Sadly, the Captain had none of the latter at the moment. Nor even any pairs of any number. But her countenance was serene as she glanced at her opponents seated around the felt-covered table. They stared back just as imperturbably while Rgrarshok also glanced at her surroundings. This particular resort was more [glitzy] than where [Hrathra''sstah] and her crew wound up. The decor tended to the shiny and golden, and so she wore a tasteful silver-threaded dress that fit right in. She cast her eyes back down at her cards as a confident and very welcome voice sounded out.


    "{Sorry I''m late, everyone. You wouldn''t believe what I had to go through to get here.}"


    The Karnakian dealer overseeing the proceedings nodded her crest. "[Sir, you''ll have to wait until the current hand is completed before joining.]"


    "{Of course!}" replied Bgrah. "{Don''t mind me.}"


    Rgrarshok didn''t look up as Bgrarh seated himself at the opposite side of the table. He was wearing the simple ''basic black'' outfit he''d adopted on [Sssnnathor''s] planet, and without looking the Captain knew that it fitted him like a glove. She caught the faintest whiff of his excitement, which made one of her ears twitch in a spasm of barely-controlled lust. Without saying a word, she knew what the play was.


    Bgrarh was going to do his best to take her to the cleaners.


    Rgrarshok bluffed her way into winning the pot with her current hand, and for the next hand was dealt the much better situation of pair of tens. It was a solid hand, and yet Bgrarh had an amused slouch to his posture that indicated the exact opposite. She caught the faintest twitch of his nose as he regarded his cards, then Bgrarh began betting as if he held a straight flush. He didn''t lose his carefree air, in spite of losing his first hand.


    He won the next hand, barely. And that time there hadn''t been any nose-twitch. His third hand resulted in Bgrarh''s second loss, and the nose-twitch was back. Rgrarshok knew she''d figured out one of Bgrarh''s ''tells''.


    When the fourth hand was dealt, Rgrarshok had to call on years of training to keep from yipping in delight. Four nines stared back up at her, and as the players all anted in she realized that for once she didn''t have to bluff.


    Bgrarh met her eyes. "{Care to make this a little more exciting?}"


    Rgrarshok stared back...and saw the faintest nose-twitch. She responded with a feral smile. "{Of course! What did you have in mind?}"


    "{Nothing too extreme. What would you say to...the loser has to buy the winner a drink?}"


    Rgrarshok didn''t hesitate. "{You''re on.}"


    Bgrarh gave a cheeky nod of his head. "{As madame wishes.}"


    Somehow that made the amount in the pot not so important. After a while the others dropped out, leaving Rgrashok and Bgrarh as the only two still wagering. The other (now ex-) competitors regarded the pot''s substantial pile of chips in silent awe.


    "{Are you going to raise?}" asked Rgrarshok.


    Bgrarh regarded his cards...complete with the faintest of nose-twitches...and then shrugged. "{I suppose I will.}"


    Rgarshok pounced, raising the bet while the other players watched on.


    "{Do you call, or raise?}" asked the Captain.


    "{I...call.}" came Bgrarh''s response, along with another barely-perceptible nose-twitch.


    Now that the bets weren''t increasing, the Karnakian dealer bowed her head. "[As dictated, you must now show your hands.]"


    "{Four nines,}" said Rgrarshok. She laid the cards in front of her in a stately manner.


    Bgrarh''s forehead wrinkled as he regarded her cards, then looked down at his own hand before leaning forward and delivering a devastating reply as he laid his cards down.


    "{Four Jacks.}"


    Rgrarshok stared in shock at his impossible hand while Bgrarh smiled gently. "{And what, might I ask, does Madame enjoy as a cocktail? I''ll make sure to ask the bartender. As for me, I''ll take a [vodka martini].}"


    The Captain blinked, then nodded. "{Of course.}" She didn''t move a muscle as Bgrarh swept the pile of chips towards him with casual competence.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    She didn''t speak again until Bgrarh cashed in his winnings and they were seated at the nearby bar. Bgrarh''s drink came in an strange, tall-stemmed glass that had to be an up-sized replica of a tiny-chomper original.


    "{I see that Little-Sniffer has been giving you some coaching,}" she said.


    Bgrarh raised the odd glass to his lips and took a sip. "{Now, Captain, why would you think that? Maybe I''m just a natural [poker] player.}"


    "{I''m not talking about [poker], you little menace.}"


    Her lovely and oh-so-infuriating subordinate just smirked. "{Nobody''s called me ''little'' since I was five years old.}"


    Rgrarshok controlled her instincts with a will. It wouldn''t be proper to simply tear off his clothes and mount him right here on the bar. "{I know that Little-Sniffer has considerable skill at slight-of-hand. And I also know there''s no way in this galaxy you were dealt those four Jacks.}"


    Bgrarh took another sip. "{And yet you still paid for my drink.}"


    "{Consider it an appreciation of your skill. Or perhaps your luck.}"


    He gave her a deep nod, almost a bow. The Captain was still coming to terms with this newly-confident version of Bgrarh, and decided to cut through any nonsense.


    "{How long is this going to go on?}" she asked.


    "{Whatever do you mean?}"


    She put an elbow on the bar as she leaned forward, almost touching her nose to his. "{Less than four weeks ago you were [Belgian], whatever that is, and styling your facial fur like tiny-chomper [moustaches]. Four weeks before that, you were wearing strange hats and going on about how the game was afoot. Right now I''ll bet you''re imitating some sort of...of tiny-chomper thing again. And that''s why I can''t do this, Bgrarh. You''re my packmate, and you''ll always be my packmate. I know you''re courting me, and believe me I''m considering it. But I want to be with you, not some sort of character you''ve built in your head.}"


    Bgrarh downed the rest of his drink. "{I understand, Captain. I''m not ''doing'' anybody. I will admit that right now I''m...inspired by some tiny-chomper media, but during that whole fight on [Sssnnathor''s] planet I came to a realization.}"


    He set the odd glass back on the bar. "{For a long time I''ve tried to not be me. Because everybody looked at me as a meathead, a jock. So I wanted to be somebody completely different, somebody smart. During that battle, though, I realized that I am a jock. But I''m also smart. And right now, my dear, I...}" He took in a deep breath. "{Right now, I want nothing more than to be both of those things for you.}"


    Rgrarshok regarded her own drink. "{Thank you for being so...open. Are you in season right now?}"


    Bgrarh glanced around. The Jornissian bartender was off at the other end serving other customers, and there was nobody else nearby. The big Dorarizin raised his paw and moved it towards her head.


    "{Bgrarh, don''t. I''m your Captain, you shouldn''t do that in...public...}" Her voice trailed off into a moan. "{...oh, by the First Pack...}"


    His eyes were warm and kind as he rubbed her ear between his fingers. "{You''re my Alpha. I''m yours to command, whatever you decide.}"


    She couldn''t resist. His scent, his intimate touching...it was too much. "{Then I command you follow me to our room.}"


    Bgrarh smiled. "{No dinner first?}"


    By now, Rgrarshok''s breathing was visibly heavy. "{Bgrarh, if I don''t have you in the next [ten minutes] I''m going to create a diplomatic incident on some nearby table.}"


    <hr>


    Tk''rii''na trotted into the echoing, high-ceilinged lobby. The only other occupant was the Director of this sanitarium, a tall and stately Karnakian with iridescent feathers. Behind the director soared a large archway that led into a lush green garden.


    He bowed to the Director. "|Tk''rii''na, of the Unified Path. I''m here to visit Ter''yeik.|"


    The Director responded with a reserved nod of her crest. "|You are expected, Tk''rii''na. And you are welcome. Please, follow me.|"


    Tk''rii''na followed the Director through the arch and into the garden beyond. A winding gravel path led from the archway and deep into the greenery. A wave of gentle warmth and humidity washed over Tk''rii''na as he entered the garden, and the sensation made him relax on instinct. The scent of flowers filled the air, and a gentle choral singing wafted from hidden speakers. He felt overwhelmed by a sense of tranquility.


    "|How is he doing?|" Tk''rii''na asked.


    "|Very well.|" The Director moved at a slow and sedate pace, one that Tk''rii''na mimicked. "|His progress is amazing, considering the state he was in when you brought him here.|"


    Tk''rii''na relaxed. "|That''s good.|" True, at one time he''d considered the former Second Claw a gullible fool. But even back then he didn''t wish injury or harm on Ter''yeik.


    "|We''ve had to take certain precautions, of course,|" the Director continued. She fixed a determined eye on Tk''rii''na. "|The main precaution is absolutely no mention of the little-needs-protectings.|"


    "|Understood.|"


    The Director sighed. "|I hope that over time we can wean him off of that particular phobia. In all other regards he''s a model patient, just...please don''t mention them, all right?|"


    The pair came around a bend in the path. In front of them sat a small glade surrounded by large ferns. In the middle of the glade stood a large easel, bearing a canvas half-filled with an impressionistic version of the sun-lit shrubbery.


    Ter''yeik sat back from the easel and pondered. The cream-colored Karnakian held a small box in one hand and a brush in the other. "|Aqua number sixteen,|" he murmured to the box. The liquid within obediently shifted to the desired color. He was just about to dip his brush into the ''paint'' when the Director cleared her throat.


    "|Ter''yeik? You have a visitor.|"


    The patient looked around in surprise, then lit up with a smile as he saw Tk''rii''na. He hastily set down his painting tools and walked towards the pair. "|Hello! It''s nice to see a familiar face!|"


    "|Likewise,|" responded Tk''rii''na as he and Ter''yeik clasped forearms. The pair then nuzzled their snouts together in a less-formal Karnakian greeting. "|So you''ve taken up painting?|"


    Ter''yeik laughed. "|More like dabbling, I fear. If nothing else, it''s good for helping me focus. So how is everything? The Path is doing well, I trust?|"


    Tk''rii''na knew he now had to dance through a verbal minefield. He wasn''t sure if Ter''yeik meant the original Thirty-Third Path or the still-developing Unified Path. Mention of the latter might lead to mention of a certain little-needs-protecting who''d instigated the unification. He had to keep his descriptions vague.


    "|Everyone is well,|" Tk''rii''na replied. "|The Honored Mother sends her regards and regrets that she could not come in person. She''s quite busy at the moment.|"


    Ter''yeik waved a claw. "|Oh, I understand. Please tell her how much I appreciate her help. It''s very magnanimous of her, considering how much I wronged everyone. I was...in a very dark place, for a while.|"


    Tk''rii''na glanced back at the Director, who responded with an encouraging nod. He turned back to Ter''yeik. "|Yes, well, I have my fair share of misdeeds to atone for.|"


    Ter''yeik laid a friendly hand on Tk''rii''na''s shoulder. "|In our defense, we were both misled by another, this ''Silken Feather'' creature. Tell me, did they ever track her down?|"


    The gray Karnakian shook his crest. "|She vanished right after we rescued [Ma...], er, after we vanquished [Sssnnathor]. The Dorarizin team has her DNA information distributed through the Senate law-enforcement networks, so if she''s scanned at any point they''ll know.|" He stared at a nearby shrub, not really seeing it. "|I''m still angry at myself for falling for her lies.|"


    Ter''yeik stepped closer and squeezed Tk''rii''na''s shoulder. "|You are mortal, the same as any of us. I remember how very comely she was when she was posing as Ka''iirt. Sutra Eighty-Two...|"


    "|...A pleasing smile can mask the deadliest of intentions.|"


    "|Truly. Come, let''s speak of more pleasant things! How goes the new temple?|"


    It was such a casual question that Tk''rii''na almost answered before he realized the implications of going down that conversational road. He looked to the Director again for guidance, but the stately Karnakian merely looked on with no hint in her expression.


    "|It...um, proceeds well. Getting the planet annexed took longer than expected, so they''ve just broken ground on the foundations. It''ll be a while before the buildings are completed.|"


    He felt a little trickle of sweat along one of his crest-feathers. Surely talking about this would trigger Ter''yeik? The new temple only existed because of the actions of them.


    But yet the former Second Claw seemed in the very best of spirits. "|Wonderful! I can only hope to see it some day.|"


    Tk''rii''na relaxed. This was not going to be such a difficult conversation after all. "|I''m sure you will! The Director has had nothing but good things to say about your progress.|"


    "|She''s far too kind,|" responded Ter''yeik. He nodded his crest towards the subject of their conversation. "|I''m just sorry she had to listen to so much of my ranting when I was brought here.|"


    Ter''yeik''s tone was light and untroubled, and thus Tk''rii''na''s next words just slipped out. "|Oh yes, I remember it well! You were going on and on about the danger from the little-needs-protectings!|"


    The last three words hung like a storm cloud over the tranquil garden scene. The Director slapped a hand over her face as Ter''yeik pondered the statement.


    "|I was, wasn''t I?|" he finally said.


    The Director peeked one front-eye out from between her fingers, as if hoping that the oncoming blow-up wouldn''t happen.


    Her hope was in vain. Ter''yeik turned and faced his former subordinate with a raised crest and fluffed-out neck. "|You''re just like everyone else, aren''t you? You think that they are cute and harmless.|"


    Tk''rii''na held up his hands. "|I''m sorry, I''m so so sorry. Please don''t get angry...|"


    Ter''yeik moved faster than anticipated. In less than an eyeblink the former Second Claw held Tk''rii''na''s head locked in between his hands, their snout-tips all but brushing against each other.


    "|THEY''RE NOT CUTE!|" screamed Ter''yeik. "|THEY''RE OUR DOOOOOOOOOOOOM! NONE OF YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF THE ABSOLUTE HORROR THAT WE''VE UNLEASHED UPON THIS POOR DEFENSELESS GALAXY...|"


    TWANG


    The Director regarded the trussed-up form of Ter''yeik as he kept mumbling his rant through a tied-up muzzle. The now-visible security drone beep-booped as she dismissed it with a wave. A pair of Karnakian orderlies in neutral-colored uniforms appeared at the edge of the glade.


    "|Take him back to his room,|" said the Director. She sighed. "|And...set his file back to Level One.|"


    Tk''rii''na bowed his head. "|I truly didn''t mean to, that phrase just slipped out-|"


    She cut him off with a curt sniff. "|I''m putting this down to a test of his progress. We clearly have a lot more work to do. I trust you know the way out?|"


    He did, and knew enough to not ask for anything further such as a ride back to his hostel. Tk''rii''na put in a request to the local network for a lift, then waited in the parking lot for his appointed ride.


    That ride appeared as a dot in the sky, then rapidly expanded into a standard ground-to-orbit shuttle that parked itself next to Tk''rii''na with a casual competence.


    After the closest door swung up, Tk''rii''na seated himself into the shuttle as he brooded on his latest failure.


    "|Where to, sir?|"


    He twitched his head up in surprise. An actual Karnakian driver stared back at him, her red-feathered face impassive. "|I said, where to sir?|" she repeated.


    "|Ah...the base station for [Zephyr Station Thirteen], please.|" Tk''rii''na sent the necessary payment information through his implant, and she nodded in a strangely familiar way.


    "|Understood, sir. Please use the safety straps.|"


    "|Of course.|" He continued to berate himself silently as he strapped in. The last strap was twisted around, and without asking the driver reached over and un-snarled it. Tk''rii''na nodded his thanks before staring out the window. The lush greenery flew beneath them while he wondered just how long Ter''yeik was going to be incarcerated.


    "|You want to know something?|" asked the driver.


    Not really was his first thought, but aloud he said "|By all means. I could use some enlightenment.|"


    "|Aw, you''re too hard on yourself. You aren''t nearly as much of a [dweeb] as I thought you were.|"


    Tk''rii''na snapped his head around to stare at the driver, who in response shook herself as if getting rid of some errant bathing-dust. Her colors flowed into a very familiar green, complete with a yellow band around her neck.


    He slumped back in despair against the hull of the shuttle. "|Of course. Why wouldn''t you show up at such a time?|"


    The Silken Feather smiled at him. "|I mean it, [dear]. I saw what you did to get [Maria] back safe and sound. You''re much braver than I gave you credit for.|''


    Tk''rii''na didn''t respond. He stared at the floor of the shuttle in silent defeat.


    "|Nothing to say? I expected you to try to subdue me, at least.|"


    "|There''s no point,|" he replied. "|I know all of your tricks. You''re just a hard-light hologram...|"


    His voice trailed off as she reached over and hugged him. Her scent washed over him, making his heart race just like it had back when she''d called herself Ka''iirt.


    "|I''m here, my [dear],|" she whispered in his ear.


    In spite of his anger, Tk''rii''na relaxed in her embrace. "|Why are you here?|" he whispered back.


    "|Because you deserve an in-person apology. Oh, and because I''ve found some information that might be the location for Ma''Knacht''s tomb.|"


    All four of his eyes opened wide. "|Wait. Ma''Knacht was the teacher of Ta''irrl''qc! Her training led to his discovery of The Final Sutra! That resting place has been sought for millennia!|"


    The Silken Feather released him and leaned back with an infuriating smirk on her face. "|Really? I hadn''t noticed.|"


    Tk''rii''na composed himself. He couldn''t let his guard down again, not with this...this thief. "|What does it matter? I''m sure you''ll only tell us of your supposed secret after a hefty payment.|"


    Her next words surprised him even more. "|Oh, no payment will be necessary.|"


    "|What?|"


    "|I meant what I said. You...all of you, but you in particular...you made a real impression on me. My only requirement is that you get that [Jornissian] archaeologist involved again. That little-needs-protecting she''s mentoring has quite an interesting soul-pattern. I''d like to see what she makes of Ma''Knacht.|"


    Tk''rii''na gave his species'' version of a bitter laugh. "|Why not? [Maria''s] already up-ended two Sacred Paths, why not another?|"


    The Silken Feather caressed his shoulder. "|Awww, don''t be like that. You must admit things are better now.|"


    He hated to admit it, but Tk''rii''na knew she was right. "|Okay, then. I''ll call [Hrathra''sstah]...assuming she wants anything to do with us.|"


    His former lover''s face was serene. "|For this information? She''ll grow legs and call herself a lizard.|"


    <hr>


    If Oscar stared up into the sky, he could have sworn he was back on that Florida beach where it all began. The sun and the sand looked the same, and the expanse overhead was just about the right shade of blue.


    But his ears sure knew they were somewhere else. A chorus of clicks, growls, purrs, hisses, and all manner of unearthly noises sounded out around him. The alien speech resolved into idle chatter in his earpiece. Some of that chatter involved him, which was to be expected. There were only a few Dorarizin scattered here and there among the throngs of giant snakes, and for one of those Dorarizin to have a human next to her? Of course there''d be gossip. He also studiously ignored how much of the overheard chatter revolved around how adorable he was.


    Farther down the beach someone had mounted a xeno-sized net, surrounded on both sides by blurs of scaly activity. A white streak zipped back and forth between the two blurs, accompanied by various hissing shouts of merriment. Oscar could only watch the action for a little bit before getting dizzy trying to track the ball.


    Like most human things, the game of volleyball had spread throughout the galaxy. Oscar joined in one game before giving it up as a bad idea. Playing against Dorarizin was bad enough, but at least playing on the beach with its less-stable footing made up for his slower reflexes. But playing against Jornissians? Fuggetaboutit. They were effectively one big foot, and wickedly accurate with their tails.


    Oscar checked his watch, then sat up. He pulled a bottle of sunscreen out of a nearby tote bag.


    "[Again?]" asked Myyreh. She reclined next to him on a big, deck-chair-like piece of furniture with an over-sized umbrella to give her shade. Myyreh liked watching the ocean and breathing in the sea air. However, she''d refused to, as she''d put it, ''bake myself in the sun like some sort of Pale-Moon-addled snake''. To Oscar''s disappointment she''d also turned down wearing a bikini in favor of a sundress.


    "Yep, again. I''m tan but I can still burn if I''m not careful."


    Myyreh looked up pointedly at her umbrella. "[There is another solution to that.]"


    "We''ll be on another assignment soon enough. Let me soak in some proper sunshine before we get shut away on board."


    She shrugged an ear and leaned back. "[Suit yourself.]"


    They lay in a contented silence for a while...until Ngralh''s voice sounded in Oscar''s ear.


    "[Everybody listen up! We need to pack and get moving.]"


    Myyreh sat up. "[I thought we had another [week] at least. Did something come up?]"


    "[Er, no. I meant we need to move to another resort.]"


    Oscar smiled with his eyes closed. "Benny and the Captain broke another room?"


    "[Yes, and then they broke through the wall into the room next to them...which happened to be that of some [Jornissian] diplomat. The resort management wants to avoid an interstellar incident.]"


    Myyreh gave a delighted buzzsaw of a snicker as Oscar got to his feet.


    Ngralh sounded a little offended. "[It''s not funny, Myyreh. Well...maybe it''s a little funny.]"


    Oscar looked out into the clear water, which had a few snakelike forms twisting with inhuman flexibility through the surf. "Do I have time for one last swim?"


    "[Not really. They kind of want us gone right now.]"


    Myyreh sighed and got out of her chair. Both it and the umbrella obediently folded themselves up into a neat, compact package that she stowed under one arm. She beckoned to Oscar with her free paw. "[Give you a lift?]"


    Oscar slung his tote over his shoulder. "I can walk just fine."


    She looked around with a mock-grim stare. Long, scaly and very stationary bodies surrounded them for hundreds of yards on both sides. "[I don''t know, this place looks pretty dangerous. You could trip over somebody.]"


    "You just want an excuse to grope me." He rolled his eyes and walked towards her. "But if I say no you''ll pout and we can''t have that, can we?"


    Myrreh grinned as she put her arm under Oscar and hoisted him up next to her shoulder. He had to admit that getting carried did have some benefits, such as getting to lean against her and get a nice whiff of her scent.


    "Is that a new perfume?"


    Myyreh stepped among the splayed-out Jornissians with exaggerated care. "[Yep. Do you like it? They said it''s designed for [humans].]"


    "Designed to do what?"


    She waggled one ear. "[It''s supposed to drive them crazy with desire.]"


    Oscar snuggled his head against her neck. "Hmmm. I do believe I am indeed crazy with desire. But I don''t know if it''s because of the perfume or because you are such a sexy-pants."


    "[It''s quite a quandary. We''ll have to do lots of experimentation to find out the reason.]"


    He gave a sigh of mock exasperation. "Work, work, work. Hey, howzabout we try to get ourselves thrown out of the next resort too?"