Hired Gun Pt. 10: Conclusion

"What a shithole," Troy Wooten bemoaned as the Shield Maiden's engines kicked up dust on the surface of Thruello Three. The planet was barely habitable and those who called the desolate planet home were as harsh and formidable as the arid planet itself. The human first officer of the Furvoid ship never ventured on the surface of any planet unarmed, but even he chuckled at the amount of weaponry he decided to bring with him on this vital mission. He wasn't the only one to see humor in his weapons load-out.

"You've got enough firepower to level a moon. Do you think you have enough guns on you?" Ember, drop-dead gorgeous tigress and fearless captain of the small ship remarked as the human walked by. He was armed with two automatic projectile rifles slung over each shoulder, two pistols on his tactical vest, another pistol on his leg holster, and more knives than a butcher at a hog farm. The human was also replete with grenades, explosives, and enough ammunition to fund a small war; which, ironically, was exactly what he expected to be fighting in before the day would be through.

"I don't know, I left the revolver under my pillow, do you think I should get it?" he quipped back.

"Ladies, I know you've stuck with me through some tough times and some really bad times, but this is as bad as it gets. Catelli is waiting for us. He knows what we want, and he's just about as desperate to get that stone as we are. Our dear human companion has kindly provided us with a model of what we should be carrying with us; weapons, lots of weapons. Anything you can carry and still keep a running pace with; take it. The cavalry is coming, but we've got to bust through and get the stone before that slimy bastard does. Any questions?" Ember asked.

"What about the human woman?" Piper, a flirtatious, dominatrix of a vixen asked. The ship's engineer was fiercely loyal to her crew, and uncomfortably protective of Troy.

"What about me?" Elizabeth O'Shea asked. The human helped Troy escape from Catelli's interrogation chamber, even though she was the one tasked with extracting the information from the human soldier. She proclaimed her loyalty with her government and that she was a plant in Catelli's ranks. The Furvoids were slow to trust her, and any mishap seemed to have all eyes on the human woman to blame.

"Is she coming with, Captain?" Piper asked in a fiery and confrontational voice.

"We need all hands on deck, everyone who can fight will fight," Ember said.

"I trust her...I trust Elizabeth," Troy cleared his throat and softly spoke.

All eyes, including Elizabeth's fell on Troy.

"She's proven herself again and again. I'm...I'm convinced she's on our side," he said.

"Very well," Piper grumbled, retreating back to her bunk to grab her weapons and gear.

"Troy, you were about ready to send her into the void of space not too long ago," Audra, the archeologist and purple-furred skunk chimed in. She was often the quietest and most submissive of the bunch, but she was not afraid to voice her opinion when she needed to.

"Even I make mistakes, on occasion," he sheepishly smiled then headed back to his bunk after all to grab the revolver he joked about with his captain. Suzy, the ship's doctor and quite the sultry bunny remained quiet but returned to her quarters to grab her medical gear. She knew this battle would be severe and her talent for patching up wounds was going to be as valuable as any sure-shot gunslinger.

Elizabeth started to head back to her quarters when Ember called out "Elizabeth, wait for a moment."

"Captain?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"Troy may have placed his trust with you, and perhaps you've earned it, but if I see you so much as wink at any of Catelli's men, so help me, I'll shoot you myself. Are we clear?"

"Perfectly, Captain," Elizabeth replied, heading back to her bunk.

Thruello Three was as nightmarish of a planet as they come. Uncomfortably close to a main sequence star, the temperatures were sweltering and barely livable during the day, countered by frigid, windy nights. There were less permanent residents on the planet than the crew of some small frigate ships. Only about two hundred people of mixed species dared calling the forgotten world home, and most looked for ways to leave the harsh rock at any opportunity they could get. Palladium mining was the only real industry on the planet. The only establishment, Harker's Pointe, was near the last workable mining facility. If Catelli's men were on the planet, Harker's Pointe was the only beacon of civilization, and they would stick out like a sore thumb.

The residents of Harker's Pointe were poor, even by outer world standards. Most dressed in tattered and dust-stained scraps and rags. Many wore tinted goggles to protect their eyes from the blinding sunlight and the frequent sandstorms. None of the residents went about their business without a weapon or three on their persons. The wealthier afforded pulse-pistols, projectile weapons, or grenades, but even the poorest miner had at least a dagger on his or her belt. Be that as it may, Troy still garnered nervous stares, for he carried a veritable arsenal.

Normally, four very attractive furvoids and an equally pretty human woman would have gained hungry stares at the very least from the rough crowd in Harker's Point, but one glance at Troy's demeanor and his weaponry persuaded them to be exceedingly polite. They disembarked from the Shield Maiden on a cracked and crumbling landing pad, with Troy taking point. The villagers scattered upon seeing the brutish man and his diverse collection of killing instruments.

"Not necessarily a place I'd like to retire to," Elizabeth quipped to Troy as a small dust devil whirled up to the right of their craft. The winds were howling, casting an eerie red glow as the dusts muted the normally scorching sunlight. Troy tied a bandana around his mouth and nose, and wore dark sunglasses under a combat helmet.

The girls wore various eyewear to protect against the blasting grains of sand, and scarves to filter the air they breathed. Each, including the doctor, Suzy displayed weapons as they walked through the landing port and toward one of only two bars in town.

The Drowning Fish was the ironic name given to the desolate saloon on the forsaken planet. They entered the pub, filled with a dozen men as hard as the weather and about as inviting. They turned to see the group of strangers in the entrance, staring awkwardly for a moment, then returning to their drinks.

"You selling?" the bartender asked Troy.

"Selling what?" he replied.

"The women," the bartender added incredulously.

"No, they're here with me," he replied. "They're not for sale."

"Got it, Chief. Meant no harm by the question. So what's your poison?"

"Whiskey, neat," Troy said. The bartender poured Troy's drink in a stained and tarnished glass. Troy didn't bat an eye; he drank out of far worse.

"So, if you're not here to sell the women, you here to buy more for your concubine?"

"Actually, we're here for the sightseeing," Troy replied with a falsely warm grin and sipped his drink. "Audra, this is your department," he added, slapping a few coins on the countertop for the whiskey.

"Uh...right...uh...well, sir...do you...do you have any wreckage...I mean...ruins, artifacts, uh temples on this planet?" the timid skunk asked the burly bartender, whose hair seemed to migrate completely away from the top of his head and into a thick, bushy red beard. The man seemed twice as large as Troy, and not one tenth as handsome.

"I don't know..." he said in an airy voice, "it's an awful large planet. I don't get to exploring most of it." The bartender rubbed his nose quite deliberately.

Troy slapped a pile of coins on the bar.

"Come to think of it...yes...why...yes...I do believe you might be interested in the old Archaic Temple Ruins," he said.

"And would you so kindly be able to give us coordinates for this temple?" Troy asked.

"Well, it's been a long time since my ma and pa brought me out on any picnics in the wilderness..."

Troy dug deeper in his pockets and fished out a few more coins.

"How about ten more pieces, eh?" the bartender asked.

"How about instead of ten more pieces, you get to keep the ten fingers on your hand?" Troy suggested, drawing a vicious looking dagger. The bartender's eyes widened.

"You know, I do recall my old ma telling me about it in sector Gamma thirty-seven by Omega eight-nineteen," he added quickly and scraped up the coins before Troy changed his mind on those.

"Bless your mother's soul," Troy said with a smile and a wink, as he slapped two more coins on the bar, downed his drink and started to head toward the door.

"You're not the first person to ask about the temple," the bartender spoke up as they left.

"Oh, offering up a freebie, now?" Troy asked him.

"Just don't want you bringing trouble into my bar," he said.

"Trouble, in this fine establishment? Never," Troy replied, pointing at the bartender and making a trigger-pull gesture with his fingers.

"Well, now, trouble is what you're about to stumble into," a relatively clean-shaven man holding a proton-pistol said as he and his associate, a man several inches taller than Troy got up from their table.

"I had you boys figured as Catelli's men," Troy said. "You still have laces on your boots."

"Catelli has a five hundred credit reward for your death. A thousand if we bring you alive," the apparent brains of the pair said.

"You know, boys, this is the part where I'd say something clever and witty, but..." he drew his pistol and shot both of them dead, "I just really don't have the time."

The bartender and other patrons didn't make any moves for their weapons, and most returned to drinking, unconcerned by a war which didn't affect them.

"Do you think the bartender's coordinates are any good?" Ember asked as they exited the bar.

"Well, they won't be any worse than the information we have so far. I say it's at least worth a look."

They reentered the Shield Maiden and departed from the sandy mess of Harker's Pointe. The ship lifted vertically and Ember guided them to the grid coordinates given by the brusque barkeep. Flying above the swirling dust storm, they found the coordinates led them to an area with slightly more vegetation, but still a harsh and unforgiving landscape.

Sure enough, there was a heap of ruins and something which resembled the crumbling remains of a temple, but if the miserable weather wasn't enough for them to contend with, half a dozen of Catelli's ships were parked by the ruins and several hundred troops were in fortified positions surrounding the site.

"We'll never get past a force like that," Audra lamented.

"We might not have to," Ember said as she looked at her monitors.

"What do you mean, Captain?" Audra asked.

"I mean, Catelli quite possibly is digging his forces in around a worthless site," she said.

"And why would you believe that?" the skunk questioned the tigress.

"Because take a look at this feature in the northeast quadrant of the planet. Let me zoom in."

"I don't believe it," Audra exclaimed with a slack jaw.

"Don't believe what? Does anyone want to fill me in on the details here?" Troy complained.

"Those creek channels there, all point to a central spot," she said.

"So?" Troy challenged.

"So, there's no water source, and they're perfectly straight. I think the temple is below ground, and the creek beds all point to the opening."

"Nice work, Captain," Audra said, beaming with pride. "Maybe you should've taken up archaeology as a career."

"And miss my opportunity to blow shit up with my spaceship? Not a chance!" Ember replied with a playful grin.

The ship touched down near the center of the dry creek channels converging. Catelli's men were a good three hundred kilometers away. It was doubtless their ship was seen by the enemy when they swooped by to investigate, but none of Catelli's men pursued.

"Probably figured they scared us off," Troy said.

"What?" Ember asked.

"Catelli's men didn't pursue us. I mean, in actuality, they did scare us off, but they're probably convinced they found the right temple, so they probably won't be looking for us. Not right away, at least."

"Assuming they found the wrong temple," Suzy said. Her warm hands rested on Troy's shoulders, and her fingers subtly massaged them once in a while. Troy's cock stirred in his pants, but he focused on his tactical screen as the engines wound down and the landing gear made contact with the dusty ground.

"Just because Catelli isn't here right now, doesn't mean he won't pay us a visit later on. We go in with full tactical gear, weapons, the works," Ember ordered.

"Audra, you work your magic, you find that damned stone and find it fast. There's fire under your feet," Troy told the skunk. She nodded and grabbed her archeology gear and notes, along with her modest weaponry of a thermal beam pistol and a combat knife.

Troy once again took point, leading the group outside the relative safety of the ship. The wind was somewhat tamer here, and the dust and sand didn't stir as frequently, but it meant the sunlight was able to bake the atmosphere more efficiently, and the group felt as if they entered a blast furnace upon stepping outside. The human warrior led with his rifle at the ready, following one of the creek beds toward the central convergence area.

Ember was right; the feature was definitely not the result of nature, for the creek beds all converged upon a rectangular stone slab about twice as large as the passenger door on their ship. Troy scratched his head at the perfectly formed rock and looked at his captain. "Nice work," he said to her.

"It's not over until we get the stone back to my people," she said.

"Right," he replied. They used pry-bars to wedge open the bar, but as soon as the first bar even slightly raised the stone slab, it automatically started retracting.

"Well...that I didn't expect," Audra remarked.

The slab finally finished opening, revealing a narrow, stone stairway which led straight underground. Before anyone dared entering, Piper used a handheld device to measure the atmosphere.

"No toxins present...it's safe, Captain," she said.

"I'll go," Troy volunteered.

"We'll all go, but you're welcome to take point," Ember corrected her first officer.

"Very well," he replied. He switched on the light attachment on his rifle, sending a beam of brilliant, white light down the dark stairs. Stepping down and in a defensive crouching-walk, he led the team below ground.

Instantly, they could feel the temperature change. It was noticeably cooler; even refreshingly chilly. The team descended the stairs for some time until they reached the base. Something strange then happened. A series of torches which lined the walls all seemed to spontaneously ignite, casting a warm, yellowish-orange glow in the sandstone structure.

The room was tall. Much taller than anyone in the group, including their archeologist, expected. Expansive as well, the room went on for a long stretch, interrupted only by great sandstone pillars which supported the structure from caving in from its underground location. The self-lightning torches provided an eerie glow to the warm browns of the sandstone, and intricate carvings of symbols in some long-dead language were scrawled on every available inch of the pillars.

Troy kept his guard up. Just because Catelli and his men were digging the wrong site up, didn't mean this ancient structure was devoid of danger. He cautiously led four furvoids and one human woman who were as equally cautious. Though the torches provided enough lighting, he kept the flashlight of his rifle on and swung his rifle in a sweeping motion past each column.

"There's nothing in this room but these pillars. It's some great meeting place or foyer of some kind. I assume we'll have to go through those doors to find the stone," Audra announced.

"Audra, what can we expect here? I mean, what does your research say about the final location of the stone?"

"So far, it fits the descriptions well; a hot, dry planet with a temple housing a great forum...uh...a meeting place for the ancient culture," she said.

"I know what a forum is," Troy said curtly.

"Right. Well, the stone will be well protected. Likely by booby-traps, and the sentinel."

"The what, now?" Troy asked tilting his head and looking at the skunk-girl.

"It's unclear what the sentinel is. It may be another booby trap, perhaps it was a guard who was stationed there, or perhaps a deity or icon, talisman, whatever."

"So, you don't know," Troy surmised.

"In a word...no. But, if it's either one of their soldiers or a simple statue, it shouldn't be much to worry about, because the soldier would long be dead, and a statue is just a statue," she said with a nervous giggle.

"If," Troy said.

"Audra, this stone was one of their most prized possessions, and they were technologically advanced. I don't think they would entrust something so significant to a handful of soldiers, or a statue," Ember said.

"So, you think this sentinel is an elaborate booby-trap?" Troy asked.

"If I had to bet all my credits," Ember replied.

"Can't we wait until our forces arrive, allow them to retrieve it?" Suzy asked with fear and trepidation evident in her voice.

"Catelli is too close. Sooner or later, he'll turn the place upside down and realize there's nothing there. Then he'll come looking for us. He's a worm, a parasite. He won't do the work if he knows someone else will. I don't think we have enough time to wait for your fleet to arrive," Troy answered for Ember.

"And every minute we waste, our people are dying from sickness and plague," Piper chimed in. "You should know that."

"Okay, easy now. We don't need to be at each other's throats. I'm sure Catelli will give us all enough of a fight sooner or later, and you can take your aggression out on him," said Troy as they approached the door at the end of the corridor.

The door was bronze, though it showed no sign of patina. It was still a deep, copper brown, with carvings of the same strange, ancient language adorning the pillars. There were three handles, which Troy thought as odd, and just as he was about to reach for the top one, Audra shouted "wait!"

Troy nearly pissed his pants and recoiled his hand away. "What?!" he asked with alarm and annoyance.

"I'm reading the texts of the temple. The door is a test. Pull the wrong lever, and it activates a trap."

"You know...these kinds of helpful tidbits would be appreciated a lot further in advance," Troy said.

"Now, let's see here..." Audra said, thumbing through her computer pad. "Ye who enter know the way of the eagle is death. The way of the serpent is death. Only those with a harmonious spirit may be found worthy enough to enter."

"Alright..." Troy said. "So?"

"Well, the eagle flies high, and the serpent slithers on the ground, so it's got to be the middle knob," Piper said.

"Sounds good to me," Troy said, reaching for the middle knob, but again was interrupted.

"Wait!" Audra called out.

"Damn it, now what?"

"That's not right. That's too easy. Theirs was a philosophy of unity and harmony. They knew there was more in life than simply good and bad."

"So, it's not the middle?" Troy asked.

"It's all three, simultaneously," she replied.

"Are you sure? It sounded pretty straightforward to me. Up is bad, down is bad, middle is good."

"The key was harmonious. Troy, trust me on this one. I'll grab the top, you grab the middle, and Ember, take the bottom. We all turn our handles simultaneously on the count of three."

"If you're wrong, Audra..." Troy threatened.

"If I'm wrong, we're all dead, yes, I know," the skunk said emphatically.