Jack's Moonlighting Pt. 01

Jack's jaw dropped. The Tik were giving up?

The Tik next to Livingstone moved a little closer. It had patterned ripples in its outer shell on its left side, which gave the impression that it collided with a very tough chain-link fence at speed. "This doesn't mean we won't support just causes. We can just no longer present petitions for them in the Assembly. I believe you call this being silent partners."

Jack faced this new Tik, so it introduced itself. "I'm Moo-san. This is Tetris," it said, gesturing to the third Tik with vertical stripes of color on its shell. "And Dusty," it said, pointing to their fourth member whose surface no longer showed any of its original gleam. It might have been the oldest in the bunch. Or it might have been recently sandblasted.

Livingstone picked up the conversation once more. "Yes, for this cause, we need a new champion to present the case to the Assembly. We all agree that no one is more suitable for this than you! You are familiar with two races impacted by the Allsa Komanae's stellar interference. While the Shreen have found a new home, the Harruushans are still desperately searching for one for their people. You are also intimately aware of the circumstances which led to the planets becoming available."

Jack gave the Tik an incredulous look.

"Oh, my apologies. I did not mean to offend," Livingstone said contritely.

The other Tik were unsettled by Jack's uncomfortable expression.

He cleared his throat as it was feeling a little tight. "It's true that I'm familiar with the demise of the Allsa Komanae, and I know what they were capable of... clearly." He gestured to his slave collar. "I don't know if this is enough to qualify me as the champion for this cause. I was just one of the thousands of slaves brought to that planet. Besides, I've never presented to the Assembly. Maybe you should hire someone with experience with that?"

Moo-san lifted a tentacle to indicate it would speak. "It is the belief of the Tik that there is no voice for the victims of the former occupants more sincere than yours. Your unquestioned integrity will do more to sway the Assembly than any professional presenter. That aside, there is a scheduled review of the Research Committee's most recent efforts the day after tomorrow. Before petitioning the Assembly for the opening of the planets, we were hoping you might be swayed to join us in this meeting to hear the latest update from the Research Committee."

Jack passed his eyes across the assembled Tik, almost feeling their eager anticipation. He thought about their request. He had to admit he was curious to hear what these researchers had to say after so much time had passed. He decided he'd be willing to do that much.

"Okay, sure. I'll attend. What time?" Jack asked.

"We will meet you at the Chuuruthian Gate terminal at eight-thirty AM, two days from now?" Livingstone asked excitedly.

Jack sighed as he glanced at Diana, then nodded. In unison, the four Tik bowed.

"Thank you, Jack! We will see you then!" Moo-san said, then they flew up and toward the Enclave. Taggart remained. Rikki had been particularly quiet during the meeting, so Jack glanced up.

Taggart turned and saw the other Tik had already left. "Ah, you're meeting is over?"

Jack smiled as the Tik must have been distracted by its silent conversation with Rikki. "Yours too?"

"Yes, Jack. Unfortunately, the replacement drone will not be available for a few more weeks," Rikki said contritely.

"That's okay, buddy. They're working as fast as they can," Jack said with a smile.

"I will leave you to your party Jack—oh my! Is this your new son?" Taggart said, noticing Adam in Diana's arms and Lorrem smiling at him.

"Yes, this is his first day at home," Jack said with a smile.

"He is remarkably unique!" Taggart exclaimed. It turned to Jack. "You are sharing a life rich with phenomenal experiences with your family!"

Jack stared at the Tik in surprise then a single burst of laughter escaped before he got control again. Tik valued experiences and life, but could they relate to living within societies that feared difference. He turned that question to his companion with his internal voice.

"Rikki? You can relate to being unique amongst all Tik, but can you understand how it might feel for a young being who only shares some attributes of two races of beings but cannot wholly know what it's like to be either?"

The Tik paused before answering. "It's beyond my experience." Jack nodded slowly, but Rikki continued. "I do know he would feel very lonely if he wasn't surrounded by people who loved him. If he wasn't part of such a wonderfully inclusive and varied family. He has a place in their hearts and homes."

Jack smiled at Rikki and nodded once more. "Thank you."

He looked at Taggart. "Sometimes these phenomenal experiences can be a little too much, but I thank you for the sentiment."

The Tik bowed and lifted into the sky to return to the Enclave.

Lorrem stood to face Jack and clasped his forearm, a more comfortable grip for the Ishilon than a handshake. Jack gripped the Commander's arm in return.

"I can see you are concerned about Adam's future, but please rest assured, the Ishilon will honor him as the son of their Shadeem! I look forward to his visiting Callosephia! Your people will welcome him with joy!" Lorrem said confidently.

"When we get the okay from his doctor that Adam can safely travel, we'll bring him to his second home," Jack said and grinned at Diana. "At least it's not cold like Chrystan."

She smiled and nodded. "I'm a Southern California girl! I love heat and sand!"

Lorrem released Jack and smiled happily at Diana. Jack chuckled, then dipped down and kissed her.

With a wave, he headed over to speak to Cha'Risa and Nann, who were still conversing deeply with Gee and Bal.

Her hazel eyes lifted to watch his progress as he approached the tall beauty with the deep rich brown complexion. He raised an eyebrow in question.

Cha'Risa smiled. "Gee and Bal tell me you may need bodyguard assistance to visit Maghadahn."

Jack froze and stared at the two Altarians whose expressions gave away nothing. "How did you find out about that? The Tik just came to tell me about it?" he asked incredulously.

Gee sighed. "The Altarian Security Ministry has a team tracking anything involving you. They knew about the Tik petitioning team's efforts to open those planets. When the Tik decided to ask you and sent the delegation here, the Ministry already had a plan in place to support them and you. They also asked Bal and me for suggestions, as Allsa One and Allsa Komanae are currently off-limits for Altarians. Cha'Risa and her team were already on the approved list from their duties there during the initial months after the rescue, so odds are good for them being allowed to join you."

Jack nodded as he could accept that. "You know anything about this, Rikki?" he said aloud.

"No, I heard when you did," it replied.

Lorrem joined them and said his greetings to the team.

Jack looked back at Cha'Risa and Nann and grinned. "I hope you don't mind such a dull duty, following me around?"

The two ladies shared looks. "Strangely, we've not experienced any boredom when you're involved," Nann said with a smirk.

"It must be all the phenomenal experiences that surround Jack," Rikki suggested with an innocent tone, and Jack tossed it a weary glance as Lorrem chuckled.

"When are you going with them?" Cha'Risa asked.

Jack shook his head. "They just asked me to be the one to submit the petition to the Assembly on Maghadahn, to be its champion. I'm hardly qualified for that. All I've agreed to do is join them at the Assembly Headquarters to hear the latest report from the Research Committee, who's in charge of the recovery efforts. They've had over eighteen years to extract all the useful information about the slaves and the criminal activities the Allsa Komanae perpetrated on the other members of the Assembly."

Gee held Jack's eyes. "You don't support the petition to open the planets?"

He frowned at her. "Of course I do!

"Then why aren't you presenting it?" she asked.

"I-I just said! I'm not qualified!" Jack insisted.

She continued to look at him. "From what I understand, the only official requirement for submitting a petition is being a citizen of one of the planets in the Gate Network. You are a citizen of three, or is it four, worlds. Does that not make you more qualified than most?"

Jack glared at Gee as his chest tightened. "Five. There has to be someone else."

Gee saw his eye twitch, then nodded, dropping her argument.

Cha'Risa looked between Jack and Gee, wondering what had just happened. "So, will you require our presence?

Jack shook his head. "No­—"

"Yes," Bal said. She glanced at Jack. "The Security Ministry insists their ambassador have a security detail when off-planet."

Jack held her eyes for a moment, then nodded to Bal. He glanced over at Cha'Risa. "Yes. Eight-thirty AM at the Chuuruthian Gate Terminal two days from now. We're just going to Maghadahn."

"We've never been," Nann said.

Jack smiled as he could hear the nervous excitement in her voice. These Earthers and their hesitation about traveling amongst the planets of the Gate Network!

"The homeworld for the Gate Network's Assembly headquarters is one of the most civilized worlds you could visit. It's pretty awesome to see so many examples of the citizens of the Assembly. It's a dream come true for me," Jack said with a grin. "I haven't been there too often, but I'm always amazed by what I see there." He knew neither of them had any significant xenophobia, but it never hurt to prepare new visitors.

"The sight or sounds of some of the beings you may encounter might trigger instinctive responses. Please take your cues from my behavior," he suggested. He watched them nod then he gave Cha'Risa a curious look. "Just the two of you?"

"Are you kidding? We couldn't deny Maxim, Leo, and Ray the opportunity to join us on this adventure!"

"I heard my name and adventure in the same sentence," Ray said happily as he glided up to Nann's side.

Jack spotted Leo approaching with Meagan Lane walking beside him. Maxim followed with a smile and a nod for Jack.

Meagan adjusted her course to approach Diana and made cooing sounds when she saw Adam.

Leo looked curiously at Nann.

"We're going to Maghadahn, boys," she said.

"Yes!" Ray gushed.

"Is this dangerous place?" Maxim asked curiously.

"No, it shouldn't be, but we're with Jack," Nann said with a smirk.

"Ah!" Maxim said with a grin. "So, we bring big guns."

The team chuckled at Jack's scowl.

Gee interrupted their fun. "Teasing aside, no projectile or energy weapons of any kind are allowed on Maghadahn. Defensive shields are acceptable as are blunt and bladed weapons as long as they are not meant for throwing and are not energized or poisoned."

The team considered that quietly. "Close combat weapons only?" Cha'Risa confirmed, and the two Altarians nodded.

"I've seen some races whose physical characteristics would give them a significant advantage in such a scenario. The Deen-Diin are very tall and have a tremendous reach—"

"Their hands are very sensitive," Gee said. The team nodded, taking that knowledge.

Maxim spoke up. "Grellians have strong armor all over."

"Striking their ears will cause their jaw to drop open and cause a brief paralysis. The roof of their mouth is not armored," Bal offered.

Eyebrows went up as the Human commandos absorbed this and gained more insight into the fighting prowess of their Altarian friends.

"Of course, before any of these more physical solutions are put in place, you'll let me attempt to resolve any conflicts my way," Jack insisted.

"Yes! Of course, Jack. We'll meet you at the terminal in the morning two days from now," Cha'Risa insisted.

She suddenly frowned as she recalled something. "Sorry, I've been meaning to ask you something. Are you aware of a lawyer by the name of Leandro Matais? He says he represents a consortium of significant commercial interests on Earth? He says he's been unable to reach you directly."

Jack pretended to be unfamiliar with the name, then grinned. "Yeah, I might have added his name to my ignore list. Is he bugging you now?"

Nann moaned. "He's reached out to all of us."

Jack winced. "Sorry about that. I'll call him and let him know he needs to leave you guys alone."

Cha'Risa nodded gratefully, then turned back to the Altarian ex-security agents. "Let's discuss these soft spots further over a beverage."

Jack watched the Human commandos and the Altarian security experts walk away toward the bar. He looked to Lorrem. "Should I be worried about that?"

The Ishilon commander shook his head. "It is best to strive for a peaceful resolution but be prepared for the conflict should it arise." He smiled. "My Shadeem told me that."

Jack couldn't stop himself from chuckling at having his words fed back to him. He waved a hand in surrender as he walked away to stand near the edge of his patio and looked back to get an overall view of the party. Lorrem also headed over to the bar to gather intel from the Altarians. Jack just sighed to himself.

He watched his guests mingling and enjoying each other's company and felt a warmth pass through him. The kids were playing on the hillside and dropped by from time to time to grab a drink or gobble down a treat to fuel their playtime. There was laughter and smiles, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

His eyes returned to the small cluster next to the bar. Cha'Risa, her team, and Lorrem intently listening to Gee and Bal's lessons on Gate Network Citizen soft spots or how to poke a KrakRaw Slawterban to disable it. Jack knew the crab-shaped Slawterban's had no soft spots, and running was the best option. If that wasn't available, there was always sex. Slawterbans were notorious sluts, in their male, female, or hermaphrodite stage.

Luckily, Jack was an excellent runner.

He frowned to himself. Leandro Matais. Jack knocked together a quick note on his comm to say he could give him a few minutes in two days on Maghadahn. He hit send. Jack knew what the man was likely after, and delivering the answer wouldn't take long.

Diana and Meagan had wandered over to speak with the other ladies, with Adam drawing more attention from them.

Juul looked sleepy from feeding their triplets, so he'd try to convince her to call it an early night.

She was spending as much time as she could with her mother recently as the older female was beginning to show signs of reaching her limit. She'd far surpassed her life expectancy and was very grateful for her children's efforts to make that happen. She just no longer had the energy to work at their family business. It was in good hands as she'd taught her other children well. They hoped she'd have a few more years with a more relaxed pace and lifestyle.

Jack frowned slightly as he watched Juul talking with Eve, a small smile on her face.

In two days, he'd listen to the Research Committee's excuses for not opening the world. Maybe he'd ask some pointed questions. The Harruushans shouldn't have to continue to fear the sun above their heads.

Chapter 7

Bayly was doing her best to hide her dread. She listened carefully to Tito's instructions regarding travel through the Gates and what to expect on each world they visited. She did her best to be as polite to every citizen she met and looked to the Tik for instructions on how to behave toward each one.

This solicitous behavior should have been her default from the beginning of their journey, but she'd been consumed with the significance of her mission and how nothing would get in her way of completing it.

That led her to make a significant mistake. One that put her people into far worse jeopardy than it was already.

The morning she departed Danat, she'd dressed in her finest attire as she was representing the Dannt. She was still young and had few tokens to identify her position in society, but her ceremonial robe spoke of her bravery and willingness to put her life on the line for her fellow Dannt. She'd earned it at great danger to herself.

Juju, TkaTken, and Tito tried to convince her to leave the robe behind, but her pride made her stubborn, so she'd ignored their advice.

Stepping through the Gate had been the most terrifying thing she'd ever done in her life. What lay on the other side was, quite literally, the unknown. None of her people had ever attempted this, and she was humbled by the awesome responsibility.

That feeling was likely one of the reasons she blundered so badly.

Their first destination was the World of Venista which was anticlimactic for such a bold step. There was nothing otherworldly about the Gate terminal she stepped into, and they didn't even leave the building to see the sights of this new world. Instead, they spoke to the Venistan Gate agent, who was largely unremarkable, and were directed to step through the same Gate again.

Bayly balked as she didn't want to return home until she finished the mission. Tito had to assure her the Gate had been redirected and was not going back but onward toward the Galactic center. She reluctantly followed the Tik and was relieved when she stepped through the mirror surface to see a different Gate Terminal with far more Gates and activity.

They were on the capital city of Rjan on the planet Rjunrella. It was here that fate taught Bayly a painful lesson in humility.

The Rjunella people were lovely to look at. Avian in nature, they were tall and slim with great wide wings they kept folded and tucked into their sides while they were grounded. Occasionally they'd stretch their wings for comfort, and that's when their colorful feathers would flash brightly. Highly reflective and boldly colored, their feathers were dazzling to the eye, waterproof, tough, and had deadly sharp edges. Two smaller arms projected forward from their torsos to assist with working with tools. Tall, slim, mobile necks supported a smallish head with large eyes on the left and right sides and a long, strong beak. Each eye worked independently and had a one-hundred-and-sixty-degree dome of coverage. This left them with a sixty-degree band of blindness from the claw tips on their toes, straight ahead, over their heads, and down to the claw tip on their heels. To compensate for this, their heads moved in a constant sway and bob to ensure their enemies couldn't sneak up on them.

Not that they had anyone who wished them harm any longer. The only natural predator they'd ever faced on the planet was long extinct.

They were friendly, gregarious people, and the Gate agent greeted Tito and her with excitement as she'd never encountered any of Bayly's people before. She registered the new race into her terminal and froze when she realized Bayly's garment wasn't part of her.

"A-are you wearing the skin of another citizen?" she asked in shock.

Bayly gaped at her. "No! This is the fur of a Rakka, a predator beast on my world."

They suddenly heard a loud howl, and Bayly spun in surprise to stare at a group of three beings leaving their Gate lane to hurry across the room to confront them.

Bayly shrunk back instinctively as she was facing three Rakka approaching at speed, but... they weren't running on all fours as they did on Danat! They were upright!

These were covered by similar fur to her robe and had large fangs dropping six inches from their top jaws like the teeth worked into the robe's closure.

"WHAT? What? This creature is wearing the skin of one of my race!" the center-most being yelled.

Bayly was frozen as the Rakka was speaking. Her instincts told her to attack, but Rakka weren't intelligent, and these spoke!