Jack's Moonlighting Pt. 02

"All the troop carriers are empty. We will move them to Peacekeeper's shuttle bays. Three battleships were destroyed by the Krreegah fighting amongst themselves, and five are empty. That leaves four battleships and the Fang and Claw with Krreegah troops refusing to surrender."

"Did we lose anyone?" Jack asked cautiously.

"Yes. We lost three of our warriors in a suicide bomb attack on one of the battleships," Lorrem said.

Jack clenched his teeth in frustration. He wanted to step on the necks of each and every Krreegah who refused to accept the fact that their little mutiny had failed. What hope were they holding out for?

He paused for a moment as that thought went through his mind. "Did you get a clear video of the invasion ship exploding?" he asked one of the bridge crew.

"We did," the comm officer reported.

"Where are the two Tik who were onsite with Gee and Bal?" Jack asked.

Lorrem answered. "They are with Taggart and Hemmarr. Both suffered minor burns. How are Gee and Bal?"

"From what Rammajja said, they have some broken bones and concussions, but they were lucky otherwise," Jack said, his throat tightening as how close they came to being killed returned. "I need to speak to the Tik."

"Shadeem," Lorrem said with a small bow.

Jack returned it, then had Norress take him to where the Tik were being taken care of.

Taggart was the first to spot him as he entered the lab. Its two Tik patients were resting atop a workbench as Hemmarr gently washed their outer shells with a bluish fluid.

"Taggart, Hemmarr, how are your patients?" Jack said as he approached.

"Greetings, Jack! They are doing very well. A little scorching, which has scarred their shells. Hemmarr is removing any residual radiated particles," Taggart explained. "How are your two Altarian friends?"

"Chena and Rammajja are examining them now. Some broken bones and concussions, but this seems to be the extent of their injuries," Jack replied.

"We're sorry to hear that and hope they get better soon, Shadeem," Hemmarr said. He nodded his thanks.

Jack noticed the two Tik on the bench weren't showing any lights. "Are they asleep?"

"Yes. They're running internal diagnostic processes to ensure the EMP and radiation haven't damaged their minds in any way. I could wake one if you have questions," Taggart said.

"No," Jack replied, raising a hand to stop Taggart. "I was just going to ask for a video of their encounter with the Krreegah.

Taggart tipped forward slightly. "They thought that might be helpful, so they made recordings before they went into sleep mode." The Tik doctor handed Jack a tablet.

"Ah! That's great! Thank you and thank them for me. What are their names?" Jack asked.

"CanCan and Ulooru," Taggart replied, and Jack nodded.

"The new drone design will be complete soon, Shadeem," Hemmarr promised, and Jack paused to look her in the eye.

"Take the time you need to feel satisfied it's ready. If Rikki is in my collar, it can wait for you and Taggart," Jack insisted.

While he was anxious to know if Rikki could return, Jack wouldn't risk Rikki due to his impatience. He nodded to the two and left the lab to return to the bridge.

He handed the comm officer the tablet. "This contains videos from CanCan and Ulooru of their visit to the crash site and the encounter with the Krreegah Commander." He turned to Lorrem. "Could we see them on the large screen?"

The commander nodded to his comm officer, and they were soon watching Ulooru's pass by the large ship. Crystal growths could be seen sprouting from the ground all the way down the ship's hull. They jumped the video forward to when Gee and Bal joined the Tik. The mech carrying the missile was terrifying, but witnessing Nuugaat's warriors being killed was worse. Then they saw his final act of detonating the fuel. Jack watched the Tik save the lives of Gee and Bal, then their breaking away to race for the mountain pass. The video ended at the flash.

Jack would speak with the two to thank them for saving his friends. He walked back to the entrance of the bridge. "Norress, could you ask Doctor Rammajja in sick bay to join us on the bridge?" The warrior nodded and rushed off.

Walking back to Lorrem, who was watching him curiously.

"Your people have the remaining Krreegah who refuse to surrender trapped in the ships?" Jack asked.

"Yes. They are being very stubborn, and we have followed your instructions to limit the casualties. Our people are safe, and the Krreegah cannot access any of the critical systems on their ships which are disabled. The Tik notified us of some Krreegah attempting to space-walk around our blockade. The three on the hull were stunned and taken into custody. All Krreegah deaths have been caused by their own people. They have caused the death of three of ours," Lorrem said.

Norress returned with the doctor, and she joined them on the bridge.

"Thank you for joining us, doctor. How are Gee and Bal?" Jack asked.

She faced him. "They will recover in time. Their broken bones were not too bad and were reset. Chena and I concurred that they were exposed to a low dose of radiation as their clothing protected them. They will be kept in the sick bay for observation over the next few days."

"The reason I asked you to join us is to assist us in preventing the loss of additional lives. There are Krreegah on a few ships who are refusing to surrender. I won't risk Ishilon lives to force them out. They may still believe Commander Nuugaat will come to their rescue. I'm going to show them the video of the grounded ship exploding, killing the commander. This may cause some to realize they are fighting a lost cause and surrender, but some won't. As this wasn't meant to be a combat mission, can you suggest any means we might use to disable them non-lethally?" Jack asked.

The doctor looked at Jack as she understood what she was being asked to do. She sighed. "Our people have very sensitive hearing. Sustained tones over one hundred decibels will cause immediate disorientation and unconsciousness within half a minute."

Jack looked to Lorrem, who nodded and then outlined a plan.

"We'll show them the video and tell them to surrender. If they do, they'll be moved to Peacekeeper's brig. If they don't, they'll be hit with the noise and stunned unconscious. Then they'll be moved to Peacekeeper's brig. These prisoners will be identified for Krreegah law enforcement as the problematic prisoners and will be isolated in a separate cell."

Jack smiled and nodded. "Perfect." He stepped back with the doctor and watched Lorrem as he had Peacekeeper commandeer the screens of the captive ships. He presented the fact of the dead commander and laid out the ultimatum. After seeing Nuugaat's demise, the Krreegah on the battleships threw down their weapons and walked through the Gates into the Peacekeeper brig.

Unsurprisingly, the hold outs in The Fang and Claw continued to reject the order to surrender. They were the fanatics Commander Nuugaat surrounded himself with. They quickly succumbed to the one-hundred-and-fifty-decibel noise cannons the Ishilon warriors brought to bear. These were very successful.

"Lorrem, I should return to the planet's surface as I was in the middle of discussions with the Queen when Gee and Bal went missing. Could you please tow their ships through the Gate, return the prisoners to Krreegah, and hand them over to the authorities? Once you're done, you can return for us in a couple or three days." He handed the Krreegah sash of office to the commander.

"You will have your Ishilon squad with you?" Lorrem asked.

"Yes. Please let the Krreegah leaders know their Commander detonated a nuclear weapon on the surface of Danat. We will expect them to pick up the cost of an immediate clean-up as a show of good faith to their Gate Network neighbor," Jack insisted.

"You will return to negotiate with them?" Lorrem asked.

Jack frowned. "No promises. They may need to have their Assembly representative address this in Maghadahn. I'm overdue for reporting to the Grand Assembly Committee myself."

He left the bridge with the doctor, and Norress took them back to the sick bay. Once there, Jack immediately went to Bal's bedside. She was asleep, but her expression was relaxed. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. He went to the next bed and saw Gee was watching him.

"Shouldn't you be resting, too?" he said quietly.

"Thank you for finding us," she said, holding his eyes with hers.

He smiled gently. "Finding you wasn't the tough part. The Tik tracked your vector, and your skimmers made one hell of a mess when they crashed. The tough part was being the only one willing to slog through the snow to dig you two out of the drift. Ishilon aren't big on snow, and the Dannt were worried about Rakka, so they wouldn't join us."

Gee trembled as she recalled the beasts tearing into the Commander's warriors.

Jack reached out and ran his fingers through the longer fur over Gee's head. Her eyelids fluttered from the sensation.

"I'm returning to the surface for two or three days. You and Gee will be recuperating here—I have the Ishilon squad with me," he rushed to say when she began to protest. "Besides, you have no skimmers, and you have a busted leg. Bal has two. I want you both to heal. Chena and Rammajja will keep an eye on you. Don't make a fuss for them!" he insisted. "The heavy lifting is done. I'm just doing diplomat stuff now."

He saw her settle back on the bed.

"Lorrem is going to move the prisoners and the ships back to Krreegah, then come back for us," he said and saw her stiffen again. He rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine! Diplomat duties! Be good!" he said, gently scolding her. She looked up at him with a pout. He leaned down and kissed her before she could protest. Her mouth responded to his immediately, her emotional honesty abundantly clear in her response.

When he pulled back, she stared at him with a flustered expression and then looked around to see if anyone else was watching. "Not in public!" she hissed quietly.

"Yes, dear."

She flashed her eyes at him, but he caught the hint of a smile before she locked it behind a scowl.

Jack smiled at her and headed for the door.

They went to his suite next so he could pack his bag.

Dennesh met him outside his room. Behind her were his protection detail, several large duffle bags, and a crate. "Doctor Chena gave us some additional injectors and a large batch of vaccine in case there was a demand," she said, gesturing to the crate. "Lorrem told us we're heading back to the planet for potentially a few days. We brought portable living quarters."

"Tents?" Jack asked.

"Comfortable tents," Dennesh replied.

Jack smiled. "When in Rome..."

Dennesh looked at Jack oddly, and he shook his head. "Sorry, it's just an old Earth phrase. It means we will live like the locals to help us fit in and make them comfortable with our presence."

"A wise saying!" she said in admiration.

"No, just common sense," he said firmly, but she was already sharing that nugget of wisdom from the lips of the Shadeem with the others.

He sighed.

"Let's go."

-=-

Queen Mara opened her eyes after a pleasant rest and saw the concerned expression of her High Priestess. "What is it?" she asked immediately.

"Movement from the north. Kressa is coming," Laannaa said stiffly.

Mara felt Laannaa's fear and fatalistic depression wash over her. She gasped as she sat up and pulled her friend into her arms. "Dearest heart! Don't give up hope! There are meadows to cross before we face that ocean."

She felt Laannaa's love swelling, and she basked in it for a moment. She picked up young Bayly's hope and awe from across the tent and realized Laannaa's emotions were a mere whisper in comparison. The virus not only prevented them from feeling the emotions of others, but it suppressed their broadcasting of them! She chuckled to herself. This made Laannaa pull back to gaze at her face in surprise. The question was written there, so Mara answered. "I feel your emotions and Bayly's and Warrez's and...."

She expanded her senses and picked up a little of the worry and sorrow in the hearts of her people in their village.

"This exposure of emotions is the greatest gift the Goddess ever gave us. The honesty it conveys is what our people need to fully understand each other. Laannaa, you need to experience this!"

Laannaa pulled back. "It means sharing sorrow and pain as well! When you lost Jordem, I listened to your songs of grief, and I thought I might lose my mind. To have experienced your emotions as well?"

"Would have been terrible, I agree. But in those moments, I felt truly alone. If I'd felt the love and compassion from my friends in my heart as I can now, it would have greatly eased my pain. I don't deny this gift also has burdens, but they are shared, and that gives us all strength!"

Gruun entered the tent and bowed. "Queen Mara, the off-worlders have returned."

Mara felt a surge of hope and stood quickly. Bayly was also excited to see Jack again, and they traded glances. Bayly's eyes dipped, but a smile threatened to split her face. Mara gave her a playful and loving push with her mind, and Bayly gasped as she looked at the Queen with awe once more. Mara hadn't expected Bayly to feel that, but they were learning what they'd lost.

The Queen cleared her expression and walked to the entrance to stride outside. She smiled at her people and felt them take hope from her confidence and joy. She longed to share her emotions with them so they could feel her love for them. She would ask Jack—Ambassador Danner! She would ask the ambassador for more vaccine for her people.

She felt Warrez, Grunn, Lena, and Bayly behind her like twinkling beacons. The strength of their emotions was clear and pure. Farther back was Laannaa, and Mara's heart ached for her friend and the doubt and fear she was feeling. Mara wanted her to be the first to take the next dose of the medicine.

Juju, TkaTken, and Tito were following their group. She'd been told the Tik had perfect memories, so perhaps they would assist in tracking which of her people had been vaccinated. She realized this had the potential to change their society in tremendous ways. But that wouldn't happen if she was no longer their Queen.

She reached the edge of their village where Jack stood before his Ishilon warriors in the last rays of the late afternoon before the sun dipped below the edge of the mountain behind them. The village torches would be lit soon to give light across the settlement.

She took a moment to admire his horns again. They were... majestic! Her eyes dropped as she wondered what the rest of his body looked like, hidden in the black ceremonial robes.

"Queen Mara, you are well?" Jack asked.

She smiled and nodded, then gestured for Tito to join them. The moment the Tik was at her side, she addressed Jack. "Tito performed the after-scan, so it would be the best one to say how it went."

Tito looked between them, then answered. "I've analyzed the latest batch of vaccine, and Chena has improved its effectiveness. The Dannt went through the same symptoms, the only variations being the order and the severity, and all recuperated fully in half the time it took for Bayly. None of the after-scans shows any sign of the virus in their bodies. All have reported an ability to sense and broadcast emotions."

Jack smiled. "That's wonderful!"

Mara felt his genuine joy for them, and her smile grew. How wonderous it was to feel the distinct difference of his alien mind and the similarity of his strong emotions. "How are your friends? You were going to search for them when my hearing failed. Bayly filled me in once that sense returned."

Jack nodded in relief. "We found them and got them back to Peacekeeper. They were injured when the explosion disabled their skimmers, but they're getting the care they need now and will fully recover. It was a close call."

Mara felt Jack's emotions flare as he thought about his friends, and his love for them made her realize they were more than friends to him. Perhaps this sharing was a little too personal. She suddenly didn't know where to look, and his expression froze.

"Ah... you can feel my emotions now," he said hesitantly.

"I'm sorry for the invasion, but yes, I can," she admitted.

"Do... do you sense the Ishilon's emotions?" Jack asked.

Mara looked at the strong warrior standing behind Jack, but nothing came back. "No. Nothing." Seeing Jack's pained expression, she became concerned. "Is something wrong?"

He looked at her and shook his head. "It's just something my hybrid nature sometimes surprises me with. When I lived on Earth, the planet I was born on, I didn't have horns. My neck and shoulders weren't this wide, and my legs didn't have the extra supporting tendons they have now. When I first began to live with the Altarians, I had a reaction to an Altarian virus, and I became this." He gestures to his horns. "Please understand. I've grown to like the changes as they've improved my life." Jack took a deep breath. "It's the uncertainty that makes me nervous. This time I reacted to the Dannt plague virus, barely survived it, and now Dannt can read my emotions. I can't read Dannt emotions, so I guess my brain didn't change too much... this time."

Bayly had been listening closely to him and reacted to his discomfort. "If you hadn't caught the virus, your body wouldn't have produced the antibody Doctor Chena used to make the vaccine! We thank you for returning this gift to us!"

Mara nodded. "I completely agree with Bayly. The Dannt owe you a great deal for your efforts for our people. Including saving us from the Krreegah attack."

Jack just shook his head. "The Tik have a mission to preserve and protect life. The Gate Network allows neighbors to meet, share ideas and culture, and assist each other as good neighbors should. There is so much to gain from being friends. I firmly believe in their mission and try to assist when I can. The Ishilon have also taken up this honorable cause, and I'm as proud of them as a Shadeem could be."

Hearing a sniffle, Jack looked over at Dennesh, and she was watching him with tears in her eyes and a trembling smile on her lips. He looked past her at the others, and they were similarly emotional.

"Oh hey, I wasn't trying to make anyone cry! Come on!" he exclaimed in dismay.

"We are grateful you are our Shadeem!" Dennesh said.

Mara was watching the interchange between the spiritual leader and his people and couldn't hide her delighted smile. She watched Jack move to each one to give them hugs.

Finally, he returned with a red face and tried to continue his point. "Commander Lorrem is taking the Krreegah prisoners back to their planet to be tried for their crimes. I told him to notify the Krreegah leaders that they should clean up the mess caused by the explosion."

Mara looked at him in surprise. "What kind of mess did the explosion make?"

"The weapon that exploded so violently and shook the ground was the kind that poisons the land and any creatures exposed to it. My people on Earth discovered this form of weapon a very long time ago, but they finally acknowledged how insane it was to consider using them. No one wins a war when nuclear weapons are used, as the people, land, air, and water can be poisoned. This can be fixed, but it can only be done safely with high levels of technology. This is why the Krreegah need to do it. It was their weapon and their commander who triggered the explosion. They need to remove the remnants of their ship and every Rakka."

Mara held Jack's eyes. "They can do this?"

"They will do this," Jack said firmly. "The Tik have the evidence of their invasion vessel that crash-landed on your planet and evidence of who caused the explosion. An exploration ship would never have had those types of weapons on board. No peaceful mission would have. I believe they came here with the intent to invade. They'd drop the big bombs on your biggest city to terrify the people, then demand you surrender. That might have been their original agenda, but they apparently arrived during the fall of your civilization, probably during the worst of the plague, and likely decided they could just land and take what they wanted. But something went wrong. They crashed their ship and had to use it as their base. Then, something caused them to devolve. Tito mentioned it might be something missing from their diet."