Krygan's Pets Pt. 10

As it attacked the shield, Marsdek raised his head and shallow breathing was replaced with a more even rhythm. Marsdek panted a moment and then shook his head slinging drool as he took a deep breath. He rolled over and lifted himself to his feet. Head down he had his mouth open wide as if taking in air. But his eyes were fixed on the furious attack of the dark enemy male on the Chamberlain.

As the beast pressed the attack the small probe droned on with a new warning.

"Warning radiation alert! Biohazard insertion into barrier field! Harmonic collapse increasing! Estimated collapse in thirteen seconds! Warning radiation alert!"

Varen grew pale and his violet eyes turned metallic red-orange as fear filled him. His plans for power were about to end due to a simple miscalculation! His worthless guards were frozen in shock and fear. None dared draw the attention of the creature. As it savaged the shield just as Marsdek had done.

But as the countdown to zero began something behind the raging dark beast roared and the onslaught stopped once more as the dark wounded male came down from where it leaned into the weakening field and turned its head. Behind him a bleeding but live rival stood panting and watching him.

He glanced at Marsdek and Varen froze as the last shield dropped. Its modulation emitters were fried. The scent of fear flooded the dining room to the side of the black creature. But Marsdek was shaking his ruff and now snarled a savage challenge to the other male.

Ignoring the ultach it turned to face Marsdek and approached slowly. Now it stepped down on its injured leg trying to mask the obvious injury. But its limp was evident and Marsdek's bleeding shoulders and swollen neck were to the black beast.

As they circled this time Marsdek crouched lower and took his time. He lunged but drew short and sprang sideways as his opposition raked at him with his right paw. Marsdek hung back and snarled again keeping low and once more the dark male locked eyes and snarled as it sized up the creature it had thought vanquished. The next engagement it would finish the younger male off permanently. At least that was its intention.

Marsdek watched it and snarled yet again and once more lunged and pulled back. But this time as the rival surged in Marsdek side sprang and using his hind limbs he kicked out sending the large male sideways to the left as his injured leg experienced a final muscle tear. It slid sideways but kept its footing though balanced on all three limbs its left front leg was now entirely useless and painful.

Marsdek moved closer now and leaped full force at the large male's shoulder and neck. The powerful beast snapped at Marsdek's throat but just missed as Marsdek slid under the beast and clamped onto its throat. His back legs kicked savagely and while the creature clawed at the smaller attacker but being off balance and lacking the use of his left front leg for leverage, he fell sidewise while Marsdek clamped harder cutting off his air. But the striped enithorox now drove both hind legs in a side-by-side raking motion and ripped open the dark creatures abdominal cavity.

Blood and entrails sprayed and spilled across the floor and with a few nervous twitches the dark animal's pupils contracted. Its eyes glazed over and the big male died.

Marsdek remained clamped on the throat for good measure. But his rival was motionless and no pulse strained against the closed mouth. Marsdek released the neck of his vanquished foe as Varen looked on in terror.

The bloody muzzle and enraged eyes turned to look at the Chamberlain and then to Krygan's unconscious body. Marsdek shook with rage and Varen took a small step backwards as the enithorox panted and watched him with cold and calculating eyes.

Varen was aware of how badly his play for power had backfired. A second back step caused Marsdek to take a single forward step toward the ulanoc Lord. Suddenly Varen jumped forward hoping to reach the closest armed guard.

He tried to activate his body armor but the trap set for the others worked equally well on him. The armor was useless, the wooden mask, which hid the respiration filter, had dropped to the floor, and Varen let out a pitiful shriek as Marsdek bit into his shoulder with his inner fangs extended.

Varen's sudden fall to his knees as the beast held his rapidly paralyzed body upright caused the guards to panic. A few opened fire at Marsdek but more attempted to flee by dropping the energy barriers which kept the gas contained in the room. They rushed out of the open spaces and the signal from Krygan's initial probe trigger went through.

Varen's palace was suddenly hit with massive firepower disabling electronics, weapons, lights, and shielding. His security forces had been preparing to restrict the guests and dignitaries in stasis restraints when they found themselves now facing Krygan's elite commandos. Hand picked private ultach Special Forces units that put Government ulanoc elite to shame.

Marsdek dragged Varen's frozen form closer to Krygan and then dropped it before him.

Krygan didn't move.

Marsdek nudged him with the top of his bloody nose, but Krygan was out cold. The beast sniffed at Krygan and pushed his cheek with the bridge of his furry nose, but still Krygan lay there motionless.

Varen gasped and his eyes streamed with water as the pain burned through his body slowly.

The sound of his gasp made Marsdek grab Varen's entire skull and head in his mouth and with a quick crushing bite the enithorox removed the upper two thirds of Varen's head.

Sector by sector opposition was swept away or killed by Krygan's soldiers until the main troop staging area of Varen's forces was reached. Here he had a massive force ready to go in case any rebellious factions tried to escape or had security aids standing by. But they were not ready for a fully trained and armed elite commando unit to engage them.

The situation worsened for them when Ing Cronok's carrier group landed more troops and stormed the palace. The carrier troops swept through the palace like ants invading a smaller rival nest.

Donadar Q-Iythe arrived quite suddenly with a medical team and also Commander Mercarrien and his team of Special Forces. They rushed across the dining room to where Krygan Vack lay unconscious beside the admiral and the great Warlord Ing Cronok. But Marsdek stood over the fallen body bristling and snarling and none dared draw closer.

Mercarrien looked at the Donadar.

"Will the gas kill him?"

"No! But Varen's gas will render him senseless and destroy much of his brain function if I cannot get him treated in the next half an hour! Have the medics treat everyone else! Two hundred CCs of penorocycline five! Commander Mercarrien, patch me in a direct line to Krygan's aid Tulon!"

Mercarrien handed the Donadar his headset.

"Tulon, this is Donadar Q-Iythe! We have an emergency. Lord Holder Vack is in grave danger. Fetch Ylloria and bring her to former Chamberlain Varen's palace immediately. The great dining hall!"

Tulon seemed stunned and was not sure he'd heard Q-Iythe correctly.

"Did you say 'former Chamberlain' sir?"

There was no time to waste. Q-Iythe snapped.

"You have five minutes to get here with her or we shall be spending a great deal of time together... professionally!" He snapped.

"Message received sir! But it takes longer than five minutes to get to you."

"Then you'd better move swiftly and stop talking!"

The aid signed off and raced to grab guards and prep a swift corsair for an emergency run to the Chamberlain's palace.

Jennifer and the rest were of the women were resting when a lift dropped and guards seized Ylloria from her bunk.

"What is this?" Jennifer asked but the guards said nothing. They looked nervous and in a great hurry. Ylloria was loaded swiftly onto the lift as it rushed up into the ceiling leaving the women perplexed and stunned. Something strange was going on! Jennifer noted that they had a dress of some sort and shoes in hand for the stunned alien female.

As they rushed to the docking bay Tulon spoke to Ylloria swiftly.

"You are urgently needed by Lord Holder Vack and the Donadar sent me for you immediately! Once on the ship you will get dressed. I don't know what the emergency is so do not ask. I only know that there's been some sort of incident and apparently the Chamberlain is either dead or has been stripped of rank and title. Anyway, make haste and dress once we are onboard!"

The corsair was incredibly fast but it still took twelve minutes to reach the palace.

Once they landed Tulon rushed Ylloria to the great dining hall where they were shocked to see the damage and the wild scene as party guests were being treated for something that had apparently affected the entire crowd.

Krygan and two other ulanoc lay prone under a great table. Chamberlain Varen was dead. His corpse had drained a massive pool of thick dark honey coloured blood in a pool on the floor.

Stranger still a massive dark enithorox lay disemboweled on its side with severe damage to its body. The type of damage that only another enithorox could do. But her eyes were drawn back to Marsdek who stood bristling over Krygan Vack as he faced the Donadar and Commander Mercarrien.

Q-Iythe spotted Ylloria and summoned her to approach quickly. She obeyed and came to where the two ulanoc stood eyeing Marsdek cautiously.

Ylloria was in tears as she saw the wounds on his neck and throat. Marsdek looked in pain and as she spotted him and sobbed in concern, Q-Iythe spoke in a quick urgent whisper.

"Varen gassed the room and attempted a coup for power. He apparently had an enithorox waiting to try to take Marsdek out. But the more immediate problem is this. Marsdek won't let us near Krygan or the Admiral or Ing Cronok! In roughly fifteen minutes or so these ulanoc will suffer partial to full brain damage if left untreated."

The Donadar heard her sobbing as she stared at Marsdek and angrily grabbed her hair and jerked her head back!

"Pull yourself together Ylloria! I'm going to give you their treatments. You must get past Marsdek or get him to allow you close enough to administer the meds to all three ulanoc starting with our Lord Holder Krygan first! Do you understand me?"

She nodded still crying softly.

"W-what about Marsdek?"

"One thing at a time. The beast looks bad but he's far tougher than our fallen Lord Holder and the other two. Now go do your magic! You're the only hope that they have."

He closed her hand around the three hypo darts and gave her a small nudge towards Marsdek as he and Mercarrien took several steps back.

Ylloria stepped toward Marsdek and as she did he growled at her for a moment, but she spoke his name and Marsdek's torn ears cocked forward. He calmed and the hackles lowered a little as she spoke softly to him.

"My dear Marsdek are you okay? What happened to you? Oh your poor neck. I hate seeing you like this. Poor thing."

Marsdek looked at her and then stopped moving altogether. Suddenly his tail swept from side to side a bit and the tip curled. He let out a soft chirp though his cry sounded pained and the side of his neck was swollen and blood encrusted.

She walked toward him and then crouched and spoke again.

"Are you okay Marsdek?"

He suddenly padded slowly toward her and then rubbed his head on her dress smearing blood on her thigh as he chirped a bit more. She touched him and he winced a little but then rubbed harder and Ylloria stroked him gently.

She leaned in and pressed her head to his and hugged him in a tearful embrace.

Behind her Q-Iythe was impatient and pressed her with a hissed command.

"Enough already! Save Krygan and the others!"

She looked at him in anger and snapped.

"Give me a moment Donadar!"

Q-Iythe seethed in wrath forgetting his caution for a moment and now as his eyes grew more orange Marsdek suddenly roared at him with a furious and deafening sound.

He froze in terror as the realization that he may have just committed 'suicide by enithorox' struck him.

Marsdek was now between her and the Donadar and she shook her head and held a finger to her lips to keep him silent. He nodded once slowly.

"Marsdek sweetie. Let's help Krygan. Okay?"

She walked forward to Krygan and Marsdek turned his head to watch what she was doing. Then turned back to eye Q-Iythe.

As she approached Krygan she knelt down and Marsdek looked at her and turned, then slowly padded over to where she was about to administer the dart. As she held it close to Krygan's neck Marsdek sniffed it and growled a bit. She worried that he thought that she was hurting Krygan but he sniffed it again and glanced back at Q-Iythe and growled.

Mercarrien now spoke in a soft low tone to Ylloria.

"It's Q-Iythe's scent on the darts. You need to mask it somehow. Time is important."

Mercarrien had a calm firm voice. She nodded and looked at Marsdek from where she squatted next to Krygan's body.

"It's okay Marsdek. This will help him. Do you trust me?"

Again he raised his damaged ears and it broke her heart to see how torn up he was. As she sobbed he licked her face and she hugged him. But leaned back with a single dart and stuck it into Krygan's neck.

The results were swift and in seconds he moaned making Marsdek turn and push past her to sniff his master. As he nudged the ulanoc Krygan moaned again and feebly attempted to reach for Marsdek.

As he rubbed against Krygan Ylloria was able to treat first Ing Cronok and then Admiral Bangara. Krygan coughed and sat up weakly as Marsdek licked his face. He started to hug his pet but hesitated as he saw the severity of the damage done to him by Varen's dark captive. Instead he held him close and smiled.

"You're a tough customer aren't you Marsdek?"

Marsdek chirped his contentment and continued to rub as Krygan coughed.

"Send for my vet now! And my grooming team. He'll tolerate them long enough to get a sedative in his system and maybe then we can clean him up better!"

He stroked Marsdek's muzzle with unusual gentleness.

"Bring me some towels in the mean time!"

He looked over at Ylloria and saw the blood on her arms and her dress.

"You saved me I am guessing?"

She kept her head bowed and shook her head no.

"No my Lord Holder Vack. I only gave you an antidote that your Donadar prepared. He moved space and time to get you treated on time. It was his planning, his urgency, and his..."

"Stop it! Did he threaten you? I will not hear you praising him for everything. His plan or not you were brought here to deal with Marsdek weren't you? And you did that. I am grateful. More than you may understand."

"No my Lord. Nothing like that... it's just..."

He held up a hand.

"Q-Iythe is my Donadar for a reason. He knows and will continue to be made certain, that he has my trust and fitting reward for his loyalty and devotion. But this is not the time for his butt to be licked by my tongue. You on the other hand have granted me something that no one else could have. Life without my mental faculties fully alert is no life worth living. I'm sure that the Admiral and Warlord will both agree. The three of us owe you a special debt. What can I do to repay it Ylloria?"

Ing Cronok sat up and stared at her.

"This half-breed saved us Lord Holder Vack?"

"Along with my Donadar, yes indeed she did. He came up with the cure, but she was the only person on the planet that could get close enough to us with Marsdek standing watch over me, and by extension the two of you laying beside me."

Ing Cronok stared at her and shook his head.

"This is the strangest party I have ever attended. You are the strangest person to ever aid me in anything. But I will repay my debt to you."

He looked at Krygan Vack and scowled.

"She is your property Lord Holder Vack. Only a pet? I say we correct that. How can I reward a pet? The law does not allow pets to own property save for their basic needs. I say make her a house Lady if I may be so bold as to suggest this? What say you Lord Vack?"

He looked to the Admiral.

Bangara shrugged.

"While I am not sure how I feel about upgrading a half-breed from pet to house Lady or any other demi-citizen position, I owe this young creature a life debt. I will wait on your decision before I choose the manner of my repayment, but she will be compensated. On that you have my word!"

Krygan nodded.

"I will take this into advisement. And you..." He looked at Ylloria, "Consider what you may wish of me."

She nodded quietly.

"Yes my Lord Holder."

"Now stick around. Dr. Ankar will probably need your help along with mine tending to Marsdek's wounds."

She smiled and nodded.

"Gladly my Lord!"

* * * * * * * * * *

General Sycress' Donadar Peljinn stood before the manifest inspector on the loading platform of a Toorellian Mineral transport vessel and the inspector looked over the lading bills and manifests for the vessel and its scanned and confirmed cargo.

"All I'm asking is a brief moment to review the cargo manifest for the last Vack transport vessel that came through here and I will be on my way. You will of course be well rewarded!"

The inspector was an off-worlder named Jared Droc. A minorian plathos engineer who had moved to Lonorangg at the request of Lord Holder Iv Sassalia. A no nonsense fast-talking ulanoc salesman and merchant turned corporate stock trader and part time arms dealer. Lord Holder Sassalia was also the town council President and paid his staff very lucratively for the hard work that they did. He believed in hard work. In fact he was one of the few leaders on the planet who had no Donadar in his service.

Iv believed that Donadar gophers were a sickness in that they weakened a leader by making him reliant on others for much of their decisions and actions. Plus Donadars cost a lot, used up a lot of resources, terrorized workers and the public, and bedded far too many ulanari or worst still young ulanoc it was sometimes rumored.

Iv had no aids either. It was not a 'cutting out the middle man' as much as him wishing to manage and control as much as possible when it came to what needed to be done.

Jared Droc looked the Donadar in the face and his eyes narrowed. The rich silver-grey orbs darkened to deep bronze colour and his bluish-cream coloured skin contrasted the dark circles under his eyes. He shook his head.

"One might think that you assumed that I had never heard of you Donadar."

Peljinn smiled and nodded.

"Oh I assume nothing of the sort. But surely not all of the terrible stories are true eh?" He chuckled to downplay what he knew to be an admittedly sketchy reputation to downright bad rep in other circles.

Jared Droc looked over the manifest list in his hand as he continued his review. Without looking up he spoke to Peljinn.

"Donadar Peljinn have you ever been to Pelosian Hintu during the Great Games?"

Peljinn raised an eyebrow at the topic change.

"I have indeed. Several times. Why do you ask?"

"After the games many dignitaries go down to the water district to enjoy the special wares off of Halan Street?"

"I have been down there a few times. Many people have. Why?"

"Did you ever see the dark veils on the street?"

"The forsaken mourners? Yes of course."

"They're called that because they're mates have been taken to the tower of four million deaths. Do you know what takes place when someone is sent to the tower?"

The Donadar smiled and nodded.

"Yes I do. They're chained to a wall with their feet suspended in the pool with four million Dektar swimming in the bacterial ooze that the lawmakers created. A very painful death I understand."

Jared Droc looked at him sharply.

"That's right. Death done painfully. But do you know the worst part of it?"