Outpost: Hetero Version

As usual, Osha ensured that he got his share of the meat as the pack crowded the kitchen table, Runt sidling up for a head-pat and the twins bouncing on the spot as they awaited their meal. The pack surrounded him on all sides, warm and friendly, under the watchful eye of Zagza as he picked a fish bone from his teeth with a hooked claw.

Damn it, he couldn't bring himself to leave these people, this was his family now. He couldn't abandon them to their fate in this wasteland, he couldn't let them wander back out into the snow to be forgotten again. They had saved his life, did he not owe each one of them at least that much? He was going to stay and repay his debt to them a hundredfold.

***

The pack stood grouped together warily as the shuttle roared overhead, Zagza at their front, his long arms splayed to keep the Polars behind him. Osha gripped Runt protectively, who covered her ears in alarm as the vessel came to a hover, slowly lowering itself to the snow and deploying its landing gear. It touched down in a cloud of powder and melted slush, Schaffer jogged over to the descending landing ramp, waving to the crew as they stepped down. The pack was afraid, they had never seen or heard anything like this before, but Schaffer had reassured Zagza that there was no danger. Yuka and Yura peered from under Zagza's arms, more curious than frightened, their blue eyes fixed on the humans that disgorged from the ship.

There were two Marines clad in black combat armor that contrasted against the snow, hefting XMR rifles, and an MP in a white helmet that was stamped with his rank. An MP was a military police officer, internal security forces who dealt with things like crime and corruption among the ranks of the UNN. He was unlikely to be on Rawling's payroll, not that Schaffer had much choice now, he could hardly tell them to leave.

The humans seemed afraid of the Polars too, and Schaffer sensed that there was somewhat of a standoff brewing. He had to diffuse it.

"They're quite tame, they won't hurt you," he called over the noise of the engines as they wound down. The MP waited for silence before replying.

"Corporal Schaffer, is it? You've caused us quite a lot of trouble by refusing to follow orders and protocol, but here I am. You've made some outlandish claims, let's see if they measure up. My name is Detective Masters, I'm with Internal Investigations. You refused to divulge information over the air, so why don't you start from the top and tell me what you're doing at this classified outpost...and what the hell you're wearing."

Masters looked Schaffer up and down, appraising his environment suit along with its adornment of alien pelts. Even though the power in the base had been turned back on and he could have easily switched suits or charged a fresh battery, the thought had never crossed his mind to remove it.

"Why don't you come in out of the cold, Detective?" he asked as he gestured back to the outpost. Masters looked to the Polar pack apprehensively.

"I would prefer if you came into the shuttle, Corporal."

This wasn't going the way that Schaffer had wanted, and he took a few steps back, moving closer to the Borealans as the two Marines exchanged glances.

"I'm sorry Detective, but I'm a wanted man, there's no doubt a price on my head. I can't have you closing that ramp and taking off with me." Masters looked like he wanted to argue, but must have deemed it expedient to do as Schaffer asked, gesturing for the two Marines to follow him. "Please don't point those guns at my furry friends, I'm the only human that they've met so far, but they know what weapons are. You're my only lifeline to the UNN, and I'm running out of food. It isn't in my interest to harm you or your men."

Masters and the two Marines followed Schaffer into the base, they weren't wearing environment suits themselves and seemed relieved to be in an air-conditioned building. Masters was shivering, his eyebrows frozen over from nothing more than the hundred-meter walk between the shuttle and the outpost. The Marines bristled as the Polars crowded into the hall, but the aliens were wary and kept their distance. Schaffer waved the men into the lounge area, and they took a seat on one of the intact couches.

"I was informed that the base was in low power mode and that all of the life support systems were deactivated," Masters said as he eyed Schaffer suspiciously. "You were able to gain access to the central computer and bring it all back online? How?"

"I am an engineer, solving problems is what we do. Once I had gained access to the room that contained the computer, I was able to figure it out."

"They told me that the room was secured by a steel blast door with a numeric keypad, for which you couldn't possibly have a working code," the MP continued.

"Well, I had some help from the Borealans on that one."

"You bust it down? Great, I'm going to have to write up a report and get a team out here to repair it." The Detective's tone suddenly became harsh and accusing. "Now do you want to tell me what the hell you're doing here, and why you've refused every order you've been given? It had better be good, or your rescue ship will be taking you straight to a brig."

***

Schaffer went over the events of the last couple of weeks, how he had uncovered the smuggling ring on the Pinwheel station and had linked Admiral Rawling to the operation, how the corrupt Admiral had smuggled him off-station on a jump freighter and had then abandoned him to die on Borealis. He told him the story of how he had met the Polar pack, choosing to omit the part where he had run out of options and had tried to kill himself, substituting a story about how he had set out into the snow in search of civilization instead. Nobody would be any the wiser, it wasn't as if the Polars could communicate their own version of events. The Detective's expressions ranged from skepticism to surprise as Schaffer told him about how the pack had nursed him back to health, fed him, clothed him and eventually helped him get back to the outpost.

When he was done, the man leaned back into the couch, scratching his chin pensively.

"If your story is true, Corporal, and I don't doubt that it is. How could you come to be here by any other means? Then we have a serious corruption problem on the Pinwheel. To think that a member of our own Admiralty is running a black market out of the largest military base in human space..." He leaned forward to look Schaffer in the eye. "You must vow never to reveal this information to anyone else. We can handle this internally, this doesn't need to get out into the public domain. If news of this reached the civilian population, then it could seriously harm morale and put the war effort in jeopardy. Please tell me that you understand the importance of absolute secrecy in this matter."

"About that," Schaffer began, but the Detective interrupted him angrily.

"I can assure you, Corporal Schaffer, that if you attempt to further leverage this situation to your advantage, then you will not find me willing to negotiate. Your options are to cooperate or to be taken into custody."

He faltered a little on that last sentence, noticing Zagza blocking the door with his massive frame, no doubt attracted by the sound of raised voices. He watched the humans with a stern expression, the Marines clutching at their rifles nervously.

"Hear me out, Detective," Schaffer continued. "I have a proposition. I want to remain here and man the outpost for the foreseeable future."

"You...what?" Masters asked, confused. "Did I hear you correctly? You want to stay here?"

"You heard right. Even if you take down Rawling, I'll never be safe. You could put me in witness protection, ship me off to the other side of the galaxy, but I'll be looking over my shoulder waiting for that knife in my back for the rest of my life."

"You don't trust us to keep you safe?"

Schaffer chuckled, and Masters looked perplexed by his reaction.

"I think that you can understand why I might have developed trust issues lately, Detective."

"But what will you do here?"

"I was assigned here, right? All perfectly legal and proper, Rawling saw to that," he added with a touch of bitterness. "You guys could use someone to man the base, and I'm a qualified engineer. My safety, and more importantly for you my silence, would be guaranteed." Masters paused for a moment, considering the offer as Schaffer continued. "All I ask is that you provide me with periodic shipments of food and supplies, enough to feed me and my Borealan friends. That shouldn't be a problem, right? Such supply lines were already in operation until relatively recently as I understand it."

"I can't make this decision myself," the Detective replied, "I lack the authority. However, I do believe your offer to be reasonable and potentially attractive. Hell, you already have access to the dish and have no doubt plundered the classified files by now, we won't reveal anything new by granting you clearance after the fact." Masters stood, Schaffer following suit. "I believe I have all of the information I need, thank you, Corporal. I will have the security chief on the Pinwheel take Admiral Rawling into custody until we can clear this matter up. If what you have told me is true, then there will no doubt be further incriminating evidence in his personal files. I can obtain a warrant to search them."

"I'll need supplies fairly soon, assuming that my proposition is accepted."

"Yes, I'll see to that." Masters extended his hand and Schaffer took it, shaking it briskly. "I'm very sorry that you were caught up in all of this, Corporal. Personally, I don't doubt your story, and I will make it my mission to bring Rawling to justice. I'm going to send word ahead to the Pinwheel immediately. If Rawling has half of the connections that you think he does, then we need to lock that station down before he slips away and disappears to one of the outlying colonies. I'll be in touch again via the dish very soon."

Schaffer followed the men out of the base to see them off, shielding his eyes against the glare of the snow as the shuttle rose into the sky, its engines flaring as it climbed back towards space. Zagza sidled up beside him, watching the vessel as it became a spec, then vanished into the azure haze.

"I think we're gonna be okay, big guy."

Zagza eyed him curiously, not understanding, and Schaffer gave him two thumbs up.

CHAPTER 10: IRON FIST

The stars rolled by the office window lazily as the Pinwheel's torus spun. Chief of Security Moralez looked up at the readout that was scrolling past on his monitor, yawning as he nursed a styrofoam cup full of dark coffee. It was gritty, and it tasted like shit, but it was all that was left in the pot. His shift was almost over, and he was eager to get back home to his girlfriend. He gave the readout another glance, then set down his coffee on his console with one of his prosthetic hands, almost spilling it as he leaned closer to make sure that he had read it correctly.

A warrant for the immediate detention of Admiral Rawling and the seizure of his assets, with an authorization of use of force. What the fuck was this? The message had come directly from an MP at Internal Investigations, it must be serious. He opened the file that listed the charges, his eyes widening as he read through it. Corruption, smuggling, murder. This was unheard of. He double-checked the source, making sure that there had been no mistakes, but all of the security codes checked out. Well, time to earn his paycheck.

Moralez rose to his feet. He was a gruff man, scars peppered his tanned skin, and three of his four limbs were robotic prosthetics. The originals had been lost in battle. He marched over to a communicator screen embedded in the wall and dialed in a number sequence. The monitor came to life, displaying the image of a smooth-skinned Borealan with orange hair who looked irritated to be woken up so late, rubbing her eyes as she yawned widely.

"What is it, Moralez? You need somethin'?"

"Raz, wake Stanley up. I need to borrow some of your recruits and some of your boyfriend's guns."

"We being boarded again?"

"No, there's some kind of situation with Internal Investigations. Use of force has been authorized, and I want the best force available."

She grinned, baring her sharp teeth.

"You got it, Robocop."

***

"Attach short barrels," Moralez barked, standing at the head of a group of six Borealans. They were wearing customary black UNN combat armor, each wielding a custom XMR rifle tailored to their exaggerated size. Their orange, tiger-striped tails and ears protruded from the Kevlar and ceramic body armor, flicking and twitching in anticipation.

"If there's fighting, it will be in close quarters. Nobody fires until I say so. If there's resistance, you have my permission to use any means necessary to subdue the enemy. Don't make too much of a mess though. Remember, you have to live with those janitors."

The aliens chuckled under their full-faced combat visors, green HUDs flaring to life through the dark glass as they activated their onboard computers. Moralez drew his XMH handgun from its leather hip holster, twirling it in his polymer fingers. It was considerably heavier than any model that an unaugmented human would be able to wield, it fired a tungsten slug that would knock a Krell on its ass at close range.

"Alright, form up. You're my wingman Korza," he said, tapping one of the aliens on the arm with his fist. The male recruit nodded, affixing a bayonet the size of a Bowie knife to the end of his XMR. "Alright Mad Cats, let's get this done."

They made their way through the open torus of the Pinwheel, a painted sky with puffy clouds patterning the high ceiling above them. The station was clogged with throngs of people, the occasional Borealan or lumbering, reptilian Krell standing head and shoulders above the Navy personnel and civilian visitors. The crowds parted to let them pass, nobody wanted to get in the way of a security team that meant business.

Moralez led them to one of the entrances to the central control hub, connected to the donut via tube-like spokes that acted as walkways. Only personnel with sufficient clearance were admitted into the hub, which was where the resident Admirals lived, along with all of the systems that ran the massive Naval base.

He flashed his security badge at the two guards who stood to either side of the massive security door, clad in their usual black armor and Navy blue uniforms. They knew who he was, of course. He was their boss, and he had a face that was hard to forget, but protocol had to be followed. They nodded their helmeted heads, moving to either side of the pressure door and scanning their key cards in a pair of readers. There was a hydraulic hiss as the two interlocking halves of the door parted, a red warning light flashing. On the other side was a long hallway, the same white color as the station's hull material save for the blue carpet on the deck.

The group entered, their XMRs stowed in a ready position on their chests as they made their way towards the hub proper. Before them was a ninety-degree bend in the floor, curving up into what looked like a sheer wall from their perspective. The hub was directly above them relative to the torus, the spokes of the wheel from which the station got its nickname extending from the North and South faces of the ring. Because the torus simulated gravity through its spin, and the hub generated its gravity through and AG field of the kind generally used on starships, there was a point in the spoke where the two overlapped. Walking up the bend was a bit of a mindfuck, it went against your every natural instinct and you never really got used to it.

Moralez steeled himself, clenching his polymer fingers as he marched towards the bend. There was an odd sensation as the gravity changed, making his stomach drop like he had just stepped off a ledge, and then it leveled out again. The Borealans followed after him, perhaps more at ease with their stabilizing tails.

They soon reached the far end of the carpeted walkway and entered into the control hub through a similar pressure door. It was far more spartan than the often elaborately decorated torus, which was designed for extended deployments with no shore leave, featuring decorations like planters and a painted ceiling to simulate a terrestrial environment. This area looked more like a maze in the style of an office block, featureless save for the numbered doors and few token potted plants.

Another guard wearing an opaque face plate accosted them, gesturing for them to stop, his hand wandering to his hip.

"Oh. It's you, Chief," the guard said as he relaxed. "What brings you to the control hub?" He leaned to look past him, appraising the squad of bristling Borealans.

"MP business, I need to find Admiral Rawling. Can you point me in the right direction, Charlie?"

"Yeah, it's just down that hall there, and to the-"

Moralez' stomach turned like he had been flipped upside down, and he found himself floating off the floor. Charlie and the Borealans were scrambling for purchase, the artificial gravity had been deactivated.

"What the fuck!?" Charlie exclaimed, finding an emergency handhold on the ceiling. "The AG field has gone down!"

"God damn it, it's Rawling!" Moralez snarled. "He knows we're coming for him, he must have had one of his goons tamper with the generator." He turned his head, watching the squad of Borealans as they hooked their dexterous tails around nearby objects or dug their claws into the padded walls. "Looks like this is a combat situation now. You've got your orders, subdue anyone who resists, bring Rawling in alive and relatively unharmed if possible." He turned to Charlie, gesturing for him to take cover. "This might get hairy Charlie, we can handle this."

Moralez unholstered his oversized handgun, turning on its battery with an electrical whir, and heard the pack of Borealans ready their weapons in turn.

"Remember, Rawling is believed to have bought out at least a few Marines and security personnel. If someone raises a weapon against you, take them down. If someone fires at you first, return fire with impunity."

The aliens echoed a chorus of affirmations, then bounded forward on their powerful legs, gliding in the microgravity environment. They were more agile than humans in low G, using their long tails to stabilize themselves and to find purchase like monkeys. Moralez followed, pushing off the walls with his powerful prosthetic leg.

As they neared the Admiral's office where Charlie had directed them, he heard the chatter of automatic gunfire. The Borealans leapt out of the way, taking cover behind the corner and blind-firing into the corridor. There were guards crouched behind a metal planter that was bolted to the floor, wearing UNN security armor not dissimilar from the standard variant, using it as cover to lay down suppressing fire from their XMRs. Hypersonic slugs slammed the wall behind the Borealans, puffs of insulating material exploding from the surface in a shower of foam padding. Moralez pushed off the floor to get out of the way, closing his visor as he drifted towards a nearby wall. The traitors were firing randomly, concerned only with locking down the corridor. This was dangerously close range.

"Mad Cats! Tell Rawling we need help!" Moralez heard one of them shout over the gunfire. It was deafening in these confined quarters, echoing through the cramped hallways. "They brought Mad Cats!"

These guys were wearing UNN armor, which meant that they had protection against flash or concussion bombs, and their visors would see through smoke grenades. Moralez couldn't use frags here without blowing open a hole in the hull and blasting them all into space, never mind the collateral damage. He had an idea though, raising a polymer finger to the side of his helmet and activating the closed comms channel. Static buzzed, then leveled out as he gave the order to his team.