Disclaimer: The main characters are not mine, this is an amateur effort written purely for the fun of it, and no money has exchanged hands. It is not intended to breach the copyright of either Paramount or Pet Fly Productions.
denotes telepathic exchange
Star Rangers: Suffer the Children
By Mystra99
Mallick knew the moment his quarry entered the bar. Impeccably dressed in an expensive suit with two large bouncer types trailing close behind, he was indistinguishable from any other rich businessman seeking a thrill on the darker side of the street. But appearances can be deceiving and Mallick had not fought his way to leadership of the pirate horde by being stupid or gullible. Watching the man and his flunkies wind their way through the crowded bar, he couldn't suppress a smile as he watched the other patrons shy away from the new arrivals. An image inducer could make you outwardly beautiful but it could not camouflage the inner nature and human instincts sensed the predator in their midst. He stood as the newcomers reached his table. "Mr. Smith, thank you for coming. Please have a seat; can I get you anything?"
Settling into the chair across from the pirate Smith fixed his host with a cold stare. "I must say I was surprised to receive your message Mr. Mallick. It was my understanding that your particular enterprise was no longer in operation."
"It was more of a temporary hiatus for restructuring. My organization has been of service to you in the past and we are prepared to continue that alliance."
"And how do I know you can deliver the same quality of service as your predecessor?"
Removing a data chip from his pocket, Mallick offered it to his guest. "Consider this a show of good faith. I will deliver the merchandise to a location of your choice. If you find our service acceptable then we are prepared to continue to supply you as needed…for a fee of course. The same arrangement you had with Wessington would be acceptable."
Studying the information on the chip Smith's eyes widened. "You can do this? Such rare specimens would be invaluable." At Mallicks's nod a cold smile appeared on the handsome face. "Very well Mr. Mallick. In five days the freighter Callico will be at these coordinates." One of the body guards handed the pirate a message slip. "Deliver the cargo as promised and you will be amply rewarded." Rising Smith turned and headed for the exit trailed by his ever vigilant guardians.
Fingering the message slip Mallick smiled. Downing his drink he dropped some currency on the table then left the bar. He had five days to pull off a job that no one had ever succeeded in accomplishing. His name would be legend.
Arren, Guide Chief of the Cobra clan, looked up from his book as his sentinel, Jaydon, stormed into the cabin. Throwing the crumpled message slip onto the table in front of his guide, the sentinel began pacing angrily around the room. Sighing, Arren closed his book and after giving a quick glance toward the closed door of the sleeping chamber, to make sure their sons were still napping as only the young and exhausted can do, he reached for the paper to see what had upset his clan chief.
"Well it's not as if this is a surprise. You knew this was coming; it was only a matter of time."
Stopping his pacing Jaydon fixed his guide with blazing blue eyes. Tall broad shouldered, his blonde hair brushing the tops of his shoulders and his blue eyes showing his fury, Arren had no trouble seeing Jaydon's Viking ancestors in him. Fortunately, the guide was immune to rampaging sentinels and calmly met the angry gaze with serene gray eyes. As his partner's temper began to cool Arren took a deep breath. Running his hands through his auburn hair, a nervous habit he had never been able to break, he prepared to tell his friend some unpleasant truths.
Sensing his partner's distress Jaydon sat down at the table, worry for his guide distracting him from his anger. "Arren?"
"You should have seen this coming Jaydon."
"What, you think I should have foreseen that the elders of my clan would take the opportunity of my absence to hold a council and decide to change our whole way of life and run off to some mythical land called Sanctuary? I'm supposed to be calm about this?"
"Jaydon you are one of Senatobia's greatest leaders. When our world fell apart you were the one that came up with a plan to save us. But becoming space nomads was never meant to be a long term solution; it can't be; we aren't wired for eternal life in space." He nodded to the closed door of the sleeping chamber. "We have just spent the last two weeks taking our six year old sons camping in a wilderness preserve. Why? Because without a chance to connect with the natural world sentinels and guides become ill. Every time we take our children planetside we risk them, yet to keep them in space away from nature will kill them. We need a safe home, a world where we can reconnect with who we are, Sanctuary offers that. You can't expect the clan to pass up this opportunity because you have issues with Ellison."
"You want me to trust an outsider with the lives of our people? Just because every other Clan has moved to this supposed paradise doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Ellison isn't one of us."
"James Ellison is no more an outsider than Sandburg. You have no trouble accepting a guide, raised off world, as the spiritual leader of our people but you won't accept his chosen bondmate as Warlord. It is Ellison's job to protect the clans and he has done just that. You can't keep blaming Ellison for his mother's choice, just as you are not responsible for your father's actions. Jaydon you are the brother of my heart but I can't let you delude yourself any longer. This vendetta is endangering our people; it has to end."
"William Ellison killed my father." Blue eyes flashed with fire. "I won't let the poisoned seed of a back stabbing murderer destroy my clan."
"And there we have the root of the problem." Calm gray eyes pinned the sentinel in place and the anger began to drain away replaced with uncertainty and trepidation. When a guide used that tone a sentinel had no choice but to pay attention and suddenly Jaydon feared hearing what his guide was going to say.
"I'm sorry my friend but it's time for you to acknowledge the truth. Mason was a good man but not without flaws. Your mother chose him to father her child because she knew his genes would assure a strong sentinel. But like many of the ungifted, he never fully understood the biological imperative that drives a sentinel to mate. Love may decide who a sentinel spends their life with but it does not enter into the equation when a sentinel chooses to reproduce. That is governed by instinct. Your father was a genetic match for your mother so she approached him and he agreed to have you. It was an arrangement that benefited them both. They each gained a wonderful son they adored. Then Mason met Alira. Jaydon, Alira never loved your father. Whatever Mason told you she never encouraged him. She made it plain her interest was elsewhere but he never accepted that she might love another. When she came back pregnant with William Ellison's child he went a little mad. He saw it as a betrayal. One sentinel had seen him as a worthy father for her child he could not accept that Alira would choose another over him. His behavior became so erratic her clan sent Alira off world, even though she was pregnant, to keep him away from her. A few weeks later he committed suicide. William Ellison was a one night stand for the purpose of producing a child. If Alira had not been forced to leave Senatobia he would have never known he was a father. Mason is the reason Jim Ellison was raised off world. Alira and her guide died after being caught in an explosion. They were staying at a hotel that was hosting a conference Ellison was attending. A planetary rights group bombed the hotel not realizing the conference they were aiming for had been moved to another location. It had nothing to do with William or the conference he was attending. Ellison received minor injuries in the blast. He was at the hospital when Alira and her guide arrived in critical condition. He recognized her and when he realized she was pregnant he guessed that the child was his. When it became obvious she would not survive he had a paternity test done and petitioned for custody. With no other clan members present to contest the ruling the child was given to its biological father. Jim Ellison is not your enemy and never has been."
Silence reigned in the cabin after Arren finished. Jaydon struggled to make sense of the chaos in his mind as he sorted through his memories. "All these years…he lied to me made me think …" He broke off as all the ugly things his father had programmed into his head played through his mind. "I'm sorry I never listened. The elders tried to tell me but….he was my father."
"I know that's why they decided to tell me the truth." He gave a wry smile. "They said I'd know the right time. They hoped I'd get through that thick head of yours."
"Yeah, well you do have a way of doing that. I can't seem to shut you out." He took a deep sigh and pushed aside his chaotic emotions. There would be time to deal with them later for now he was leader of the Cobra clan and he had a decision to make. "So you think this Sanctuary is on the level?"
Looking into his sentinel's eyes Arren saw anger, sorrow and determination. Jaydon was still reeling from the newfound knowledge but with true sentinel practicality he had chosen to relegate his own struggle to the back burner and put his clan's welfare first. As clan leader he was ready to listen without judgment and to make his decision based on facts and not his personal feelings. "Well Raven trusts Ellison enough to move Falcon clan there and Raven doesn't trust anyone. White Tiger has pulled its people off military property. The only clan members still on base are sentinel and guide pairs. Jade is no fool and White Tiger was one of the most protected clans. If the clan elders decided to move then I'd say the location is as well defended as the bases."
"My emotions are telling me to grab our clan and run as far away from Sanctuary and Ellison as I can but my sense of duty says I'd be a poor leader to deny us the chance at a normal life because of my personal issues." He took a deep breath and tried to make sense of his swirling thoughts. He'd loved his father but if he was honest with himself he had known for some time that Mason was unwell; he just hadn't wanted to admit it. It was easier to hate Ellison than face the ugly truth that his loving father had been a bitter man who let unrequited love drive him to madness, a madness he had tried to pass on to his only son. Groaning he finally admitted the truth. "I've been a right bastard haven't I?" Arren's smirk was answer enough. "Fine I'll apologize to Ellison. Happy?"
"Delirious, so does this mean you won't be executing the clan elders when we get back?"
"I ought to just on principal. Sneaky underhanded …but I guess I deserve it considering I've not been exactly reasonable when the subject's come up. As much as it pains me to admit it, they're right. Our ships are getting older and a great deal of our income is being drained into keeping them maintained not to mention the space issue. Either we stifle growth or we have to invest in more ships which take more of our resources. Then there is the fact that space is not exactly safe. Natural disasters and raiders aside, having only a thin hull between you and death is not a comfortable way to live. Every year the urge to give up and integrate into the UET grows stronger. We have to do something before we lose everything that makes us Senatobian. We've been a scattered people for too long. The UET has begun to look at us as subjects instead of allies; maybe it's time to remind them we are a sovereign people. It's time for us to be whole again." He gave his guide a rueful smile. "I can't promise I'll start having warm fuzzy feelings for Ellison but I'll try to stop fighting against destiny. I'm tired of space. I'm tired of always looking over my shoulder. I'd like to see my son run free under the sun." Standing up he picked up the crumpled message. "Okay, I'll go send the council the good news. They'll be singing your praises for making me finally see the light. Cobra clan will move to Sanctuary."
Just as he reached the door his guide's voice made him pause. "You are a good leader Jaydon. I never doubted you'd do the right thing no matter how much it might hurt. And I've never regretted being your guide," He gave the sentinel a cheeky grin lightening the mood, "no matter how much of a stubborn pain in the ass you can be sometimes."
Shaking his head the sentinel opened the door. "Look after the kids I'll be back in a few." Then he left heading for the bridge and the ship's communication system.
Thanking the communication's officer Jaydon made a turn around the ship before heading for his cabin. He could not shake a sudden sense of foreboding but he could find nothing amiss. Everything seemed to be in order. Arriving in the section of the ship adjacent to the crew quarters he paused as the faint sound of metal on metal reached him. Extending his senses he scanned the ship once again. This time what he discovered sent him running for the nearest com. "Captain we're being boarded." He had barely finished speaking when the wall next to him exploded inward lifting him off his feet and hurling him down the corridor to smash against an unyielding wall. He slumped to the floor heavy metal plates pinning him in place. Shadows moved on the wall as armored figures poured in through the ruptured hull. Pressure seal, some part of his mind catalogued the lack of air loss and spacesuits as he struggled to hold on to consciousness. The sound of blaster fire easily reached his ears and he struggled to move, his instincts screaming at him to rise and defend the ship. But no matter how much he struggled, his body refused to respond to his commands. His last sight was of the armored figures carrying two small squirming forms through the breached hull toward the attacker's ship then the darkness took him.
In the jungle the scream of a large black panther rent the air followed by the mournful howling of a wolf.
The ringing of the com jerked Jim Ellison awake from dreams of a screaming panther and the vision of a small bear cub and red fox kit being menaced by bands of inky darkness. He glanced at the clock and sighed. No news was good at three in the morning, especially when it was your day off. With a sense of dread he answered the call. "Ellison. Yes sir, we'll be right there."
Dressing quickly he ran down the stairs to be met by his guide already dressed and ready. The sorrow in the blue eyes told him the shaman telegraph was up and running and that Blair was already aware of what had happened. In minutes they were in Jim's truck heading for the station.
Entering Major Crimes Ellison made a straight line for Simon's office.
Banks looked up as sentinel and guide entered his office. "Jim, Blair I'd like you to meet Captain Josh Newmar of the patrol." Simon gestured to a tall gray haired man wearing the familiar uniform of the Galactic Patrol. "He's the reason I called you in. Captain, this is Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg, the sentinel/guide team you requested. Now do you want to tell me what this is all about?"
"Gentlemen I'm sorry to call you in at such an early hour but frankly I'm a little unsure of what to do under these circumstances. Twelve hours ago a patrol vessel discovered the freighter Autumn Skies adrift in space. To make a long story short the vessel had been boarded, her crew killed including a sentinel and guide. UET law requires that any crime involving a sentinel or guide must be reported to the nearest sentinel/guide pair in law enforcement and that the team must be involved in the investigation of the crime. I'm afraid in this case that would be the two of you." He held up a large folder. "This is everything we've been able to discover so far. It's not much, whoever did this were pros. The really strange part was that nothing was taken. Her cargo was still in the hold untouched. They just swooped in killed everyone and disappeared without taking a blasted thing. I've been a patrol officer for twenty years and I've never seen anything like it."
"They weren't after the cargo." Blair's soft voice drew all eyes to him. "Have you checked with the sentinel's clan? Were there any passengers on this voyage?"
"No notifications have been made I wanted to see the two of you first. Like I said I've never dealt with a crime involving sentinels or guides. Aside from the ship's crew we discovered the bodies of two unidentified males. There were no passengers listed on the ship's roster. It wasn't until we ran them through the system that we discovered they were a sentinel and guide…Jaydon and Arren both of Cobra clan. They are not affiliated with the Autumn Skies and there is no record of them boarding. We did discover one thing; the ship made an unscheduled stop at Refuge which is unusual as that planet is not on this freighter's usual route."
"It's a wilderness preserve and just the place a sentinel would take his kid."
"Sandburg?" Simon's voice was gentle as he noticed the anguish in the expressive blue eyes.
"Children Simon. They took the children."
"What..."
Jim reached out and took the case folder from the confused patrol officer. "Thank you Captain, but this is now a sentinel matter, we'll take it from here."
Newmar started to protest but one look at the young guide's pale face and he decided that he really didn't want any part of this case. Visions of enraged sentinels on a blood hunt for those who had taken their children caused him to shiver. Nope it was better to get out of this now. Turning to Banks he offered his hand. "Captain Banks I'll file the necessary paperwork to transfer the case to your department. If there is anything the patrol can help with don't hesitate to call. Good luck and I hope you catch these bastards."
"Oh, don't worry Captain, we'll catch them, you can count on it." There was ice and death in the sentinel's tone. Newmar nodded whoever had perpetrated this heinous act would rue the day they had chosen to cross this particular sentinel.
"Then gentlemen I leave you to it. Good hunting."
Once they were alone Ellison turned to face his Captain. "Simon I want the Autumn Skies brought to Cascade. I want to double check the patrol's findings. If her attackers left any clue…"
"Then you'll find it. Patrol is sending everything here," he glanced at Sandburg, "including the bodies."
Blair nodded. "I'll contact Cobra and find out if what I suspect is true. They'll want to make arrangements for the bodies of their clansmen."
As the guide left Jim and Simon settled in to go over the patrol's findings. By the time the Autumn Skies arrived the rest of the team would be in and the manhunt for the attackers would begin.
It was late afternoon when Jim Ellison set his coffee cup on the conference room table and dropped wearily into a chair. He had spent the last four hours combing the corridors of the Autumn Skies. When the patrol discovered the damaged ship they had slapped a temporary seal over the gaping hole in her side before boarding. By a stroke of luck a large piece of plating had been pulled against the rupture when the attackers broke the seal between ships. Except for the breach site the interior of the ship was mostly intact. It had not taken him long to find the cabin used by the Cobra team and discover that Blair had been correct. The signs of two active children had been hard to miss.
He glanced up as the rest of the Major Crimes team filed into the room and Blair dropped wearily into the seat next to him. The guide looked exhausted. While he had dealt with the wreckage his partner had dealt with the wreckage of shattered lives. The young Shaman had personally broken the news to the families of the Autumn Skies crew as well as dealt with the angry and devastated clansmen of Cobra. The fact that they were not in the middle of a sentinel blood hunt was entirely due to Sandburg's skill.
"All right people what do we have?" Simon took his place at the head of the table and looked around at his team.
"The Autumn Skies was a freighter based out of Madding's Point on New Kansas." Joel Taggart began the briefing. "As the planet's name implies it's an agro world and the Autumn Skies was one of their primary trading vessels. According to the ship's log they detoured from their usual route to make an unscheduled stop at Refuge. There is no record of a sentinel/guide pair being employed by the ship either now or in the past."
"Cobra Clan is tightly aligned with the Traders Guild," Henry Brown continued, "and often provides a sentinel/guide team as security to its ships. It's not unreasonable that a pair might hitch a ride on the ship. Or that the Guild would ask a vessel to change its route to accommodate such a valuable ally."
"So the question is how did someone know that a sentinel/guide pair would be on that particular ship at that particular time, much less that they would have kids with them?" Megan Conner shook her head. "I mean it's not like the clans advertise their movements and the secret of their children's location is like the Holy Grail. Everyone wants it but no one can find it."
"Well, obviously someone did." Simon turned to Jim. "What did you get from the ship?"
"The attackers were pros. Shaped charge to blow the hull with a blast pattern designed to take out anyone in the corridor. Military grad blasters, we're talking top of the line but the most disturbing thing is the ship's log indicated that scanners showed no sign of another ship in the vicinity. The first they knew of the enemy was when they blasted through the hull. If these attackers had stealth technology then we're looking at something far more dangerous than raiders."
"Rumor has it that there is a power struggle going on in what is left of Wessington's group."
Ellison glanced at Rafe and nodded. "It's no telling what tech that group may have escaped with or had stockpiled. If the pirates have chosen a new leader then this could be only the beginning."
"But why take children?" Joel shook his head in confusion. "It makes no sense. What would that gain them?"
"Power."
Everyone turned to face Blair. "Chief?"
Sandburg sighed. "If this is Wessington's group, and unless the commandos have gone off the reservation, I can't think of anyone else with that level of technology. Then I ask; when was the last time you ran across a well equipped group snatching children? Think Bagdad."
"The Emperor's Quest!" Megan's eyes widened. "The patrol connected the child theft ring to Wessington. When his organization fell the kidnappings stopped and they closed the case."
"You think the pirates regrouped and their first order of business is to start up the child smuggling ring? " H shook his head. "I'd think building the treasury, establishing bases and new manpower would come first."
"You're forgetting who the pirates were in business with H."
"Son of a …" Jim stared at his guide in sudden understanding. Reaching across he activated the controls to bring up the rooms view screen. Keying up the data recording from the freighter he addressed his confused colleagues. "I thought something looked strange but I couldn't place it. This was the last recording from the ship's bridge."
They stared at the screen wincing as armored figures filed onto the bridge. The traders never stood a chance. The attackers never paused as laser fire bounced off their smooth green armor. With military precision they decimate everyone in sight before turning to the ship's controls.
"Much of the recording was corrupted but this clip survived." He turned to Simon. "Recognize the battle suits?"
"Oh my god that green metal…it's Hierarchy. Are you saying the Tuataras Hierarchy is making weapons for pirates in exchange for children?"
"Yes, Captain, that is exactly what I'm saying." Blair's matter of fact tone was chilling. "And if we don't find out why and stop this more children are going to be taken."
For a moment silence hung in the room then Banks began to issue orders. "Taggart contact the patrol I want everything they have on the Emperor's Quest incident. Conner I want records of all missing children for the last five years. H, I want records of every ship that visited Refuge in the last month. Someone had to know the kids were there and that they'd be on that ship. Rafe hit your sources, if the pirates are back someone has heard something. Jim, Blair…"
"Cobra clan will be here within the hour to collect the bodies. I need to prepare them for transport."
Simon nodded, it was easy to forget that Blair was the spiritual leader of the Senatobian people and as such funerary rites would be his responsibility. "Fine, do what you need to then go home and get some sleep. You're no good to me if you're too exhausted to function."
Jim opened his mouth to protest but one look at Blair's exhausted face changed his mind. "All right but we'll be here first thing in the morning. Call us if anything changes."
Ushering his guide out the door Jim took comfort that his team was on the hunt. No more children would be lost, these monsters were going down.
Jim hated the morgue. Usually the stench of death was overpowering in the sterile room requiring the sentinel to dial down his sense of smell. But tonight was different. Candles flickered from countertops replacing the harsh glare of fluorescence and instead of death and decay the air was filled with the scents of nature and the rhythmic sounds of chanting. Ellison watched silently as his Guide fulfilled his duty as Shaman and prepared the bodies of the dead. Senatobian rites were simple. The body was cleansed with a special mixture of herbs and oils designed to not only clean the body of impurities but to mask the offensive odors of death and decay from sensitive sentinel noses then dressed in a soft white tunic and matching pants. Special prayers and songs ushered the departed into the spirit realm where led by his spirit guide he would continue on his journey. Thinking of spirit guides reminded Jim of something that he had found unsettling…the lack of torques on the bodies. Now he understood why the patrol had needed to run the men through the system to discover they were sentinel and guide. It was strange to see necks bare of the torques that had graced them for so long. Blair had assured him this was natural. The spirit metal and crystal were tied to the soul. When the spirit left the body so did the torque. It was the breaking of this earthly bond that had alerted the Shaman to the deaths of two of his tribe. Just as the cries of the immature spirit guides had alerted him that somewhere children were in danger. Too bad the spirits were always cryptic with their warnings. Just once he'd like dreams and visions to come with names, dates, places and all the other pertinent facts.
The sound of movement in the hallway alerted the sentinel to the arrival of others and he quietly slipped out the door. Even if he had not been personally acquainted with the approaching pair Jim would have had no problem guessing their identity. Kydon was a younger version of his brother. However, the woman at his side couldn't have been more different. If Kydon epitomized the ideal of a Viking warrior then Kaila with her dark skin and dark shoulder length hair gathered into rows of intricate braids was a Nubian goddess. They were shadow and light and now the leaders of Cobra clan.
When the two stopped in front of him Jim reached out and grasp Kyron's forearm in the traditional greeting between sentinels then turned and nodded to Kaila. "Kydon, Kaila, I'm so sorry for your loss. Jaydon and I may not have been on the best of terms but I respected him as a leader. He and Arren will be missed."
"Thanks Jim, Jaydon had his faults but he was a good leader and a good brother. I'm just sorry you never got the chance to meet the man I knew. He was coming around. He just gave the word for the clan to relocate to Sanctuary," he shrugged, "now we'll never know what could have been."
Kaila rested her hand on her sentinel's shoulder. "That is the past we must deal now with the present."
"You're right as usual."
"Good, now I will assist the Shaman in what must be done and the two of you will discuss how we bring these monsters to justice and recover our children." With a last pat on the shoulder and a nod to Jim she opened the morgue door and disappeared inside leaving the two sentinels to wonder how they had lost control.
"It must be a guide thing. One minute you're happily running your life then they pat you on the shoulder, whisper in your ear and you find yourself following them like a lost puppy saying 'yes, dear'. Kydon sighed. "I am so hen pecked and I'm not even married."
Jim laughed and clasped his fellow sentinel on the shoulder. "Come on let's do as were told or she'll sic Sandburg on us too." He gestured to the small waiting room down the hall. "We might as well be comfortable." Settling into the surprisingly comfortable chairs Ellison did a sensory sweep of the area. Satisfied they were alone and not likely to be overheard he studied his fellow sentinel. "So how are you holding up?"
Leaning back Kydon ran a hand through his long blonde hair then sighed. "As well as can be expected I guess. At first all I could feel was grief then the anger set in and I wanted nothing more than to track down those responsible and rip their throats out. That is still very appealing by the way but Sandburg is right, I have to think what's best for the clan now and until we have a definite target I'll not risk my people on a blood hunt. We have too many enemies that would love to use the excuse of an out of control sentinel to exact revenge. Being Chief sucks. Jaydon was always the responsible one not me, now my clan is counting on me to take his place and I'm not sure I'm up to the task."
"You'll do fine. Jaydon would be proud of you. You've made the right calls so far and I'm confident Cobra clan is in good hands."
"Thanks that means a lot coming from you." Kydon took a deep breath. The past was the past and it was time to get down to business.
Jim noticed the change in the young clan leader and was instantly on alert. "What's happened?"
"After talking with Sandburg I calmed down enough to start thinking. The only person who knew that Jaydon and Arren would be on that ship was the guild operative who contacted the Autumn Skies and requested the pickup. The clan knew where they were and when they would be coming home but they didn't know the ship they would be using. Only someone in the guild controller's office would know. Controllers have top level clearance. They are in charge of routes, docking permits, cargo manifests and a lot of other things that would be invaluable to pirates. They also interface daily with some of the most highly encrypted computer systems in the Territories. If it involves moving anyone or anything anywhere, the controllers know and have access."
"So if they had hacking skills it's no telling what they could steal and sell to the highest bidder."
"That's what's worrying the higher ups. The guild is launching a full investigation of everyone and everything. If there are traitors they'll find them. I've recalled all Cobra sentinel/guide teams back to guild headquarters to help with the mole hunt. The rest of the clan is on their way to Sanctuary. I won't leave my people exposed any longer."
"Good, let me know if the guild turns up anything. In the meantime my team is taking over the investigation. Our top priority is recovering the kids; then we'll see about the pirates."
"If you need any help…"
"Then I know who to call." The two sentinels stood as the sound of a door opening reached them. It was time to take the dead home.
Blair stood on the bridge spanning a small stream looking around at the manicured grounds of a small park. In the distance he could hear children's laughter and with no clue as to why he was here on the spirit plane or better yet what he was doing in a park instead of the usual jungle he decided to follow the sound. The path he was on headed in the right direction so he started walking. The park was a lovely oasis of bright flowers and stately trees. As he continued to walk the trees began to thin and suddenly the path ended at a large meadow. A large playground dominated one end of the clearing while to his left the bubbling brook from the park emerged from the trees to flow alongside the meadow. The rest of the area was a sea of bright green grass and everywhere he looked were playing, running and laughing children.
"Welcome Shaman we have been waiting for you."
Turning at the sound of the soft voice Blair saw one of the older kids standing near a picnic table nestled under one of the trees at the edge of the clearing. The girl was around twelve but seemed much older. Jet black hair hung to her waist and she stared at Blair with golden eyes.
"You're a Mystic. You brought me here. Why?"
The girl turned to look out onto the meadow. "I am Nyree. We have waited a long time for someone to free us from our prison." She gestured and a small bear cub and red fox kit materialized beside her. "I was only an initiate when I was taken and did not have the power to reach those in the waking world until they came. The spirit guides gave me the link I needed to reach you."
"Are they…"
"The young sentinel and guide are safe for now. The monsters require the set to be whole before they start their experiments. You have until the twelve are gathered before they are harmed."
"Twelve?"
Nyree pointed toward the playing children. "Twelve children are gathered for the experiments. When they are all used up and are of no more value then the next twelve are taken. Six cycles have been and now the seventh is started. You must stop them. Stop the monsters and free us Shaman. Our bodies are chained to their machines. We have created this space as a haven for our spirits but we cannot leave as long as our bodies are held hostage."
"Where are you? How do I find you?"
"We sail the blackness never one place twice. Two things I can tell you. The first is a name Callico. It permeates the dreams of the one in charge. It goes where he demands and brings him what he desires. The second is an answer to the question you have not asked. What do they want from us? They seek the key to our power. They wish to create in themselves that which nature has denied them." A strong wind blew through the meadow and thunder rumbled in the distance. "You must go now the connection is failing. Find us Shaman, find us and free us."
Genevieve Boudreau handed her badge to the security guard and tried not to show her nervousness. Inwardly she cursed her brother for getting her into this mess. Their setup had been perfect then Mallick had wanted more. His greed may well be the end of everything. Smiling as she took back her badge she made her way through the crowded halls of the Guild House to her workstation in Central Command. Logging onto her console she discreetly slipped a thin black card into the data port and initiated the preloaded file. The data miner program was her finest work. Her position at the guild put her in the perfect location to gather information. That information could then be used for personal gain or sold for great profit. If a company or business shipped or received cargo or were in the business of moving passengers then they had to register their transactions with the guild. When a computer connected to her guild station, the data mining program road the incoming signal back to its source and quickly searched out and copied select data files to the disc. The plan was flawless. The program was only in the system for as long as her station was connected then died out leaving no trace for security systems to find. As a guild employee she was well aware of how her customers stored data and had tailored the program to go directly to the areas where the data she needed was stored. In and out the whole process took only a few seconds.
Then her stupid brother had to get greedy. The entire guild was on lock down, everyone was being scrutinized, and worst of all sentinels were everywhere asking questions she could not answer honestly. Her interview was scheduled for first thing tomorrow. She needed to be far away from the guild's reach before then. Finishing her current transactions she signed off and carefully removed the storage device from the console and slipped it into her pocket. Her morning clients had been some of the largest and wealthiest corporations in the UET. The money she made from selling their data would bankroll her new lifestyle. It was almost lunchtime. She would leave for lunch as she always did then disappear. Her bags were already packed. She just needed to make it out the doors and she would be free. By the time her absence was noted she would be beyond the guild's reach. She was almost to the exit when a security guard blocked her way.
"Excuse me Ms. Boudreau but you're wanted in Conference Room 12."
"There must be some mistake. I was not aware I had any appointments this morning."
"There was a change in the schedule." A shiver ran down her spine at the new voice. Turning she looked into the cold blue eyes of the senior sentinel. "You need to come with us."
Flanked by the security guard and the sentinel she had no choice but to comply. With a sinking feeling she knew that the new life she had dreamed of was no longer an option. Maybe if she gave them her brother they would let her live. The Guild did not forgive betrayal.
Mallick Boudreau's dreams of power and erotic beauties was rudely interrupted as strong hands pulled him from his bed and flung him to his bedroom floor. The boot planted between his shoulder blades obscured his view of all but beige carpet and a number of booted feet. One pair of feet stopped in front of him and he suddenly found himself on his knees gazing dazedly up into the arctic blue eyes of a Viking warrior. As the shock of his sudden awakening began to wear off he became aware of noises coming from the hallway and the first inkling of fear made itself known in his gut.
Seeing awareness in his captive's eyes Kydon gave a cold smile. "Mallick Boudreau you have been found guilty of crimes against the Trader's Guild and against the Cobra Clan. Your base is in the hands of Guild agents and your followers are either in custody or dead. I give you this one chance, tell me about your Hierarchy masters and I will make sure your death is quick, refuse and you will end your days screaming. The choice is yours."
"I will tell you nothing."
"Good, your crimes do not merit an easy death. UET justice would offer you life in prison or a merciful end. But you are in the Guild's hands and the Guild does not do mercy. You will tell us what we want to know Mr. Boudreau and then you will die but when your end comes there will be nothing quick or merciful about it." Glancing at his clansmen he motioned toward the door. "Take him to the Guild Master. It is time for him to join his sister in the Inquisitor's chamber."
Simon Banks stormed through the halls of Ranger HQ cursing politicians in general and the UET ruling council specifically. They had two missing Senatobian children, every sentinel and guide in known space had disappeared to parts unknown and were gearing up for war, and the UET was upset that the Guild was raiding pirate bases without their approval. They were idiots, the lot of them. Maybe instead of taking up his valuable time they should read their contracts. When the UET was in its infancy safe trading between worlds was a major concern of the founding fathers. Rather than overburden the Patrol who had its hands full trying to keep migrating settlers alive in the unfamiliar territory of space, they had decided to found a Guild with the sole purpose of insuring fair and equitable trading among all UET worlds. If you bought or sold anything within UET space the Guild assured that the product you bought was the one advertised and the price was standard across worlds. Guild sentinels could be called in to inspect merchandise and oversee negotiations to assure truthfulness between buyer and seller. Over the years the Guild performed its task so well the UET had handed anything regarding buying, selling, and moving people and cargo over to Guild authority. And they wielded that authority with an iron fist. You crossed the Guild at your own peril. So why were the UET so surprised when the Guild decided to act? Kidnapping the children of its valuable sentinels was a sure way to get on the Guild's bad side and Guild enemies tended to die suddenly and violently. Pushing thoughts of his superiors' stupidity from his mind he turned his thoughts back to his own crisis. Hopefully the fall of the pirate base gave them the clues they so desperately needed.
Entering Major Crimes he stopped stunned. While he had sat listening to idiotic bureaucrats his people had been busy. The conference room was filled to capacity with white boards and every board was covered with photos and data. Around the table his fellow rangers were sorting through stacks of reports.
"Simon, you're just in time for show and tell." Ellison handed his harried boss a cup of coffee and pointed to the conference room. "We were just about to run what we know."
"What the hell is all of this?"
"Sandburg had a visitation last night, his visitor gave us a few missing pieces to the puzzle and the Trader's Guild found their spy. We've been running leads since."
"You've been here all night?"
"Yeah, once we heard what Sandburg's visitor had to say there was no going back to sleep. We decided we might as well get some work done. Kydon forwarded the intel from the pirate leader as soon as the Inquisitor was done. We've spent all morning connecting the dots."
Entering the conference room Ellison handed a cup of tea to his partner before dropping into his seat. The rest of Major Crimes settled into their chairs, laying stacks of data on the table in front of them.
When everyone was settled Simon glanced at the uncharacteristically quiet guide. "Okay, what do we have?"
Megan activated the data terminal and the picture of a young girl with long black hair and vivid golden eyes appeared on the conference room screen. "Nyree, of the planet Britannia, aged twelve; she was reported missing from the Geneva space station six years ago."
"Britannia, isn't that the witch world?" Henry studied the innocent face on the screen and shrugged. "She doesn't look like the daughter of Satan."
Blair sighed finally breaking his silence. "The word you are looking for is Mystic. Britannia's energy fields resonate strongly with the psychically gifted. There is no magic and certainly no Satanic connection. They are a world of healers, clairvoyants and seers. Many disasters have been stopped or mitigated by their visions."
"Whoa Hairboy, I wasn't dissing the lady. But those are the rumors."
"Yeah, well the rumors are wrong. The children born on Britannia usually develop some psychic ability by the time they're five. They go through a power spike around the age of twelve when they apprentice to one of the orders for advanced training and to choose their career path. Nyree was apprenticed to one of the healing temples." He glanced sadly at the photo. "Normally she would not have been off world. Britannians rarely leave their planet as their gifts are easier to wield on their home turf. Usually clients go to them but if the need was great enough she would have been duty bound to go."
"The Geneva system had a really bad viral outbreak that year." Megan glanced up from her screen. "The death toll was high."
"She would have been a prime target for Wessington's buyer." Joel clicked a button on his data pad and the picture on the screen changed to show rows of children. "But she was far from being the only one."
Staring at the pictures Blair forced himself to focus on the current problem. He couldn't undo what had been done to them but he could and would honor his promise. They would be free. He gave Taggart a tired smile. "You're right and thanks to Nyree we have a chance to stop these monsters."
Sensing the change in atmosphere Simon nodded, his people were ready to work. "So what do we know?"
Receiving a nod from Blair, Taggart continued with the briefing. "We believe a rouge agent from the Hierarchy is kidnapping and experimenting on gifted children in hopes of instilling those gifts in his own race. If our intel is correct our mad scientist collects twelve specimens to study. When he has learned all he can from them he then requisitions another twelve. He has done this at least six times and is starting the seventh round with our missing sentinel and guide. According to our source the specimens are kept safe until the entire batch is collected."
"Well thank god for that." Simon felt sick at the thought of experimentation on children. "At least we have a little time. Do we have any idea where our Dr. Frankenstein is hiding?"
"To evade detection from both his own people and the patrol he would need to stay mobile. Best guess is that he's flying somewhere in the Wastelands."
Rafe nodded "Makes sense, halfway between the UET and the Hierarchy, not patrolled by either side and home to only outlaws, a few hardcore miners and those settlers wanting isolation from the rest of civilization, he could stay out there forever and never be detected."
"Yeah, but ships don't run on vacuum." H ticked the points off on his fingers. "He'd need fuel, supplies and the occasional service stop. You can't just dock a Hierarchy ship at the shipyard and ask for repairs. Also medical and scientific supplies are pretty hard to get your hands on without the proper licenses."
Jim nodded. "Right on all counts, that's where things get interesting. Connor?"
Megan typed a command into her datapad and the picture of a large freighter appeared on the screen. "Meet the Callico, sister ship to the The Emperor's Quest, owned by The ReGen Corporation, a private medical research company based out of Avalon."
"I've heard of ReGen." Blair's face paled. "They made a fortune selling the patent for a serum that slows and reverses the effects of aging. Now we know who their test subjects really were. And setting up a base on Avalon makes sense. It has the best medical facilities in the UET, if you want specialized medical equipment that's the place to find it."
H shook his head in disbelief, "How did the patrol miss this connection?"
"They investigated but the office on Avalon is only a storage and shipping facility. The home office and labs were never located." Joel shrugged. "When Wessington was shut down the investigation was deemed unimportant and the case was dropped."
"Okay," Simon glanced around the table, "so ReGen is the supply point for the Hierarchy and the Callico it the pipeline. That still doesn't tell us where the Hierarchy ship is hiding. Any idea when our mad scientist will be contacting his supplier?"
"Actually we do." Ellison nodded to Megan and a list of names appeared on the viewer. "The Trader's Guild raided the pirate's stronghold early this morning. This list was in the leader's possession."
"A list of names, how does that help us?"
"It's more than a list of names," Blair pointed to a row of data, "it's a shopping list for gifted children. Everything's listed ... age, psi ability and rating, and a complete travel plan. Everything our scientist would need to choose a candidate and everything the pirates would need to snatch them."
"And according to this mark," Jim indicated a symbol next to two names on the list. "Our next abductees have not only already been chosen but are on their way to Avalon as we speak."
"The patrol just sent over a report of a passenger liner being boarded." Rafe handed the memo to Simon, "three crew members were killed and two children were taken. Names of the kids match those on the list."
"The Guild has agents on Avalon ready to take the pirates into custody. They've agreed to leave ReGen to us."
Simon nodded at Jim's words. "Okay people pack your bags we're going on a road trip. I want everyone on the flight deck in an hour. I want to learn everything we can before that ship lands."
One hour later Ranger One lifted smoothly into Cascade's for once clear skies.
Simon banks stood on a small rise studying the ReGen warehouse through a pair of high powered lens. The Callico had just landed and a steady stream of cargo was being loaded onto the freighter. He turned his head as Ellison slid into place beside him. The sentinel was dressed a commando stealth suit. The various pockets and utility belt holding only god knew what. He looked predatory and Simon shivered glad that he was not the intended prey.
"Warehouse staff appears to be human. The guy in the suit is a Heloderm and the two bruisers with him are Teius. The pilot and the rest of the crew are human."
Simon nodded. "Are you sure you still want to do this? Even with only three Hierarchy agents to deal with it's a risk."
"It's the only way. That ship is our only link to the kids. We lose it we have no way to locate the mother ship." Jim removed a small device from one of his suit's deep pockets. "If I connect this to the ship's nav station it will transmit the ships destination directly to the receiver on Ranger One moments before the flight computer receives the order. As long as you stay just outside of sensor range you'll be able to follow wherever it goes."
"Yeah, but I still don't see how you're going to get that in place on a ship crawling with people not to mention getting past our reptilian friends over there?"
"I'm going to walk right in; they'll never know I'm there." Chuckling at his boss's dubious expression, Jim returned the nav link to his pocket and pulled a small disc from a compartment on his utility belt.
Simon's eyes widened as he recognized the disc. "How in hell did you get a Hierarchy cloaking device? Any pilfered Hierarchy tech is locked away in a military lab somewhere and never sees the light of day."
"Good thing this doesn't belong to the military then."
"Jim all confiscated tech belongs to the military. Where did you get that?'"
"Raven took it up from Wessington's corpse. And before you start, yes it's legal. Like the rest of the UET you forget the clans are not UET citizens. The laws that govern sentinel and guide behavior while operating within UET space are spelled out in detailed contracts. But the clans owe the UET nothing. Senatobians are UET allies, nothing more. Wessington attacked Raven's clan; it was within his rights to claim compensation from a defeated enemy."
"And you just happen to have it because…"
"I'm Warlord. It's my job to hold on to such things and determine how they might best serve all the clans."
"Okay so they won't see or hear you coming and they can't pick you up on scanners. But what about smell? The stealth cloak doesn't cover scent and from what I remember those Teius warriors have pretty good noses."
"That's where my current wardrobe comes in. Commando stealth suits dampen scent, very useful for sneaking by guard dogs. That plus the grease paint should disguise me pretty well. I'll follow a group of workers on board. I'll be just one human among a group."
"And after the workers leave what then? I still think you should plant the device and get out of there. Staying on board is too risky. We have no idea how long this trip could be."
"We've been over this Simon, finding the mother ship does no good if we can't get aboard. And fighting our way through who knows how many warriors is suicide. A few strategically place canisters of gas will cut down the odds considerably. What's the status of the pirates?"
"Landed a few minutes ago. The Guild has the crew under wraps and Conner is rigging the life capsules as we speak. Unless they stick their hand into the capsule they'll never know the kids aren't there. Taggart has contacted ReGen for delivery instructions. Crate should be here within the hour."
"Good that gives me enough time to get the nav link in place and find a place to hole up."
"I still don't like this but I can't think of anything better. Be careful, don't take any unnecessary risks. Are you sure you'll be able to check in with Sandburg? I'm not looking forward to being cooped up with your stressing guide."
"If it's too far for the mind link. We'll meet on the spirit plane." Jim smiled. "One of the advantages of having a Shaman for a guide. I'll try to keep him calm for you."
"I'm kind of surprised he's not here to see you off."
"He's already given me my orders. Besides the kids need him. It's better that he's doing something useful rather than standing here worrying." Retrieving a small black pack from the backseat of Simon's transport Ellison fished a tube of camouflage paint from the side pocket. He applied the makeup to the exposed skin of his face and neck then pulled the hood of the stealth suit up over his head. A pair of flexible black gloves covered his hands. Clipping the cloaking device to his belt he gave Simon an encouraging smile. "I'll see you soon don't be late." Then he pressed a button on the cloak and disappeared.
With a heavy sigh Banks turned and headed for the transport offering up a prayer for fools and commandos. If all went well this nightmare would soon be over. It couldn't happen quickly enough for him.
Leaving Simon on the hill Jim made his way quickly to the warehouse. A steady stream of workers were still ferrying crates of supplies to the ship and he attached himself to one such group. The Heloderm and the two Teius warriors were stationed at the foot of the landing ramp watching the workers closely. He doubted that they had bothered to memorize the scent of every human on the ship or at the warehouse. Given their contempt of any race not their own one human was probably the same as any other to them and if past behavior was any indication the three stayed away from humans whenever possible. Still he held his breath as his group walked by the trio and up the landing ramp.
Breaking off from the others Ellison made a sweep of the ship. The Callico was a much larger ship than The Emperor's Quest with space for a crew of twelve. Currently three of the crew cabins showed signs of human habitation. The Captain's cabin located on the opposite side of the ship from the crew quarters was locked but the reptilian scent coming from the room left no illusion as to the occupants. Good he detected only human scents in the rest of the ship. As he suspected once the cargo was loaded the boss and his bodyguards retreated to the Captain's cabin and left the rest of the ship to the human crew. That lowered his chances of discovery immensely. Ghosting onto the bridge he paused and studied the three men currently milling around the area.
"Come on Bob we'll be lifting in a couple of hours. I intend to have a decent meal and a few drinks before we go."
"Hold your horses Jack, I just need to finish loading the new nav charts then we can go. The boss has given us two hours and I intend to enjoy them. He wants to leave as soon as the special cargo is loaded."
"Heard the freighter just landed. We'd better hurry if we want to have any fun this trip." Finishing up his task Bob joined his two crewmates and headed for the door.
The sentinel patiently tracked the three men all the way through the ship. Only when he heard their boots ring on the landing ramp did he move. Checking to make sure the nonhuman passengers were still outside he quickly went to work. Silently he removed the panel covering the nav computer and with deft movements wired the nav link into the system. The addition would be invisible to anyone using the navigation console. Anyone inspecting the unit would have to know what they were looking for to spot the addition. Satisfied he reattached the panel and left the bridge. He had two hours to find a secure hiding spot. The cabin farthest from the others suited his needs perfectly. Scrounging supplies from the galley and neighboring cabins he soon had a secure and comfortable nest. Thirty minutes later he heard the others return and head for the bridge. A few moments later the ship's engines fired to life. Reclining on his bunk Ellison tried to relax as the ship rose smoothly into the sky.
Aboard Ranger One Henry studied a small hand held device then quickly entered coordinates into the navigation computer then nodded to Rafe. Ranger One rose gracefully to follow the other ship.
Three days later Jim was developing a severe case of cabin fever. It had been simple to avoid the crew but lack of activity was beginning to wear on him.
You should have packed more books. his guide's thoughts were fainter then usual but he had no trouble hearing the thoughts or feeling the warmth he always associated with Sandburg.
Only so much will fit into these pockets Chief. How are things over there?
About the same, we all want these jokers to stop fooling around and just go home already.
Should be soon now. The boss left his cabin briefly probably to pass on new orders.
Good. How are your senses holding up?
Being able to sense you helps. I'm just tired, it's hard to relax when you're in the lion's den.
Well, set a sensory net and try to get some sleep. I'll stay with you for a while. You're going to need to be on your best game when the ship docks. You can't afford to make mistakes because of fatigue.
Humor flooded the link. Yes, mother.
Smart ass. Now get comfortable and I'll tell you about my trip to the beaches of New Jamaica.
Setting a sensory net to warn him in case anyone approached, he let the soothing presence of this guide lull him to sleep. A shift in the sound of the ship's engines woke him some hours later.
Leaving the cabin he made his way to the viewport. The Callico was fast approaching a large vessel. As they drew closer sentinel sight had no trouble identifying the lines of a Hierarchy scientific survey ship. He carefully made his way to the bridge. This was the trickiest part of his plan. It was doubtful that the human crew would leave the ship. He had to time things perfectly to make it onto the survey ship without triggering sensitive noses. He was confident that the stealth suit would cover his scent as long as he didn't get too close to anyone. But keeping a safe distance would be harder on the large and more populated ship. The pilot was good the freighter landed inside the hanger with barely a bump. As he suspected the humans were ordered to remain on the bridge. Keeping a respectful distance the commando trailed the boss to the ship's hatch. A few moments later, Teius warriors wearing image masks entered the ship and began to move cargo. Ignoring the warriors, the Heloderm and his two bodyguards made their way to a large crate. The markings on the side identified the crate as the one holding the kidnapped children. Under the Heloderm's careful watch the two Teius warriors maneuvered the crate out of the hold. The urge to follow the crate was strong but Jim waited watching for the right moment to slip undetected onto the hanger deck.
Skirting the warriors busily unloading cargo Ellison made his way deeper into the ship. The halls were less crowded then he had expected for a vessel this size. Good, the less warriors the better. It took a few moments to locate his objective. A number of air handling units of different sizes filled the room. Considering the specialized needs of a science vessel that was not surprising. It took a while to locate the main air handling unit. Removing a number of small silver cylinders from his pack he attached them to the outflow units. A new development by the commando science unit was a sleep gas that while harmless to mammals put reptiles into a deep hibernation. It was just the thing for anesthetizing a ship full of reptilian crew while leaving the non-reptilian spy unharmed. His sabotage completed the commando returned to the hanger deck. Safely tucked away in the control room he watched through the large window as the freighter was unloaded. When the last box was secured the freighter was sealed and the flight deck cleared. A few minutes later the freighter left the ship. With the freighter gone Ellison turned his attention to studying the warrior in charge of the flight deck. His movements were noticeably slower it wouldn't be long now. Slowly and deliberately the warrior checked his console to insure the hanger doors were secure. Satisfied he turned from the control panel took two steps and dropped soundless to the deck. Wasting no time Jim approached the control panel and quickly keyed in the sequence to reopen the hanger doors. Moments later Ranger One glided smoothly into the hanger and settled onto the deck. Closing the hanger doors the sentinel quickly scanned for any signs of alarm. Only silence greeted him.
Simon Banks strode down Ranger One's landing ramp and stepped boldly onto the flight deck of the Hierarchy ship. The air in front of him shimmered briefly and a smiling Jim Ellison came into view. "Welcome aboard, sir.
Simon couldn't help smiling at the smug look on the sentinel's face but quickly controlled himself. They had a job to do. "Don't get cocky; we're not out of the woods yet. I take it your commando toy worked as expected?"
"So far. I have one down in the control room. Anyone else in the main ship areas should be down or close to it but there may still be hostiles in secured areas where the gas couldn't reach. It is a science vessel; that means sealed labs."
"Okay, Connor, Taggert secure the engine room. Rafe, Brown take the flight deck. Secure any downed enemies you find. I don't want them suddenly waking up with mayhem on their minds. Ship's scanners are a priority. We need to know what we're up against before we go stomping around." Turning to the unexpectedly quiet guide he gentled his voice. "Sandburg, any idea where they might be holding the kids?"
Sandburg shivered then raised haunted eyes to the Captain. "This place is evil. There's so much pain and fear." Taking a deep breath the empath struggled to pull himself together. "The most concentrated darkness is below. Best guess is that's where the labs are located and where we'll find our host. He should be keeping the kids nearby. He wouldn't want to waste any time moving them into the exam area once his set is complete."
Connor nodded. "That tracks with my scans. I bugged the capsule. Signal's coming from the bottom of the ship, probably lowest deck."
"Okay, Ellison, Sandburg with me that's our target. The rest of you insure we maintain control of this ship."
With a nod the rangers scattered to carry out their appointed tasks. Banks surveyed his two remaining team members. "Okay Jim you're the commando how do you want to do this?"
"I scout, you follow. We get the kids to safety then we shut this place down for good."
Banks nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He turned to Blair. "Stay close and if anyone or anything gives you a nudge speak up. I'm prepared to take all the help I can get on this one."
Sandburg gave a grim smile. "They're here Simon and trust me when they have something to contribute we'll all know."
The next half hour was an excruciating game of hide and seek. The cloaked sentinel would clear an area then signal for Simon and Blair to join him. They would then secure any downed crew and proceed to the next section. They had cleared the forward half of the deck when Sandburg stiffened. A small red fox kit and a black bear cub stood in the center of the corridor looking at the guide with hopeful eyes. Jim stopped the Captain as the shaman stepped forward and knelt before the two spirit guides. "Hey little ones, where are your partners?"
"Blair?"
At Simon's quiet question Blair turned and smiled. "It's okay Captain. It's the kid's spirit guides. Both appear healthy and unstressed. They haven't been hurt. We must be close." At the guide's words the two animals moved to face the right hand wall about halfway down the corridor.
Walking to the spot Blair indicated Simon shook his head. "All I see is wall are you sure this is where they want us to go?"
"I'm sure this is the spot. Jim?"
The sentinel studied the wall. "There's a door here. I can't see any security measures." Reaching out he ran sensitive fingers along the hidden seam. There was a soft click and the door popped open to reveal a narrow passage.
"You've got to be kidding me." Simon shook his head in disbelief. "Who has a secret passage on a spaceship?"
Sandburg chuckled. "It's a prerequisite for super-secret mad scientists everywhere. Can't let anyone know what you're up to now can you?"
"Just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder."
"Now Simon you should know by now things can always get weirder." Ellison gestured to the open door. "Shall we?"
With a put upon sigh the ranger followed the sentinel and guide into the passage. "Down the rabbit hole we go."
The three men made their way silently down the corridor alert for any signs of trouble. The passage was a narrow tube of bland grey metal broken up at regular intervals by large gaps. Stopping before one such niche the sentinel studied the dark opening. "Looks like housing for a blast door." He turned and studied the corridor. "I think we're in an emergency evacuation tunnel. There's a slight slope to the floor. We've been going lower since we entered. There must be another deck below."
Blair nodded. "Makes sense. If this is a research vessel they would have one secured lab separate from the rest of the ship." He glance at the cold grey walls, "one that could be jettisoned if something nasty broke loose."
Jim sighed. "And it would have a separate air supply to keep contaminants from bleeding into the ship."
"Great." Banks grumbled. "So we're heading into a sealed coffin that can be launched into space at any time housing no telling how many hostiles who will not be sleeping peacefully on the floor."
"Connor to Banks." The sound of the com cut through the tense silence.
"Banks."
"Sir the ship is secured. That commando gizmo Jim scored for us works like a charm. We plugged it into the ship's computer and now have full control of all systems. Internal sensors are working. You appear to be in a service tunnel heading for the secure lab."
"Any sensors in the lab?"
"No. The area is completely blind. I've accessed the crew records and there are three crewmen not accounted for, two Teius warriors and one Heloderm, plus the scientist in charge. There's no listing of which species he is."
"Good to know. Download everything you can then head back to Ranger One. If things go South down here we may be coming in hot. Be ready."
"Understood. Good luck sir. Connor out."
"Perfect," Banks grumbled. He turned to the sentinel. "Any ideas? I'm not keen on taking on Teius warriors in an enclosed space that doubles as an airlock."
"Stealth, sir. Since we are currently not under attack we're still outside of their sensory range."
"But not outside yours." Blair grinned. "Don't try to tell me you haven't been scanning ahead ever since we entered this tunnel." His smile dimmed. "What's waiting for us Jim?"
Ellison tilted his head sending his senses out to scan the way ahead. "You're right Chief I think we're heading to some kind of lab. There is one large area filled with machinery. Based on the hum I'm guessing stasis pods, a lot of stasis pods. At the rear is a dead zone, probably the sealed lab. Our two Teius are standing guard outside of the dead zone." He turned to Banks. "You two need to stay here while I take care of the guards then we find the kids and get the hell out of here before the mad scientist and his henchman notice." Jim glanced at his guide. "I'm sorry Blair but it's us or them."
Sandburg nodded. "I know Jim. Do what you have to."
With a solemn nod the sentinel activated his cloak and vanished.
The lab was just as he had expected. Row upon row of stasis pods held their grisly occupants in eternal limbo. Ellison paused and glanced into one of the pods. Rage flooded him.
Jim?
Taking a deep breath he ruthlessly locked down his emotions. Sorry Chief, made the mistake of looking into one of the pods. It's bad Blair. Much worse than I could ever have imagined. This monster deserves to die.
I know Jim. Find our kids. The others will have their justice. I promise.
Ellison glanced one last time at what had once been a beautiful healthy child but was now a mass of tubes, wire and mutilated flesh. There wasn't a Hell deep enough for this monster but for now the living needed his help.
The two Teius warriors never had time to react as the silent figure ghosted up behind them and calmly slit their throats. Stashing the bodies out of sight the sentinel glanced through the small window set into the door of the secured lab. Inside a Heloderm followed the instructions of a small reptile he had never seen. If a Gecko grew to human size it would look a lot like the being in front of him. This must be a Tuataras, the elusive ruling class of the Hierarchy. For now the scientist was busy arranging his equipment on a nearby table while his assistant began opening the large crate containing his latest acquisitions.
They didn't have much time once they opened the capsules the game was up. Crouching beside the door, the commando studied the locking mechanism. Pulling an interface from a suit pocket he plugged it into the door controls. Studying the stream of data he gave a feral smile and began to rapidly enter commands.
Simon paced impatiently. He hated waiting. He glanced at Sandburg. The kid was leaned up against one of the metal walls, eyes closed, monitoring their sentinel. Suddenly the kid straightened and opened his eyes. "We're good to go. The guards are down and Jim is booby trapping the lab door. Time to get the kids and get out of here."
Simon didn't know what to expect as he finally stepped into the secret lab. He knew the room was large and that it contained stasis pods. He just hadn't been expecting so many of them. Seeing the row upon row of pods brought home to the ranger the sheer size of the operation. So many children, so many innocent lives lost, so many families destroyed for some crackpots demented scheme. Stepping up to the nearest pod he glanced inside and wished he hadn't.
A gentle hand on his arm jerked him out of his shock. "Best not to look Simon. You have enough nightmares."
The pain in Blair's eyes was like a punch to the gut. "You knew?"
The shaman nodded. "They called me here. They want to be free." He touched the pod reverently. "They are not alive but these capsules won't let them completely die. They are coming Simon and I can't hold them off much longer. We need to get out of here. Their anger is so strong, once unleashed … well I don't know what will happen but we don't want to be here when it happens." He stared at the far end of the room and smiled. "Ah, I believe our furry friends have found our quarry."
The three men rendezvoused at the front of the room. Obviously the scientist liked things orderly. Older subjects in the back and newer ones closer to the examination room. Seated beside the two closest capsules were the two spirit guides. They watched anxiously as the men began pressing the buttons on the front of the metal prisons holding their partners captive.
Everything was going well until a loud roar, followed by the sound of breaking glass signaled that their ruse had been detected. Jim quickly finished lifting the sleeping child from the pod. "We need to go now." Banks and Ellison began moving toward the escape tunnel with their precious cargo only to stop when they noticed Blair was not following. Handing his burden to Simon, Jim approached his guide and sighed. Sandburg's eyes were glowing. "Not a good time to be walking worlds Shaman."
"Oh, but it is a most wonderful time." At the sound of the alien voice Ellison turned and found himself being scrutinized by the coldest eyes he had ever seen. They were dead eyes, devoid of any hint of compassion. Trying to open the lab door had fried the lock trapping its occupants inside but the scientist seem unconcerned with this turn of events. The wall beside the door had turned transparent, a hidden viewing window, and the Tuataras was studying Blair with a hungry gaze that made the sentinel's skin crawl. "So the elder comes for the younger. You will be wonderful subjects."
Behind the scientist the Heloderm lifted a torch from one of the tables. Jim shivered at the thought of what such a tool had been used for. "The door won't last long against a plasma cutter we need to go…now."
Sandburg nodded but made no move toward the exit instead he walked over to a large panel set into the wall. "Yes, it is time. He gazed at the silent rows of pods then whispered. "I'm sorry."
"What are you doing get away from my equipment." The Tuataras spoke with the voice of one use to absolute obedience. Too bad Blair never did what he was told. Ignoring the angry scientist he reached for the master switch and threw the breaker. Immediately silence descended on the room as every pod lost power.
"You stupid ape. Those specimens are irreplaceable." The scientist was livid but Sandburg ignored him. The bright flare of the torch against the door hinges told Blair time was short. It would be close, who would reach them first.
Simon and Jim came to stand next to the guide and followed his gaze to the now dormant pods. At first nothing happened them Banks gasped as a small ghostly hand began to emerge from the nearest pod. One by one spectral shapes began to form above the pods.
"What is this?" The three men turned to find the scientist pressed against the window staring in fascination at the gathering spirits.
"Your quest would never have succeeded. The power you seek is not only of the mind and body but of the soul. It is now time to pay for your crimes." Turning his back on the Tuataras the shaman led the way toward the evacuation tunnel, the host of spirits parting to let him pass. Clutching the children Banks and Ellison followed.
The Sentinel paused at the sound of the lab door falling ready to defend his companions if necessary. His fears were unfounded. He watched as the Heloderm charged from the room only to be thrown backward by an unseen wind. Once again the spirits parted and a glowing figure marched forward. As the figure passed the ghostly horde closed ranks and followed in their leader's wake. Nyree stopped before the being that had caused so much pain and grief. A smile colder than the artic graced her face. The sight of that smile had the sentinel turning and hurrying to follow his guide. A few moments later the screaming started. Ellison caught up with the others and the three ran. Around them the ship shuddered and lights exploded but nothing touched them.
The sight of Ranger One was the most beautiful site Banks had ever seen. As soon as their feet hit the deck Rafe had the ship up and moving. A well placed missile handled the landing bay doors and then they were free. From a safe distance they watched as the Hierarchy ship vanished, vaporized by otherworldly energies.
Banks settled into his command chair and started to let himself relax only to tense as a sparkling light began to coalesce in the center of the bridge.
"Relax Simon the danger is past. Just a friend coming to say good bye."
The light brightened and a sense of peace filled the ship. Thank you all for freeing us.
"Goodbye Nyree safe journey." A ghostly wind ruffled the guide's hair then the light faded.
"Well that was one for the books." Simon glanced around at his crew, his family. "Let's go home people. I think I've had enough excitement for one day." A moment later Ranger One was on its way, carrying its precious cargo home.