VENGEANCE
THREE
Assistant Director of Planetary Security Ven k'atesh had survived.
In fact, quite a few of the Shrake had survived.
This was partly because the Shrake, being an insectoid race, had a keen ability to withstand and recover from grave damage to their bodies. Appendages, antennae, mouthparts, wings could all be lost and at least partially regenerated. Often times the replacement parts would be not quite "good as new", but they were nonetheless adequate to provide for a long and useful life.
The Assistant Director had survived the first assault on the compound during the appropriation of the prisoner. That was not totally surprising as the attack had been tightly focused and primarily confined to the facility holding the detainee. The main compound itself had sustained only minimal damage, and it just so happened that's where Ven k'atesh had been at the time of the initial incursion.
But what followed was the devastating punishment handed out by their "allies" – retribution for the loss of a very valuable asset: the prisoner. As Ven k'atesh had previously warned, the removal of the Time Lord had indeed been an extremely bad thing for the Shrake homeworld. Many of those caught unprotected above ground were killed in the ensuing planetary-wide destruction.
Ven k'atesh had also survived this second, far more disastrous assault. But survival had come at a dreadful cost – while much of the physical damage sustained had been repaired through medical care and self-restoration, the Assistant Director had permanently lost an eye. It was lucky; such a disability was not considered cause for euthanasia. Other survivors had been less fortunate.
And yes, as stated earlier, many Shrake survived because of their ability to regenerate and recover.
But Ven k'atesh had also survived in large part due to an all-consuming desire for vengeance.
While very little of a planet remained for which to carry on as Assistant Director of Planetary Security, Ven k'atesh had pledged to run to ground the criminal who'd liberated the Time Lord and by that singularly wicked act caused the almost complete destruction of the Shrake homeworld.
'Time Lord,' thought Ven k'atesh darkly, wishing the whole bloody mess had never happened. But it had. The prisoner was blameless, that was well appreciated. His rescuer was not. There had been no attempt to negociate – not that negociation would've been profitable, to be sure. The Shrake would never have voluntarily released their prisoner. But if they had been given warning, they could have immediately taken action to hand him over to their allies and thereby protect their world. Instead, thousands had died and thousands more had suffered.
No, it was the Time Lord's savior that must now be punished. Even if it was the last thing Ven k'atesh would ever do, retribution would have its day. Nor were the Shrake without allies and accomplices in this endeavor. The Assistant Director had not hesitated at recruiting some of the same races which had nearly destroyed the planet. They recognized, just as Ven k'atesh knew, that through the seizure of his liberator the former captive may yet be ensnared. The criminal had been easily enough identified and traced. A terrible plan, violent and fierce, was put into place to kill if not capture the culprit and perhaps, if fortune prevailed, trap and recover the former prisoner.
So Ven k'atesh moved single-mindedly in the shadows and waited, manipulating new and old allies while they in turn manipulated others, including possibly and ironically the Assistant Director of Planetary Security...