A/N: Sorry chapters are slow. I've bitten off more than my braces-expanded-muffin-filth-hole could chew. I've got a lot of ongoing stories as well as a massive pile of homework. Please don't be mad. I'm still working on stories but I'm working more on the ones that get more reviews per chapter and this is low on the list.
Leave a review if you want faster chapters cause that's how I'll be working.
Chapter 7 – Escape Plan
"Well how come you had to throw him in jail?" Shloonktapoxis asked.
His Commander stood with his back turned, staring out the window. "He broke intergalactic and planetary laws. What else would I have done with him?"
Shlooktapoxis looked away unsure of how to answer. He had led the two Vortians all the way from the other side of the city and he'd gotten a pretty good read on their personalities. Shloonk knew he wasn't the smartest out there but he was a good judge of character, and he could tell that Lard Nar would only do what he thought was completely necessary.
"Couldn't you just… I dun know… let him off with a warning… or somethin?"
The Commander turned and narrowed his eyes at Shloonk. "For what? To allow him to go back out there and knowingly do it again?"
"No.. but maybe I could pay for what he took… he was just doing what he thought was best for himself and Kark."
"Kark?"
"That vortian child with him…"
"Ah yes… the child… she shall be returned to Vort with the next trade cruiser." Shloonktapoxis stared wide eyed at his commander. "Is it true that she doesn't even have a translator?" The commander asked. Shloonk nodded. "Where is she now?"
He turned to look back at the door. "She's right outside. It took her awhile to stop crying and trying to run after Lard Nar. She's pretty scared. Maybe if we could let her see him…?"
The commander sighed and pressed some buttons on the floor. He spoke to his secretary for a moment before turning back to Shloonktapoxis. "You've spent more time with the child. Do you think that seeing her caretaker in jail is truly the best thing for her?"
Shloonk shrugged, "We can understand her but she can't understand us. I think if he could explain things to her she might not be so afraid." The Commander nodded but didn't respond. "So I'll just take her down there then."
Private Shlooktapoxis left the room and was immediately bombarded by the child Kark with a mass of questions that they both knew she wouldn't understand even if he answered them. He winced inwardly when he saw the tear stains around her eyes. She's just a child. What's she even doing so far from home? He had to wonder to himself. He bent down to look her in the eyes and smiled gently.
"Want to go see Lard Nar?" He knew she didn't understand the other parts but Names sounded the same no matter what language they were in. Kark smiled when she heard her 'big brother's' name. Shloonktapoxis smiled and led the way down to the prison ward.
"Curse it all!" Lard Nar threw himself against the bars of his cage again… but it was no use. If this jail were secured with force shields he could probably crack open a panel and mess with some wires, but with it being just bars of hardened plasma, that even his diminutive size couldn't squeeze through, he was very much trapped.
Lard Nar rubbed his shoulder sore from that last attempt. "Well this certainly isn't going to work… I should never have gotten supplies. I should have waited until I could speak with a planetary leader… How could I have been so stupid!?" He cursed and kicked the wall, which was a stupid idea since it only made his foot hurt. "Great… Now I'm an idiot and a cripple."
The clang of the prison's main doors echoed down the hallway. Lard Nar quietly reached behind him to the broken shards from the mirror in the back he had smashed an hour ago. If that irken were to come back, Lard Nar was determined that it would not leave alive.
He stood in the shadow of his cell, watching as a cone shaped shadow moved ever closer. He jumped, startled, when Kark ran full force into the bars "Big brother! What are you doing in here!? What's going on? Why did they take you away?" He set the glass shard down and went to the bars to comfort her.
"I'm sorry. Don't be scared. We're going to get out of here. I promise."
"Umm actually that might not be so easy." Shloonktapoxis said from behind Kark. Lard Nar looked up and glared at him. For once he wished there was no such thing as a universal translator, so that the cones wouldn't know what he was saying to Kark. Shloonktapoxis returned the glare with a stupid smile.
"Do you mind?" Lard Nar snapped at the idiot cone.
Shloonktapoxis shook his head, "Not really," But he didn't move. Lard Nar rolled his eyes. Looking back down at Kark, he lowered his voice.
"How many cones did you see between the main lobby and here?"
Kark looked down, thinking, "17 that were sitting or standing still like guards and 9 that were rushing around." She felt confused when he nodded.
"Do you remember when we were on the ship? You were looking through those old books of mine?" Lard Nar looked at her hoping she would understand what he meant. Kark nodded still looking obfuscated. "Do you remember SP event 1409B?" He watched as Kark's eyes moved as if she was rereading the whole page. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him. Her eyes then moved over to Shloonktapoxis. She pointed at the cone with a questioning look. Lard Nar slowly and subtly shook his head.
Turning back to the cone, Lard Nar asked, "What's going to be done with Kark?" he noted the saddened look on the private's face as he gazed at her.
"She's going to be sent back to Vort… with the next ship." Shloontapoxis hesitated for a moment but then continued to say, "That is… unless you somehow get out of here and the two of you leave before that happens."
Kark looked between Lard Nar's shocked face and the cone's nervous one. She turned back to her Big Brother and whispered, "What'd he say."
Lard Nar debated on how to answer. The Officer Cone had been very friendly and seemed really genuine during the trip through town. He wanted to believe this alien was willing to help them… but what if he was wrong. It would put Kark and himself in even more danger. "Maybe 1409A." he whispered.
Kark held her breath looking hopeful. She made some small signs with her hands as well as some subtle movements with her horns like she'd been taught. Lard Nar smiled and nodded, replying in the same way.
He looked back to the cone again. "Can you take care of her? Though she is afraid of the dark so she might be a little awake tonight." If the cone had meant what he said then he would understand. Which Lard Nar guessed he did by the momentary seriousness on the goofy face.
As the two of them left, Lard Nar leaned back on the wall of his cell.
Situational Protocol (SP) 1409 – What to do if an ally is captured and the rescue team is stranded in hostile territory.
Option A- If an enemy individual can be convinced to assist in escape.
He had never felt so grateful for Kark's above average intelligence. It would be hard for the two of them to communicate but if Shloonktapoxis could figure something out then… with any luck… Lard Nar and Kark would be safely off planet, with a new ally in their fight against the Irkens, before anyone even noticed they were gone.
