Chiana's reaction to being left in the dark about the added security was not as bad as Berret expected it would be. The lithe woman only singed a little bit of hair off his braided ponytail with her temper, but she quickly forgave him. Privately he thought that last night had been well worth withholding the news from her, and he meant for more then just the physical part. He was in a good mood having more or less dodged that pulse bolt when Jalen and Chulee cornered him. The small pair held him hostage until he agreed to their ransom of the promised visit to a toyshop. Chiana decided to stay at the Palace and quietly tell the others about the Nebari threat seeing Rygel was trying his best not to concern his friends with worry over the matter. Berret retrieved his Pulse pistol and concealed it in his belt under his jacket. He slung Chulee up on his shoulders, the little girl clutching her Nebari doll. With his son by his side, the trio set out into the market place in search of the perfect toy store. They had only gone a short ways on their quest before Berret became aware that they were being followed. Checking their back trail in the reflection of a shop window, he picked out three familiar Elite Guards in regular clothes tailing them at a discreet distance. Relieved, he blessed whatever passed as Rygel's soul for having assigned bodyguards to his family. Turning his attention back to his offspring he said, "Chulee, you may not use my braid as reins."
"Sorry, Daddy," said his daughter as she stopped pulling on his hair and went back to showing her doll all the stores visible from her perch.
"Now lets see what toy shops we can find," he told his children. Putting an arm across his son's shoulders he took them deeper into the market, followed by their three silent guardians.
The journey to the toyshop was uneventful, unless you counted the children wanting every other toy they seen as an unusual event. Eventually then each settled on one and they made an equally uneventful return trip back to the Palace grounds. They entered the common floor to meet most of the crew sitting around on the overstuffed furniture talking. The conversation came to a stop as Berret and the children entered the room. Chiana made an obvious visual check of her offspring's well-being and after assuring herself of their good health relaxed again in her seat. Jalen and Chulee ran off to show their new toys to Missy and Andrea, leaving the adults alone to pick up their discussion.
"Glad you made it back alright, Jared," said Crichton.
"Yes," continued Aeryn, "Chiana has been telling us about the added security measures that Rygel implemented. I should go twist his little fuzzy ear off for keeping us in the dark if he thinks the Nebari are that much of a threat."
Berret sat down next to Chiana. "I can't blame him, Aeryn. I truly believe that it is his way of attempting to take care of us. He wants us to feel safe and comfortable here, to consider it our home."
"I'm very surprised you did something as tactically stupid as to leave the security of the Palace with the children after what happened yesterday," rumbled D'argo from beside his Delvian mate.
Berret smiled and pulled out the concealed pulse pistol and laid it on the table, then told them of their undercover Elite Guard escort. "I would imagine that now if any of us left the Palace we would be under constant watch by the guard," he finished telling them.
"Still..." said the Luxan not at all placated, "It was unwise."
"You think Sparky wants us to give up our transport business and stay here?" asked John amazed, some time later.
"Well, not give the business up totally," said Zhaan setting her cup down on the table. "More like put it on hold for awhile, at least until the coming conflict is over."
Rygel had finally discussed the plans for taking control of the Territories once there was a victor between the Peacekeepers and Scarrens with his old crewmates that afternoon while the Shrike had been shopping with his children. Chiana gave Berret that look again that said he was in trouble if he knew anything about the plan and didn't share it with her. Berret tried his best to look innocent and pretend it was the first he heard of it, but his wife appeared skeptical of his innocence.
"He more or less strongly advised it. He made a point that both Moya and us as a group would be safer here on the Hynerian Homeworld," continued the Pa'u.
"He makes a valid point," agreed Malika as she leaned forward to snare a dessert cube from a tray, and then leaned back against Andar, "We only have the three Prowlers and the Wraith to protect Moya if the dren hits the oscillator... and that's not a whole lot of firepower to take into a war zone." She took a bite of her cube and then said around the mouthful, "And what, we only have two of the Hell-Storm missiles left?"
"Two exactly," confirmed Aeryn. "I wish Rygel was able to get us more, but I imagine his navy is stock-piling them."
"You know a better way to blow up a Command Carrier or Scarren Dreadnaught?" asked John.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," said his wife turning to look in his direction. "We can fill a Transport Pod with that concoction you insist on making and ram it into an enemy ship. What's it called again? 'Chilly'?" she asked.
"There is nothing wrong with my cooking!" said John offensively. "I make damn good Chili."
"Well, if that stuff doesn't blow up on impact, then at least the crew will die of excessive gastrointestinal cramps," put in Andar, as he vividly remembered several run-ins with John's attempts at home cooking. At the same time the comment sent snickers throughout the group.
"Or they might blow each other away," said D'argo with a twinkle in his eyes, sending the others over the edge into fits of laughter.
"Hey!" called Crichton trying to sound offended while holding back a grin, then giving up and joining in with them. "It's not my fault humans have a superior metabolism," he quipped.
The group decided to give it a couple of more solar days before making the decision on if they should ride out the coming hostilities on Hyneria. Pilot and Moya would have to be asked to vote in the decision also.
The children spent the day playing at one apartment or another and by the time Joban stopped by to pay his respects before going on duty for the night, Jalen and Chulee where pretty much worn out from their active day. Jalen had fallen asleep in his room when Chiana went into check on him. She pulled the boy's clothing off and it amazed her how he never woke up while she struggled with his limp body. She tucked him into his bed and kissed his forehead goodnight. Turning his light off she closed the door and headed into the main room. There on the sofa she found Chulee asleep curled up and tucked under her father's arm. Her Nebari doll lay on top of Berret's chest. Her husband also seemed to have nodded off while watching a vid-broadcast. She stood back and watched the pair sleep for a few microns, savoring the warm feeling of love she felt for her family. When she finally went over to the sofa, Berret's eyes came open at her touch.
"Hey lazy, time to put the little one to bed," she said in a soft voice, smiling at him. "I've already put Jalen to bed, so just give her to me."
"I'll do it," said Berret with a sleepy smile as he stood up with his daughter. The little girl automatically wrapped her arms and legs around Berret while still sleeping.
"It always amazes me how they can do that," he said to his wife in a whisper so as not to wake their daughter.
"They always know where it's safe," murmured Chiana as she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss the girl's cheek before Berret took her to her room.
When Berret returned to the main room microns later he'd found Chiana had turned most of the lights off and was now lounging on the sofa. He joined her there and as soon as he sat down she scooted over to him to take over the place under his arm that Chulee had so recently occupied. He absently bent down to kiss the top of his wife's head and her wild white hair tickled his nose. She snuggled closer to him as they settled down and began watching a Hynerian program based on some historical event in the planet's history.
A few minutes into the program, Chiana said, "So... Mr. Berret..."
"Uh-oh," muttered Berret under his breath.
"Did you know about Rygel's plans for attacking the winner of the war?" she asked looking up at him, waiting for an answer. Knowing it was no use lying to the Nebari woman, he admitted,
"He made me promise not to say anything until he had a chance to speak with you all about it. His exact words were that I would frell it up."
Chiana slapped his thigh in punishment. "Well, those promises don't include me!" she said as if he should know better.
"His other exact words were not to tell that big mouth Chiana," Berret added nonchalantly.
"Rygel didn't say that! Did he?" Chiana asked dumbfounded and shocked.
"No. He did not," Berret admitted, telling her the truth. His punishment this time was a playfully nipped arm. Chiana made growling noises as she feigned sawing her teeth into his flesh. When she was finished he promised, "The next time Rygel tells me one of his secrets, I shall come to you right away and spill everything."
Chiana reached up and pulled him down to her by the back of his head.
"Ohoooo... you're becoming such a naughty boy!" she teased, their lips almost touching.
"Only since I've been in your company,' he replied and pressed his lips against hers.
"I'm glad to see you're picking up some of my better qualities," she said with a sly grin as they parted.
Captain Stoma watched the lights in the apartment windows go out one by one through a set of occulars. He'd already plotted the rounds of all the Palace Elite Guards on the grounds. Tonight the big first sergeant traveled from post to post checking on his security men. Stoma's team was already in their concealed positions waiting for the order to attack. Their normally pale gray Nebari skin covered by black combat gear and face paint, they blended into the night shadows. The lights in the Nebari woman's apartment had dimmed almost an arn before when Stoma gave the signal to his men. As one unit they emerged from hiding and descended on the sentries, quickly and quietly dispatching them before hiding the bodies under foliage in the garden. The grounds secured, they crept silently and undetected into the common level of the Palace wing.
Chiana had fallen asleep with her head laying on Berret's lap and he was just starting to nod off again himself when the hair on the back of his neck started to stand up on end. The unexplained feeling banished the drowsiness from the Shrike, bringing him fully alert. He carefully eased his wife's head off his lap and onto a pillow from the sofa. Not wanting to wake her over an odd feeling that might turn out to be absolutely nothing. He quickly went to their room and picked up his gun belt with the Pulse pistol and extra charge packs attached to it. He slung it over one shoulder instead of buckling it around his waist. He was just about to leave when his gaze fell over the Pulse rifle he'd taken out of the armory earlier in the day and set out. The nagging feeling got worse and he picked up the weapon at the last moment before walking out. He got to the front door and quietly eased it open. He'd just gently pulled it closed behind him when D'argo and Zhaan's door crept open to reveal D'argo and Jothee, armed with their Qualta rifles. Both warriors silently glided their way out into the hallway. The big Luxan looked up but wasn't really startled to see the Shrike in the hallway.
"You feel it too?" D'argo asked in a whisper to Berret.
"We are being hunted," added Jothee also in sotto voice, his Luxan senses testing the air.
Berret nodded in agreement, his odd feeling confirmed by the pair of Luxans. He paused for a microt to fasten the pistol belt around his waist, now glad that he followed his instinct to take the rifle along also. The three crouched together to make their plans. D'argo turned to his son,
"I believe our perimeter has already been penetrated. Your Uncle and I will advance as far as we can to the common level. I want you to go wake the others and have them organize a defensive position here on this level. Then I want you to join us but stay far enough at our rear to provide cover for a retreat if we need one."
"Yes, father," answered Jothee as he turned to carry out his orders and alert the rest of the crew to the danger.
"What about the Elite Guard?" asked Berret hoping that there was still some reinforcements coming to their aid. The Luxan shook his head and then tapped the side of his nose,
"I can smell blood in the air now, most of the guard has probably been taken out already."
Berret check his pulse rifle and looked back at the door to his apartment, wishing that his family were anywhere else but inside and in danger at that microt.
"Ready?" D'argo whispered. Berret pounded a fist lightly against the Luxan's massive shoulder to indicate he was ready as he would ever be.
"Good, then as Crichton says... Let's rock!" D'argo said with hard determination in his gravelly voice.
Chiana was awakened when Jothee placed a hand over her mouth to keep her from making any loud noises. He placed a forefinger against his own lips to signal that she should remain as silent as possible before taking his hand away.
"Jothee, what is it? What's goin' on?" she hissed her question to the young warrior.
"We have trouble, Aunt Chiana. We think somebody is in this wing of the Palace," said the young man as he changed his grip on his Qualta rifle to help her off the sofa.
"It's the Nebari isn't it!" said Chiana beginning to panic.
"We don't know," said Jothee trying to cut off her panic attack. "We just need to get everyone together to repel them if they make it to the apartment level."
Chiana looked around the apartment. "Where's Jared? Where's your Uncle?" she demanded.
"He and Father are down below trying to set up a delaying action until we get ready up here," was the reply.
"Damn that man! He never tells me anything. Wait until I get a hold of him," she grumbled trying to replace the fear and panic with anger as she went to gather her children and what weapons she could grab.
In the hallway the others had started constructing barricades using overturned furniture. Aeryn, armed with a pair of pistols and a heavy pulse rifle stalked up to Chiana just as Jothee disappeared down the stairs after his father and Berret.
"Get the children down behind the barricade and take up a position covering the east stairwell," she ordered before walking away to kick or drag more items on top of the pile they had already collected. Chiana nodded and led Jalen and Chulee inside the barrier. Missy and Andrea were already crouched down there and her offspring joined them. She did her best to reassure the four that everything would be all right and then unslung her two Pulse rifles and the bag of extra charge clips. She placed the extra Pulse rifle near where she would be fighting and held the second ready in her hands. John and Zhaan dragged a large heavy table from one of the apartments. The Delvian woman quickly snapped off the four thick legs with little effort and they placed the top up against the barricade, adding its thickness to their protection.
"I really hope Sparky doesn't want us to pay for all this damage," Crichton commented.
"Worry about it later, John," replied Zhaan as she readied her own Pulse rifle.
Andar rushed out of his apartment carrying several cases of electronic equipment.
"Normal communications are being jammed!" he reported. "I'm going to try hot-linking a tight beam to Moya and have Pilot alert Rygel of the attack," he explained as he threw his equipment behind the cover.
"Make it fast!" ordered Aeryn.
"Your wish is my command," muttered Andar as he connected components together, pausing only to catch a Pulse rifle that Malika threw to him. The young Delvian woman slammed a charge into her own rifle then checked a large knife tucked into her belt. The blade slid free of it's sheath and the woman's slim blue fingers twirled it around expertly in a blur. The sharp blade humming as it cut the air before she re-sheathed the weapon. Andar looked over and commented,
"One day you're going to have to show me how to do that."
He earned himself a tight smile from the young Delvian Pa'u. Zhaan looked up at the un-priestess-like skill but said nothing. A single pulse bolt sounded from the lower level followed a microt later by a barrage of them.
"Dren!" shouted Aeryn, "Here they come! Everybody to arms!"
D'argo and Berret had leapfrogged down the corridor. Taking turns covering each other while the other moved forward. They made it down the stairwell to the common level and into the main sitting room. Most of the lights having been shut off; they paused to let their eyes get accustomed to the low light levels. Luxan eyes adapted very quickly and the Shrike's eyes began to get the silver shine that meant the microbes were adjusting his eyesight to the darkness. Berret was just about to move further into the huge room when D'argo halted him. Getting the Shrike's attention he silently pointed down the next corridor. Waiting a few microts, Berret was finally able to make out the black shapes slowly crawling their way into the far side of the room. D'argo tapped him on the shoulder again to get his attention and mouthed the word "Nebari" while tapping his nose once more. An almost inaudible noise told them that Jothee had taken position up in the stairwell and was aware of the visitors. The Luxan motioned for the Shrike to move to one side of the room while he found a position at the other. Berret nodded that he understood and crept off in his assigned direction.
The group of Nebari troopers began to spread out into the common room. Berret saw that he would have to cross a relatively opened section of the room with no cover. Having seen the room plenty of times in normal light, he remembered that there was a recessed alcove that ran along the ceiling of the wall near him. Silently he climbed up and disappeared into the shadows there. He was able to cover more distance using the alcove and was soon nearly above the lead man in the group. Berret smiled, like most species of humanoid beings the Nebari rarely looked up. There was something to be said about what John would call having the home field advantage. He made out D'argo settling into position, the blade and barrel of his Qualta rifle resting on top of a piece of furniture waiting for a target to step into his sights. Berret put aside the Pulse rifle and drew his pistol. He wrapped his legs around a pipe that ran into the wall and as the Nebari below him was about to pass under him, he dropped to hang by his knees directly in front of the man. The Nebari's eyes grew wide in surprise as Berret said, "Hello," and placed the muzzle of his pistol between the startled man's eyes. He then said, "Goodbye," as he pulled the trigger. The pulse bolt snapped the unlucky man's head back and sent him flying backwards into his comrades.
All hezmana broke lose as Berret pulled himself back up into the alcove and seized his Pulse rifle before unwrapping his legs and allowing himself to fall back to the floor. Rolling in mid air to land on his feet, he then tucked and tumbled along the floor to cover as pulse bolts cut through the space he'd just occupied.
D'argo had opened up from the other side of the room. The heavy whack of pulse bolts from the Qualta rifle cut the air and another black suited figure cried out and spun to the ground as the energy bolts chopped him in two. Over Berret's head more bolts from Jothee's rifle pounded into the makeshift barricades of the invaders. Berret brought up his own rifle and snapped off several bolts at the nearest men, forcing them to keep their heads down. The Nebari where too well entrenched now to draw out so the only solution to get them to show themselves was for D'argo and Berret to pull back and make them have to advanced. D'argo used hand signals to rely his order to the Shrike. Father and son provided cover fire as the ex-assassin pulled back to a new position. Then they provide more cover for the older Luxan to do the same thing. The ploy worked, as they were able to pick off two more invaders as they moved forward. They had to pull back twice more before they were again back at the stairwell.
The fighting below sounded as if it was getting closer to Chiana. "Be careful, Jared," she thought to herself. Glancing down the second stairwell up to their level she saw the shape of a shadow flicker against the lower wall before whatever source of light there was snuffed out.
"I think there's some coming up this way!" she shouted to the others as she bent lower to her cover.
"Frell!" yelled Aeryn as she joined her. "I was hoping they wouldn't be smart enough to sent a detachment up the servant stairwell."
"Since when do things ever go our way!" shouted John from his position guarding the forward hallway.
"Just keep quiet and hold your position, Crichton!" growled the ex-Peacekeeper.
Chiana stole a glance at the children as the noise of many footsteps sounded on the stairwell before her.
"Keep your frelling mind on business, Chiana. If you want to get them out of this alive!" snapped Aeryn from beside her. At first Chiana thought the woman was cold not giving her own children a second thought. She then realized that their best hope for survival was for Aeryn and the rest of them to be hard.
"Okay," murmured the Nebari as she sighted down her rifle. Zhaan hit the barricade beside them as the first couple black shapes rounded the corner and started up the last section of steps.
"Now! Blow the frelling drez out of them!" cried Aeryn as she opened fire.
D'argo had sent his son further up the stairs to a new cover position as he and Berret slowly were forced higher and higher up the stairwell behind him.
"Father!" called Jothee, "There's firing coming from the apartment level behind us!"
D'argo cursed. "They must have sent a force up the servant's stairway," he said. "Jothee, get up there and see what's going on. Be ready because we're going to be coming up behind you... hot!"
Jothee nodded and rushed the rest of the way up the stairs.
"This just keeps getting better and better," said Berret as he dropped a spent power pack and inserted a fresh one into his pulse rifle. "I'm down to one more power pack after this one," he reported.
D'argo check his rifle, "I'm down to little over half charge."
The two started picking their targets more carefully instead of spraying the area with bolts. More bolts came in from below chewing up what little cover they had. After a micron Jothee whistled the all clear.
"Time to go," said the Luxan and the pair charged up the staircase.
Crichton waved to Jothee as he stuck his head around the corner of the stairwell for a look. Zhaan, Aeryn, and Chiana were shooting down into the other stairway but otherwise the floor seemed secure.
"Jothee's here!" Crichton called over his shoulder, just as Andar announced, "I've gotten a message through to Moya... Pilot is relying a call to Rygel right now."
The equipment having served its purpose, Andar pushed it aside and took up his Pulse rifle then dived in beside Crichton.
"That's some good news," said the human as down the corridor Jothee whistled to his father.
"I have an idea!" said Malika as she started digging through her packs pulling out containers and vials.
"I hope it's a good one," said Andar, resting his rifle along the rim of the barricade. Jothee was running full bore for their cover and he dived over the pile when he reached it. Scrambling up besides Andar, he reported,
"Father and Uncle Jared are coming up right behind me... and they're bringing a lot of company."
"How many?" asked John.
"I don't know. It was too dark and there was too much movement to get an accurate count," was the young warrior's reply. "The only thing I can tell you is that they out number us for sure."
D'argo and Berret reached the top of the stairway while still firing down at the men coming up behind them. As one they turned and ran for their lives to the relative safety of the makeshift fortress. Pulse bolts from John, Andar, and Jothee's guns speed past them as they laid down what cover fire they could. They both leap over the obstacle and hit the floor behind cover. D'argo crawled back the way they had just came from to added his firepower to John, Andar, and his son's. Berret crawled his way over to his wife, waving the children down as he passed.
"Hi, you miss me" he asked offhandedly as he moved in beside Chiana. The Nebari woman ran off a burst of bolts into the stairway.
"I am so grised off at you!" she told him.
"Well, I'm glad to see things haven't changed much," he said as he dug into the bag beside her and pulled out a handful of replacement power packs. Noticing Malika bent over and mixing a bunch of things together, he asked, "What's Malika doing?"
"I don't know!" his wife snapped, at the same time she was snapping off shots at a Nebari who had poked his head out from around the corner. Having missed her target she continued,
"Maybe she's making frelling dinner!"
Malika finished pouring a mixture of powdered chemicals into a small glass jar. She then added a handful of metal bolts, nuts and small screws. She sealed the jar and then placed it into a larger plastic jar and then poured a liquid from another container into the larger jar until the smaller container was completely submerged. Sealing that jar closed she called, "I've got it!"
"Got what!" yelled back Aeryn. Malika crawled over to the Sebacean woman's side of the barricade.
"Just watch," she said shaking the jar. She then slammed it down on the ground. Inside the bigger container the lid of the smaller one came off. The liquid rush in and mixed with the dry chemicals. The whole concoction began to bubble and foam.
"Heads down!" she shouted and tossed the jar into the stairwell. The jar bounced down the steps, hit the far wall, and bounced down the next flight. Following Malika's example the crew ducked their heads just as a massive explosion rocked the floor. A ball of intense heat filled the stairway. The explosion seemed to have caused the other invaders at the opposite end of the hall to retreat a ways down their staircase, probably fearing that another such bomb was heading their way.
"I really hope Sparky doesn't want us to pay for that," said Crichton after surveying the blast damage.
"What the yotz was in that?" asked Andar as the group regained their feet and brushed dirt and dust off their weapons and themselves.
"A little of this and a little of that," said the Delvian woman as she straightened her robes.
"You'll have to teach me how to do that too," he said to her.
"I don't care what the frell was in it as long as it bought us some more time," said Aeryn as she grabbed up her rifle and bag of charge clips. "This way should be clear now. Berret take point and find us a way out of here. Zhaan and Malika are the strongest so they'll take the children. The rest of us will provide cover support while D'argo, Jothee, and John ride drag."
The group fell to their assigned positions without question. Berret stuffed a few more power packs into pouches on his pistol belt and various pockets before pulling his wife to him for a quick kiss goodbye. He jumped back over the barricade and with the rifle leading the way descended down the still smoking staircase. Behind him Andar took position at the top of the stairs to give him cover. Rounding the corner he found five charred bodies, all of which were torn apart in the explosion. Going one to another he made sure they were dead and then signaled Andar to follow him down.
Andar followed the Shrike down the stairway. Behind him came Aeryn on guard. Malika and Zhaan followed next, each of the strong Delvian women carrying two of the group's children. Chiana brought up their back while John, Jothee and D'argo took turns falling back to cover the entire group's retreat. Berret felt sad and angered every time they came across a body of an innocent servant who was either killed in the crossfire or killed out right to buy their silence by the Nebari. The group managed to make it all the way to one of the lower sub-levels that ran the entire length and width of the Palace. They found an empty storage room and used it to regroup and make further plans.
"Our best bet would be to continue further into the Palace and try to meet up with Rygel's people," said Aeryn to the group.
"I agree, we should keep moving," said D'argo and his son nodded along with him.
"But how will Froggy know to look for us down here?" asked Chiana after checking on her children.
"Because this is where Rygel would run himself," rumbled the Luxan.
"And he'll figure we'd do the same thing," continued Crichton picking up on their line of reasoning.
"Sorry, Daddy," said his daughter as she stopped pulling on his hair and went back to showing her doll all the stores visible from her perch.
"Now lets see what toy shops we can find," he told his children. Putting an arm across his son's shoulders he took them deeper into the market, followed by their three silent guardians.
The journey to the toyshop was uneventful, unless you counted the children wanting every other toy they seen as an unusual event. Eventually then each settled on one and they made an equally uneventful return trip back to the Palace grounds. They entered the common floor to meet most of the crew sitting around on the overstuffed furniture talking. The conversation came to a stop as Berret and the children entered the room. Chiana made an obvious visual check of her offspring's well-being and after assuring herself of their good health relaxed again in her seat. Jalen and Chulee ran off to show their new toys to Missy and Andrea, leaving the adults alone to pick up their discussion.
"Glad you made it back alright, Jared," said Crichton.
"Yes," continued Aeryn, "Chiana has been telling us about the added security measures that Rygel implemented. I should go twist his little fuzzy ear off for keeping us in the dark if he thinks the Nebari are that much of a threat."
Berret sat down next to Chiana. "I can't blame him, Aeryn. I truly believe that it is his way of attempting to take care of us. He wants us to feel safe and comfortable here, to consider it our home."
"I'm very surprised you did something as tactically stupid as to leave the security of the Palace with the children after what happened yesterday," rumbled D'argo from beside his Delvian mate.
Berret smiled and pulled out the concealed pulse pistol and laid it on the table, then told them of their undercover Elite Guard escort. "I would imagine that now if any of us left the Palace we would be under constant watch by the guard," he finished telling them.
"Still..." said the Luxan not at all placated, "It was unwise."
"You think Sparky wants us to give up our transport business and stay here?" asked John amazed, some time later.
"Well, not give the business up totally," said Zhaan setting her cup down on the table. "More like put it on hold for awhile, at least until the coming conflict is over."
Rygel had finally discussed the plans for taking control of the Territories once there was a victor between the Peacekeepers and Scarrens with his old crewmates that afternoon while the Shrike had been shopping with his children. Chiana gave Berret that look again that said he was in trouble if he knew anything about the plan and didn't share it with her. Berret tried his best to look innocent and pretend it was the first he heard of it, but his wife appeared skeptical of his innocence.
"He more or less strongly advised it. He made a point that both Moya and us as a group would be safer here on the Hynerian Homeworld," continued the Pa'u.
"He makes a valid point," agreed Malika as she leaned forward to snare a dessert cube from a tray, and then leaned back against Andar, "We only have the three Prowlers and the Wraith to protect Moya if the dren hits the oscillator... and that's not a whole lot of firepower to take into a war zone." She took a bite of her cube and then said around the mouthful, "And what, we only have two of the Hell-Storm missiles left?"
"Two exactly," confirmed Aeryn. "I wish Rygel was able to get us more, but I imagine his navy is stock-piling them."
"You know a better way to blow up a Command Carrier or Scarren Dreadnaught?" asked John.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," said his wife turning to look in his direction. "We can fill a Transport Pod with that concoction you insist on making and ram it into an enemy ship. What's it called again? 'Chilly'?" she asked.
"There is nothing wrong with my cooking!" said John offensively. "I make damn good Chili."
"Well, if that stuff doesn't blow up on impact, then at least the crew will die of excessive gastrointestinal cramps," put in Andar, as he vividly remembered several run-ins with John's attempts at home cooking. At the same time the comment sent snickers throughout the group.
"Or they might blow each other away," said D'argo with a twinkle in his eyes, sending the others over the edge into fits of laughter.
"Hey!" called Crichton trying to sound offended while holding back a grin, then giving up and joining in with them. "It's not my fault humans have a superior metabolism," he quipped.
The group decided to give it a couple of more solar days before making the decision on if they should ride out the coming hostilities on Hyneria. Pilot and Moya would have to be asked to vote in the decision also.
The children spent the day playing at one apartment or another and by the time Joban stopped by to pay his respects before going on duty for the night, Jalen and Chulee where pretty much worn out from their active day. Jalen had fallen asleep in his room when Chiana went into check on him. She pulled the boy's clothing off and it amazed her how he never woke up while she struggled with his limp body. She tucked him into his bed and kissed his forehead goodnight. Turning his light off she closed the door and headed into the main room. There on the sofa she found Chulee asleep curled up and tucked under her father's arm. Her Nebari doll lay on top of Berret's chest. Her husband also seemed to have nodded off while watching a vid-broadcast. She stood back and watched the pair sleep for a few microns, savoring the warm feeling of love she felt for her family. When she finally went over to the sofa, Berret's eyes came open at her touch.
"Hey lazy, time to put the little one to bed," she said in a soft voice, smiling at him. "I've already put Jalen to bed, so just give her to me."
"I'll do it," said Berret with a sleepy smile as he stood up with his daughter. The little girl automatically wrapped her arms and legs around Berret while still sleeping.
"It always amazes me how they can do that," he said to his wife in a whisper so as not to wake their daughter.
"They always know where it's safe," murmured Chiana as she stood up on her tiptoes to kiss the girl's cheek before Berret took her to her room.
When Berret returned to the main room microns later he'd found Chiana had turned most of the lights off and was now lounging on the sofa. He joined her there and as soon as he sat down she scooted over to him to take over the place under his arm that Chulee had so recently occupied. He absently bent down to kiss the top of his wife's head and her wild white hair tickled his nose. She snuggled closer to him as they settled down and began watching a Hynerian program based on some historical event in the planet's history.
A few minutes into the program, Chiana said, "So... Mr. Berret..."
"Uh-oh," muttered Berret under his breath.
"Did you know about Rygel's plans for attacking the winner of the war?" she asked looking up at him, waiting for an answer. Knowing it was no use lying to the Nebari woman, he admitted,
"He made me promise not to say anything until he had a chance to speak with you all about it. His exact words were that I would frell it up."
Chiana slapped his thigh in punishment. "Well, those promises don't include me!" she said as if he should know better.
"His other exact words were not to tell that big mouth Chiana," Berret added nonchalantly.
"Rygel didn't say that! Did he?" Chiana asked dumbfounded and shocked.
"No. He did not," Berret admitted, telling her the truth. His punishment this time was a playfully nipped arm. Chiana made growling noises as she feigned sawing her teeth into his flesh. When she was finished he promised, "The next time Rygel tells me one of his secrets, I shall come to you right away and spill everything."
Chiana reached up and pulled him down to her by the back of his head.
"Ohoooo... you're becoming such a naughty boy!" she teased, their lips almost touching.
"Only since I've been in your company,' he replied and pressed his lips against hers.
"I'm glad to see you're picking up some of my better qualities," she said with a sly grin as they parted.
Captain Stoma watched the lights in the apartment windows go out one by one through a set of occulars. He'd already plotted the rounds of all the Palace Elite Guards on the grounds. Tonight the big first sergeant traveled from post to post checking on his security men. Stoma's team was already in their concealed positions waiting for the order to attack. Their normally pale gray Nebari skin covered by black combat gear and face paint, they blended into the night shadows. The lights in the Nebari woman's apartment had dimmed almost an arn before when Stoma gave the signal to his men. As one unit they emerged from hiding and descended on the sentries, quickly and quietly dispatching them before hiding the bodies under foliage in the garden. The grounds secured, they crept silently and undetected into the common level of the Palace wing.
Chiana had fallen asleep with her head laying on Berret's lap and he was just starting to nod off again himself when the hair on the back of his neck started to stand up on end. The unexplained feeling banished the drowsiness from the Shrike, bringing him fully alert. He carefully eased his wife's head off his lap and onto a pillow from the sofa. Not wanting to wake her over an odd feeling that might turn out to be absolutely nothing. He quickly went to their room and picked up his gun belt with the Pulse pistol and extra charge packs attached to it. He slung it over one shoulder instead of buckling it around his waist. He was just about to leave when his gaze fell over the Pulse rifle he'd taken out of the armory earlier in the day and set out. The nagging feeling got worse and he picked up the weapon at the last moment before walking out. He got to the front door and quietly eased it open. He'd just gently pulled it closed behind him when D'argo and Zhaan's door crept open to reveal D'argo and Jothee, armed with their Qualta rifles. Both warriors silently glided their way out into the hallway. The big Luxan looked up but wasn't really startled to see the Shrike in the hallway.
"You feel it too?" D'argo asked in a whisper to Berret.
"We are being hunted," added Jothee also in sotto voice, his Luxan senses testing the air.
Berret nodded in agreement, his odd feeling confirmed by the pair of Luxans. He paused for a microt to fasten the pistol belt around his waist, now glad that he followed his instinct to take the rifle along also. The three crouched together to make their plans. D'argo turned to his son,
"I believe our perimeter has already been penetrated. Your Uncle and I will advance as far as we can to the common level. I want you to go wake the others and have them organize a defensive position here on this level. Then I want you to join us but stay far enough at our rear to provide cover for a retreat if we need one."
"Yes, father," answered Jothee as he turned to carry out his orders and alert the rest of the crew to the danger.
"What about the Elite Guard?" asked Berret hoping that there was still some reinforcements coming to their aid. The Luxan shook his head and then tapped the side of his nose,
"I can smell blood in the air now, most of the guard has probably been taken out already."
Berret check his pulse rifle and looked back at the door to his apartment, wishing that his family were anywhere else but inside and in danger at that microt.
"Ready?" D'argo whispered. Berret pounded a fist lightly against the Luxan's massive shoulder to indicate he was ready as he would ever be.
"Good, then as Crichton says... Let's rock!" D'argo said with hard determination in his gravelly voice.
Chiana was awakened when Jothee placed a hand over her mouth to keep her from making any loud noises. He placed a forefinger against his own lips to signal that she should remain as silent as possible before taking his hand away.
"Jothee, what is it? What's goin' on?" she hissed her question to the young warrior.
"We have trouble, Aunt Chiana. We think somebody is in this wing of the Palace," said the young man as he changed his grip on his Qualta rifle to help her off the sofa.
"It's the Nebari isn't it!" said Chiana beginning to panic.
"We don't know," said Jothee trying to cut off her panic attack. "We just need to get everyone together to repel them if they make it to the apartment level."
Chiana looked around the apartment. "Where's Jared? Where's your Uncle?" she demanded.
"He and Father are down below trying to set up a delaying action until we get ready up here," was the reply.
"Damn that man! He never tells me anything. Wait until I get a hold of him," she grumbled trying to replace the fear and panic with anger as she went to gather her children and what weapons she could grab.
In the hallway the others had started constructing barricades using overturned furniture. Aeryn, armed with a pair of pistols and a heavy pulse rifle stalked up to Chiana just as Jothee disappeared down the stairs after his father and Berret.
"Get the children down behind the barricade and take up a position covering the east stairwell," she ordered before walking away to kick or drag more items on top of the pile they had already collected. Chiana nodded and led Jalen and Chulee inside the barrier. Missy and Andrea were already crouched down there and her offspring joined them. She did her best to reassure the four that everything would be all right and then unslung her two Pulse rifles and the bag of extra charge clips. She placed the extra Pulse rifle near where she would be fighting and held the second ready in her hands. John and Zhaan dragged a large heavy table from one of the apartments. The Delvian woman quickly snapped off the four thick legs with little effort and they placed the top up against the barricade, adding its thickness to their protection.
"I really hope Sparky doesn't want us to pay for all this damage," Crichton commented.
"Worry about it later, John," replied Zhaan as she readied her own Pulse rifle.
Andar rushed out of his apartment carrying several cases of electronic equipment.
"Normal communications are being jammed!" he reported. "I'm going to try hot-linking a tight beam to Moya and have Pilot alert Rygel of the attack," he explained as he threw his equipment behind the cover.
"Make it fast!" ordered Aeryn.
"Your wish is my command," muttered Andar as he connected components together, pausing only to catch a Pulse rifle that Malika threw to him. The young Delvian woman slammed a charge into her own rifle then checked a large knife tucked into her belt. The blade slid free of it's sheath and the woman's slim blue fingers twirled it around expertly in a blur. The sharp blade humming as it cut the air before she re-sheathed the weapon. Andar looked over and commented,
"One day you're going to have to show me how to do that."
He earned himself a tight smile from the young Delvian Pa'u. Zhaan looked up at the un-priestess-like skill but said nothing. A single pulse bolt sounded from the lower level followed a microt later by a barrage of them.
"Dren!" shouted Aeryn, "Here they come! Everybody to arms!"
D'argo and Berret had leapfrogged down the corridor. Taking turns covering each other while the other moved forward. They made it down the stairwell to the common level and into the main sitting room. Most of the lights having been shut off; they paused to let their eyes get accustomed to the low light levels. Luxan eyes adapted very quickly and the Shrike's eyes began to get the silver shine that meant the microbes were adjusting his eyesight to the darkness. Berret was just about to move further into the huge room when D'argo halted him. Getting the Shrike's attention he silently pointed down the next corridor. Waiting a few microts, Berret was finally able to make out the black shapes slowly crawling their way into the far side of the room. D'argo tapped him on the shoulder again to get his attention and mouthed the word "Nebari" while tapping his nose once more. An almost inaudible noise told them that Jothee had taken position up in the stairwell and was aware of the visitors. The Luxan motioned for the Shrike to move to one side of the room while he found a position at the other. Berret nodded that he understood and crept off in his assigned direction.
The group of Nebari troopers began to spread out into the common room. Berret saw that he would have to cross a relatively opened section of the room with no cover. Having seen the room plenty of times in normal light, he remembered that there was a recessed alcove that ran along the ceiling of the wall near him. Silently he climbed up and disappeared into the shadows there. He was able to cover more distance using the alcove and was soon nearly above the lead man in the group. Berret smiled, like most species of humanoid beings the Nebari rarely looked up. There was something to be said about what John would call having the home field advantage. He made out D'argo settling into position, the blade and barrel of his Qualta rifle resting on top of a piece of furniture waiting for a target to step into his sights. Berret put aside the Pulse rifle and drew his pistol. He wrapped his legs around a pipe that ran into the wall and as the Nebari below him was about to pass under him, he dropped to hang by his knees directly in front of the man. The Nebari's eyes grew wide in surprise as Berret said, "Hello," and placed the muzzle of his pistol between the startled man's eyes. He then said, "Goodbye," as he pulled the trigger. The pulse bolt snapped the unlucky man's head back and sent him flying backwards into his comrades.
All hezmana broke lose as Berret pulled himself back up into the alcove and seized his Pulse rifle before unwrapping his legs and allowing himself to fall back to the floor. Rolling in mid air to land on his feet, he then tucked and tumbled along the floor to cover as pulse bolts cut through the space he'd just occupied.
D'argo had opened up from the other side of the room. The heavy whack of pulse bolts from the Qualta rifle cut the air and another black suited figure cried out and spun to the ground as the energy bolts chopped him in two. Over Berret's head more bolts from Jothee's rifle pounded into the makeshift barricades of the invaders. Berret brought up his own rifle and snapped off several bolts at the nearest men, forcing them to keep their heads down. The Nebari where too well entrenched now to draw out so the only solution to get them to show themselves was for D'argo and Berret to pull back and make them have to advanced. D'argo used hand signals to rely his order to the Shrike. Father and son provided cover fire as the ex-assassin pulled back to a new position. Then they provide more cover for the older Luxan to do the same thing. The ploy worked, as they were able to pick off two more invaders as they moved forward. They had to pull back twice more before they were again back at the stairwell.
The fighting below sounded as if it was getting closer to Chiana. "Be careful, Jared," she thought to herself. Glancing down the second stairwell up to their level she saw the shape of a shadow flicker against the lower wall before whatever source of light there was snuffed out.
"I think there's some coming up this way!" she shouted to the others as she bent lower to her cover.
"Frell!" yelled Aeryn as she joined her. "I was hoping they wouldn't be smart enough to sent a detachment up the servant stairwell."
"Since when do things ever go our way!" shouted John from his position guarding the forward hallway.
"Just keep quiet and hold your position, Crichton!" growled the ex-Peacekeeper.
Chiana stole a glance at the children as the noise of many footsteps sounded on the stairwell before her.
"Keep your frelling mind on business, Chiana. If you want to get them out of this alive!" snapped Aeryn from beside her. At first Chiana thought the woman was cold not giving her own children a second thought. She then realized that their best hope for survival was for Aeryn and the rest of them to be hard.
"Okay," murmured the Nebari as she sighted down her rifle. Zhaan hit the barricade beside them as the first couple black shapes rounded the corner and started up the last section of steps.
"Now! Blow the frelling drez out of them!" cried Aeryn as she opened fire.
D'argo had sent his son further up the stairs to a new cover position as he and Berret slowly were forced higher and higher up the stairwell behind him.
"Father!" called Jothee, "There's firing coming from the apartment level behind us!"
D'argo cursed. "They must have sent a force up the servant's stairway," he said. "Jothee, get up there and see what's going on. Be ready because we're going to be coming up behind you... hot!"
Jothee nodded and rushed the rest of the way up the stairs.
"This just keeps getting better and better," said Berret as he dropped a spent power pack and inserted a fresh one into his pulse rifle. "I'm down to one more power pack after this one," he reported.
D'argo check his rifle, "I'm down to little over half charge."
The two started picking their targets more carefully instead of spraying the area with bolts. More bolts came in from below chewing up what little cover they had. After a micron Jothee whistled the all clear.
"Time to go," said the Luxan and the pair charged up the staircase.
Crichton waved to Jothee as he stuck his head around the corner of the stairwell for a look. Zhaan, Aeryn, and Chiana were shooting down into the other stairway but otherwise the floor seemed secure.
"Jothee's here!" Crichton called over his shoulder, just as Andar announced, "I've gotten a message through to Moya... Pilot is relying a call to Rygel right now."
The equipment having served its purpose, Andar pushed it aside and took up his Pulse rifle then dived in beside Crichton.
"That's some good news," said the human as down the corridor Jothee whistled to his father.
"I have an idea!" said Malika as she started digging through her packs pulling out containers and vials.
"I hope it's a good one," said Andar, resting his rifle along the rim of the barricade. Jothee was running full bore for their cover and he dived over the pile when he reached it. Scrambling up besides Andar, he reported,
"Father and Uncle Jared are coming up right behind me... and they're bringing a lot of company."
"How many?" asked John.
"I don't know. It was too dark and there was too much movement to get an accurate count," was the young warrior's reply. "The only thing I can tell you is that they out number us for sure."
D'argo and Berret reached the top of the stairway while still firing down at the men coming up behind them. As one they turned and ran for their lives to the relative safety of the makeshift fortress. Pulse bolts from John, Andar, and Jothee's guns speed past them as they laid down what cover fire they could. They both leap over the obstacle and hit the floor behind cover. D'argo crawled back the way they had just came from to added his firepower to John, Andar, and his son's. Berret crawled his way over to his wife, waving the children down as he passed.
"Hi, you miss me" he asked offhandedly as he moved in beside Chiana. The Nebari woman ran off a burst of bolts into the stairway.
"I am so grised off at you!" she told him.
"Well, I'm glad to see things haven't changed much," he said as he dug into the bag beside her and pulled out a handful of replacement power packs. Noticing Malika bent over and mixing a bunch of things together, he asked, "What's Malika doing?"
"I don't know!" his wife snapped, at the same time she was snapping off shots at a Nebari who had poked his head out from around the corner. Having missed her target she continued,
"Maybe she's making frelling dinner!"
Malika finished pouring a mixture of powdered chemicals into a small glass jar. She then added a handful of metal bolts, nuts and small screws. She sealed the jar and then placed it into a larger plastic jar and then poured a liquid from another container into the larger jar until the smaller container was completely submerged. Sealing that jar closed she called, "I've got it!"
"Got what!" yelled back Aeryn. Malika crawled over to the Sebacean woman's side of the barricade.
"Just watch," she said shaking the jar. She then slammed it down on the ground. Inside the bigger container the lid of the smaller one came off. The liquid rush in and mixed with the dry chemicals. The whole concoction began to bubble and foam.
"Heads down!" she shouted and tossed the jar into the stairwell. The jar bounced down the steps, hit the far wall, and bounced down the next flight. Following Malika's example the crew ducked their heads just as a massive explosion rocked the floor. A ball of intense heat filled the stairway. The explosion seemed to have caused the other invaders at the opposite end of the hall to retreat a ways down their staircase, probably fearing that another such bomb was heading their way.
"I really hope Sparky doesn't want us to pay for that," said Crichton after surveying the blast damage.
"What the yotz was in that?" asked Andar as the group regained their feet and brushed dirt and dust off their weapons and themselves.
"A little of this and a little of that," said the Delvian woman as she straightened her robes.
"You'll have to teach me how to do that too," he said to her.
"I don't care what the frell was in it as long as it bought us some more time," said Aeryn as she grabbed up her rifle and bag of charge clips. "This way should be clear now. Berret take point and find us a way out of here. Zhaan and Malika are the strongest so they'll take the children. The rest of us will provide cover support while D'argo, Jothee, and John ride drag."
The group fell to their assigned positions without question. Berret stuffed a few more power packs into pouches on his pistol belt and various pockets before pulling his wife to him for a quick kiss goodbye. He jumped back over the barricade and with the rifle leading the way descended down the still smoking staircase. Behind him Andar took position at the top of the stairs to give him cover. Rounding the corner he found five charred bodies, all of which were torn apart in the explosion. Going one to another he made sure they were dead and then signaled Andar to follow him down.
Andar followed the Shrike down the stairway. Behind him came Aeryn on guard. Malika and Zhaan followed next, each of the strong Delvian women carrying two of the group's children. Chiana brought up their back while John, Jothee and D'argo took turns falling back to cover the entire group's retreat. Berret felt sad and angered every time they came across a body of an innocent servant who was either killed in the crossfire or killed out right to buy their silence by the Nebari. The group managed to make it all the way to one of the lower sub-levels that ran the entire length and width of the Palace. They found an empty storage room and used it to regroup and make further plans.
"Our best bet would be to continue further into the Palace and try to meet up with Rygel's people," said Aeryn to the group.
"I agree, we should keep moving," said D'argo and his son nodded along with him.
"But how will Froggy know to look for us down here?" asked Chiana after checking on her children.
"Because this is where Rygel would run himself," rumbled the Luxan.
"And he'll figure we'd do the same thing," continued Crichton picking up on their line of reasoning.