Chapter 26

The night grew colder, abrasive winds picked at the team, but they were resolved, inspired. Trilby, still in Spike's guise, led the way to one of the many shuttle launch sites. In the centre of the clearing the shuttle lay open and ready for launch. Several guards, aliens in white armoured suits. They looked intimidating, hulking figures clad in white the black visor glinting with malicious intent. These mercenaries, were getting paid a lot. They brandished large weapons, with many clips barrels and sights that were probably more for show than battle. Despite the intended threatening nature all of them seemed to be disinterested, or distracted. They heard yawns and wearied voices, the clogging fatigue that seemed to hang over the site.

"Easy pickings, I bet Hamsterviel has barely given them an hour's rest." Trilby noted, the team had perched themselves in a bush looking through the cracks. The site was clearing, a futuristic array of gadgets were laid upon an equally futuristic table. Different aliens poked at them, they had goggles and screwdriver shaped devices instead of the henchman styled guns. They looked equally as tired.

"The Techy's," He pointed, 'Technicals' was a name given to the field mechanic's in the galactic federation, they normally followed land forces, to fix and repair broken pieces of technical equipment, compared to the guards they were puny. " Sparky, I want you circle round and take them out, they aren't wearing non- conductive clothing. The 'Technicals' carry long range communicators, don't let them contact Hamsterviel and get one of them for me." He nodded and Sparky rustled as quietly as possible to the opposite end of the clearing, closest to the 'Technicals'. "That only leaves the guards, I see five round the perimeter, Yin I want you to simply get them wet. Slushy once they are wet you freeze the water. Their suits will freeze up, they won't be able to move. Yang destroy the weapons. Got it?" They all nodded, Yin and Yang looked confident they drew back ready to pounce. Slushy was much more restless, he was physically restraining himself from jumping into the fray. "Wait for my signal, I need to see Sparky." He appeared at the other end of the clearing, he gave a little wave.

"Now!" He shouted, the experiments leapt from the bushes. The guards, who were virtually asleep on their feet were so startled by the sudden ambush, a few of them dropped their weapons. They barely had time to bend down before they were drenched by concentrated stream of water. They toppled under the pressure. Before they could recover, they were frozen in position, stuck in awkward positions. The guards who hadn't dropped their guns found they were melting in their hands. The weapons disintegrated into liquid form, it trickled through their fingers of the heatproof suits. For the guards, it might have been like a sledgehammer to the head. But for the technicals it was like the sky falling on their head. Sparky leapt from his bush. His antenna connected with the chest of the first alien. He was sent flying straight out of the clearing, itself through several bushes. The other had grabbed a communicator, and had started slapping it violently. Sparky turned on him his antenna buzzed him into a tree. Sparky jumped and caught the communicator as it fell. A voice came from the other end,

"Yes, Glucknach 157 what is the problem." A very gravelly voice, it sounded board. Sparky rushed to Trilby waving the communicator in his face. The experiments went deathly still save for Trilby who grabbed the communicator. He held it away as he whispered,

"What race is that Technical?"

Sparky flashed in a second to the slumped body, and back to Trilby.

"Gerronan," He whispered,

"Hello? Glucknakh 157? You called is there a problem?" His voice seemed to gain interest with every second. Gerronan. Trilby ran the name through his mental storage. The Geronnan are small, high pitched, often make a slurping sound. They had distinctively slimy voices. Disgusting anatomy he thought. He raised the communicator to his mouth. He loosened his voice going high pitched and slippery.

"Yes sir… Slurp*… We do have a problem… Slurp*… One of our guards… Slurp* idiot mercenary dropped his blaster. Shot himself in the Slurp* foot."

"Ahh that old story, I bet he did it to get some sleep, between me and you, big boss man… uhhh Hamster is dense. Since he got that 626 thing or somethin'. I almost want someone to sneak in and shut his face up." He chuckled the gravelly voice grating the voice receiver.

"Be careful what you Slurp* wish for, anyway we need to Slurp* shuttle back up."

"Roger that Gluchnakh 157," He closed the call with a satisfied smile. In his normal voice.

"He bought it, get on the shuttle. Sparky destroy the rest of the communicators would you? Great job guys, really. Yin how much water do you have left?" Yin had to collect water before he could use it.

"80% I should have topped up over at the shore."

"Should have, Sparky how much power?" He called,

"Barely used any, about 97%"

"Yang what about you?" Yang was limited by how much rock he had digested. Yang would eat rock, his anatomy would superheat it to melting levels. It would then store in the cannon- like humps.

"I'm good still about 80%," He was chewing on a large rock as he boarded the shuttle. Trilby was impressed with Jumba's insight. Points to Jumba for giving his experiments instinctive knowledge on how much power he or she had at any time.

"I'd ask you Slushy, but you don't have a limit do you?" He laughed,

"You know me well, Spike. As long as there is water in the air, I can freeze it." Clever. Slushy uses the water vapour already in the air to create ice, stands to reason that as long as there is air there is water, and by extension ice.

"Let's get moving." He climbed aboard the ship. He carried the communicator and Jumba's computer. The others filed on and Trilby hit the launch command. It took off without a hitch.