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Oliver, Daniel, Cida, and Misha landed their grav cycles on the edge of the field near a tree line. In the near distance, a machine was turning up the soil and dropping a tuber crop onto a conveyor. The tubers went into the machine coming out clean to drop into a hover truck that matched the harvester’s route. Humans were gleaning nearby, and no one had noticed them yet. They stowed the EVA suits in the cargo boxes and pulled on loose shirts and trousers. Pistols were easily accessed through a slit in the side of the shirts. One of the humans loading sacks on a wheeled vehicle looked up. He seemed very agitated and shouted something.
“I hope they speak Galactic,” Misha commented. The man who shouted had jumped down and started running toward them gesticulating madly. After a few seconds, Oliver realized that he was pointing at something behind them and turned his head.
“Crap!” Oliver shouted, drew his pistol, and put five rounds into some big hairy thing with fangs and claws. It straightened up to its full three meters height looked at Oliver with two obsidian black eyes and fell over with a thump. He was suddenly very appreciative of Marco insisting on shooting range time. The running man slowed to a walk.
“It was going to eat human, now human eats him,” Couro said as he walked past, lifted a rear leg of the thing, and gave it a squeeze.
Three others that had been loading the truck joined the little group. Misha introduced herself and began chatting away. Couro looked at Oliver and then at the gun, “What weapon is that? It is very loud but very effective against Woolly. May I see it?” he asked.
Oliver unloaded his L5 Desert Eagle .357 and handed it over to his new friend. Then handed a cartridge separately.
“Oh, I see. The pellet separates and is propelled very fast,” Couro said looking at the gun, then at the cartridge. “Very primitive but effective.”
“How well does your gun work on these beasts?” Oliver asked.
“We are slaves, we don’t have guns. The overseer’s guns don’t work at all. Everyone runs, Woollys have short legs, gets tired quickly and we go back to work. Can we have some of the meat? Too much for your group before it spoils,” Couro said looking at the hind quarter.
“You can have all of it if you feed us,” Daniel said as he walked up.
“Yes, please come to the village tonight. Daka will let us off early since we have a Woolly to prepare. He loves Woolly. There he comes now,” Couro said indicating a lizard man riding a three-wheel electric cycle as he pulled up next to the Woolly.
“What was that noise Couro?” Lizardman said as he eyeballed dinner.
“Some human visitors killed this Woolly. Very primitive weapon, but it killed the Woolly. They didn’t even run,” he replied.
“Hello humans. What are you doing here and with weapons? You should know better.”
Misha stepped up, “We were hired off-world to fix some machines. Machines are not ready yet, so we decided to look around your world. It's new for us. We were warned about Woolly and because our weapon is so primitive, it was not considered a problem. Please look at mine,” she said as she unloaded her weapon as Oliver had. Lizardman looked at it with a blank expression. He obviously didn’t understand how it worked.
“You shoot Woolly too. I will show you how,” Misha then reloaded and motioned him to stand near the dead Woolly. “Pellet flies very fast. Look at these two points and make a line where the pellet will fly. Then pull the little lever with a hand digit. Go slow since it is not so easy at first. And be careful, every pull on the lever makes a new pellet fly, so don’t kill us. Plenty of Woolly meat for everyone.”
The lizard lined up on the Woolly’s head and slowly pulled the trigger. The loud report made him jump a little, but he was most interested in the mess he made of the Woolly’s head. Misha picked up the casings.
“I am called Daka. Like your weapon. Get more Woolly with hovercycle?”
“Certainly,” Daniel said stepping forward, “I fly, you shoot?”
“Yes, yes we all eat tonight until full belly. Woolly, Woolly,” Daka said as he got a rope from his three-wheeler.
“You know what you are doing?” Oliver asked sub-vocally.
“This is a perfect intelligence opportunity. We are very lucky, go with it,” Daniel responded the same way.
Daniel got on his hovercycle and Daka got on facing backward.
“Where are we going?” Daniel asked.
“Stay at top of trees go that way. Woolly never alone,” Daka waved vaguely in the direction of the forest. Sure enough, there was a group of three not fifty meters from the tree line. Daniel maneuvered to give a clear line of fire and handed Daka his pistol. Like he had been shooting his whole life, he slammed out nine rounds and got all of them. Daniel realized his mouth was hanging open. The guy was a natural. It was also making weird thrumming sounds. Must be happy.
Daniel pushed in a new magazine under the watchful eye of Daka. This alien was fascinated with what he considered a primitive weapon. They hovered near the forest floor and Daka jumped off to tie the rear legs together in one big, long string. As he was reaching for the last one, it leaped up and took a swipe with his claws. Daka neatly leaned away from the strike and Daniel fired into the Woolly’s head. Daka gave a little shriek that sounded like a ‘fuck you’ and tied the last one on the game stringer.
They landed the string of three Woolly into the back of the truck with the first one. Two villages could have a real feast. So, the neighboring village was invited, and they brought along another lizard overseer. Thankfully, it was as dull as Daka.
Daka was a species humans called Dragons. When originally asked the translation of their name, they said ‘lizards who breathe fire’. The humans shrugged their shoulders and said yeah, Dragon. Dragons have short snouts and something between a tail and a fat ass. The appendage gave strength and leverage to the upper legs and lower torso. The arms were relatively thin and short ending with six fingers. Each of the outer fingers could act like a thumb. They had not been a space-faring people when the Shaitan arrived.
The Woolly really was excellent. The villagers had boiled it enough to get it hot and/or kill bacteria, added spices like a rub, and put it over the medium-low heat of a wood fire. There was something like rice with chopped vegetables and a couple of other unidentifiable dishes. Nothing tasted off or bizarre. The human palette didn’t change with the light-years.
“I noticed everyone is doing heavy labor. Don’t you have any machines?” Misha asked Couro’s wife.
“We are all very old and are putting on weight for the bugs. No use fighting it. Every creature dies and the bugs don’t mind frozen carcass,” she replied.
“Personally, I couldn’t eat an intelligent being. Woolly is one thing, but humans are smarter than we are. It isn’t right but what are you going to do?” Daka said opening his hands in a distinctively human expression.
“Too melancholy. Anyone have any alcohol?” Couro’s wife shouted to the crowd. “Let’s have some music. You off-worlders have a music box?”
“We do but it won’t be very loud,” Cida tried to say in Galactic. Al had been listening in and synchronized their tablets to play Rolling Stones, Jumping Jack Flash. Together they were loud enough.
“What is that?” the other lizard asked as it twitched back and forth to the music.
“Rock and roll,” Oliver shouted, jumping up and dancing free form like it was 1973. The whole village jumped up to do the same. Someone finally found a big jug of hooch and it turned into a real party.
During a lull, a black man sat down next to Daniel. The only black person in sight.
He asked carefully in English, “Where are you from?”
“Israel,” Daniel responded.
“My name is Peter. I am from South Carolina,” then switched to Galactic “I almost forgot English. It has been more than one hundred years since I last heard it. So, the Jews returned to their promised land. That is good news because Jesus will be coming soon. I am afraid he won’t find me in this foreign land. Can you please take me home to die?”
“We will try and free all humans, but you will do for now. Can we buy you from the lizards?”
“Maybe. They are a kindly people considering the circumstances. One thing about them is they sure love to lick their copper. When I arrived on my first planet, they almost tore my arm off to get a copper bracelet my momma had given me as a boy. Seems precious like gold to some of them, especially the lizards.” Peter explained.
“Just licking?”
“I think the lizards need it for their blood or to mate. Maybe both,” Peter said.
“Let me work on this,” Daniel said then sub-vocalized ‘Al, let Oliver know about this. I’m going to get that roll of pennies. Daniel walked over to the grav cycles and started rummaging around for the penny roll. Daka suddenly appeared at his shoulder.
“Don’t worry about that dark one and his stories. He is a good person, just a little crazy with that homeworld myth. I have no money now but if you are coming back, I want to buy that hand weapon. How many milligrams of copper do you want for it?” he asked.
“It so happens that my family is very interested in these myths. Kind of like a search for treasure. Can I buy him from you?”
“He is not mine to sell. The Shaitan keep track.”
“We did kill four Woolly today. Maybe they got one of ours?” Daniel suggested.
“Humans make me angry sometimes. That is a good story. I should have thought of it a long time ago. Our problem is my friend already knows about you and the Woolly,” Daka lamented.
Daniel had found the roll and peeled off some of the pennies unseen, ”How about two of these for each of you?” Daniel said holding up a penny.
“Allow a few licks for me to decide?” Daka said while saliva drooled down his snout.
“Yes, certainly.” Daniel dropped it in his hand.
It was immediately popped into his mouth. Strange expressions crossed Daka’s face and he spit it out bright and shiny.
“Two for me three for her. We have been wanting to lay eggs for many orbits, but her body will not get ready without the copper.” Daka countered.
“Done,” Daniel said and dropped four more coppers in the lizard’s hand. “I will also give you my weapon when we leave. Keep the humans safe and good eating.”
The illicit business was done so they both slipped back to the party. Daniel gave Peter a nod.
Oliver sat next to Daniel, “While you were human trafficking with drugs, Cida and Misha found out something interesting about this planet. On another continent, there is a copper mine and smelter. The planet belongs to the Shaitan now, but these lizards like Daka are the ones who evolved here. The Shaitan showed up less than a thousand years ago and simply dominated the locals. They withhold the copper from them which caused the birth rate to reduce to less than ninety percent death rate. When the Shaitan showed up, there was ten times the number of Dragons. It is a slow genocide but these lunkheads think the Shaitan are gods.”
“I just bought Peter for five pennies. Daka mentioned the copper was needed for egg laying. That explains it. By the way, I will give him my pistol when leaving. I felt guilty about the price.”
“Damn things are twisted here. Let me have ten or so to give Couro’s wife but I’ll tell her to keep it discreet. Leaving the roll would probably cause more problems than it's worth,” Oliver said.
“And draw attention. Give her a comm unit too,” Daniel agreed.
“People pack it up, we are being hailed by the local Coast Guard,” Marco said over everyone’s comm.
Oliver walked over to Couro, shook his hand, and gave his regrets. They were being called to work and must leave immediately. He then went to thank Couro’s wife for the party.
“I am sorry ma’am, but our work calls, and we must leave. Thank you so much for the party. I didn’t even get your name,” Oliver said.
“Marg but thank you for the meat. Please come see us again.” She replied.
Oliver pressed the ten pennies and a Q comm phone into her hand then whispered “Please be discreet with these. Also, ask the villagers to not mention us when outsiders are around. We will try and come back someday but I don’t know when. Our coordinator is named Al, please tell him anything and everything so we know what is happening on this planet. God bless you.”
“And may Jesus guide your path to our common home.”
Oliver started and looked Marg in the eye. She just smiled and nodded. She knew.
“Oliver come on,” Daniel called.
Daniel motioned Daka and Peter over to his grav cycle. He pulled out a bag with two hundred rounds of .357 munition and a cleaning kit, placed his pistol with a spare magazine in it then handed it to Daka. “Don’t let dirt and sand stay in the mechanism and it will serve you well.”
Daka bowed low and accepted. Everyone mounted up and flew low across the fields. About five km away they landed and pulled on the EVA suits. Peter had to ride side saddle in a rescue bag, but he was happy.
Daka called his potential mate over before the human visitors were out of sight.
“Thruma, I have two things to say to you. I have copper if you will have eggs with me and some more copper if you say Peter was eaten by the Woollies. The visitors were never here.”
“What visitors. Let’s taste the copper,” she replied.
“This is for the eggs,” Daka said laying a penny in her hand which she immediately put in her mouth. Her face transformed into one of Dragon ecstasy and her belly started to glow. A moment later her stomach made loud rumbling sounds which became louder and louder. Then she belched a blue fireball right in Daka’s face.
“Love and burnt Woolly. You have made me very happy,” Daka said becoming emotional.
“And you, me,” she replied.
“Congratulations,” shouted Marg who had been watching the exchange. “Time to bring out the good hooch.”
“No work tomorrow,” Daka shouted to cheers from the humans.
Meanwhile, Marco was having his own excitement.
∞
“Unknown craft cease your acceleration and prepare to be boarded,” came over Winchester’s electromagnetic sensor output.
“Shit! Al is this just audio or are they trying to get video as well?” Marco cursed their luck.
“Video. Right now, they are seeing Lt. Worf and a bunch of Klingons in a Bird of Prey bridge but no sound. What do you want to say?”
“Klingons! Al, you have a vivid imagination and so very appropriate for what we are going to do. Ask them why they would attack us if we did not attack them. In Klingon with a Galactic translation. I need time to get Gabriela and Jerry launched,” Marco replied. “Let me see what they look like.”
“Oooo, that’s good,” Al said.
“Klingon vessel, this is Leka orbit command of the Shaitan Empire. You must submit to inspection.”
“Marco we are undocked. Where you want us?” Gabriela asked.
“On his flank”
“We submit to no one. Nothing of yours is here so inspection is unnecessary.” Lt Worf replied.
“Retrieve your shuttle or we will fire,” a big ugly lizard with straight horns coming out his forehead and red scales demanded. The one with the most color on his ornamental harness seemed to be in charge. His four eyes moved independently like a chameleon.
“Gabriela, tickle him with the laser, lowest power. Let’s see how he reacts,” Marco called.
Jerry hit the cutter with the lowest setting and scoured it from bow to stern. A couple of puffs of gas escaped. It turned and accelerated at four G toward the planet.
“Sorry Marco, that was the lowest power and still get lasing pumped,” Jerry said.
“Not your fault, but I hope they are all built that way. Oliver and company are reaching for orbit. Let’s go pick them up. Tight formation Gabriela.”
Ten minutes later and the grav cycles were being secured in their racks. Just then Al called out two flights of three coming hard around the planet from both sides. These were not cutters.
“Experiment and run. Jerry hit the middle one coming retrograde orbit with the laser. Full power,” Marco ordered and barely had it out of his mouth when the center gunboat seemed to turn inside out. Marco followed up on one wingman with the grav focus rod giving a spectacular disintegration.
“Jerry, kinetic missile” Marco called. The kinetic missile leapt free at one hundred G just as the wingman fired an energy weapon at the Winchester. It hit the new hillbilly armor scouring a shallow groove. The kinetic missile struck a grav bubble around the alien gunship and had no penetration. The gunship fired again at a seemly lower power rating raking a different groove. Marco didn’t wait for more and exploded him with the grav focus rod finishing the threat from that vector.
“Now we run. Gabriela, ten G to start.” Marco commanded. The second flight was still catching up intent on payback. At fifteen G they were matching pace.
“Want to kill or capture?” Gabriela asked.
“No, learned enough for this outing. Let’s go to twenty-five G and lose them. We’re not waiting for something bigger to show up,” Marco replied.
“As soon as you are comfortable, make for the Portal and moon base,” Oliver had decided to absorb the information and prepare the next steps. Zan’s intelligence on local warships fit with this experience. These were high-end ships but meant for the same system patrolling.
Twelve hours later and they passed into the Red. Oliver called a brief halt to do a spacewalk for damage assessment. Five of them suited up using Marco’s new personal armored EVA suits.
Jerry passed his hand over the groove in the hillbilly mud armor that had been scorched in by the Shaitan’s weapon.
“Only three centimeters wide and one deep. We could take a shit ton of these hits before it was a problem. This was the first hit with the higher power. Maybe they didn’t have a full charge built up. With our fast cycle time we could kill a fleet before they had a chance,” Jerry evaluated.
“I agree at first impressions but these guys knew they were going into battle so their first shot would have been full power. Local warships will not be a problem. We need to see what one of their bigger ships can do. Not sure I want to be the guinea pig,” Marco said.
“We need to build a drone for them to unload on. Something that can take a lot of hits without showing it. Like a Q ship from the second world war’” Jerry suggested.
“Good thing about scrap airplanes, they are cheap. I am going to leave it up to you and Gabriela to build us something,” Oliver said.
Thirty-six more hours and they were linking airlocks with the quarantine area of the moon base. Peter was almost home.
