Everyone was quiet. “So what’s the plan?” Aly asked, her heart going out to Allan for his decision to help Yilkie.
“Well first let’s figure out if everyone is in.” Allan said, turning to Jalla and Tillia. “Jalla, Tillia, we told you roughly about what went on while we were on Aly’s homeworld, but I want to make sure that you know,” he turned to Aly, “I also want to know everything you know about your people’s weapons systems, what kind of fighting we could be looking at if this is the council, anything you think that we might need to know.”
Aly, Jalla, and Tillia nodded. Allan and Aly explained in detail everything that had happened the last time they saw Yilkie. “Yilkie had not reached out to us, so I was wondering what had happened, I had hoped that he was simply being thorough and waiting until he had established the watchdog group that I asked him to.” Allan said, pacing and trying to think of everything that could have gone wrong. “I knew that they would try something. I had just hoped that it would not happen this quick, that maybe the Quillinar would have time to grow accustomed to the idea that the council of purity is a relic of a bygone era…” Allan trailed off his thoughts consuming him.
“So what do the two of you think?” Aly asked, she knew that Jalla and Tillia were capable fighters, but she also knew that their people tended to stay out of conflict.
Jalla and Tillia looked at one another. “If our Alpha goes to fight, then we will as well. It is that simple.” Jalla said, and Tillia nodded.
“Thank you.” Aly said to the sisters before turning to Allan. “So what will you do?”
“We don’t know enough. Aly, I think we should reach out to everyone we can, see what information we can get. For now, let’s head back to station Xenttrop Theta.” Allan thought for a moment. “Aly, can I send a message to Eddie?”
“If you know his email address, I can send a message to the repeater that I emplaced and used to access your world’s network. But it can only be text.” Aly said, “But I do not know if that would be the right thing to do.”
“Good,” Allan said, “okay so for now this is the plan, let’s see if we can cut down our travel time back to the station, Why can’t we make it back in one jump?” Allan asked suddenly remembering that Aly had said that any Jumpgate could connect to any other Jumpgate.
“We can, it is just a matter of accumulated power.” Aly said, “typically, especially near the station, the Jumpgates are constantly in use, so they can’t accumulate the required energy to make a longer connection.” Aly tapped on the keyboard, “The Jumpgate that is nearby though is largely unused, if we send the jump request now, the Gate here will accumulate enough power to make the jump to the station in,” she tapped a few more buttons, “only six days.”
“Good!” Allan said jumping up. “Aly let’s send a message to the Chiln ship that brought the princess here.” Aly nodded and pressed several buttons, then stepped aside from the comms panel. “Hello, This is Allan Mac’Millen, Kilndla I hate to tell you but we will be tying up the nearby Jumpgate for the next six days.” Allan took a breath. “So, if you were planning on leaving, you enjoy your extended vacation. I apologize for this but it is an emergency that will most likely result in a battle. I wish you and your son, Chalxra, a great extended vacation.” Allan pressed a button that sent the message. “Aly send the Jump request and get us headed there.”
--------------------
The six days waiting for the Jumpgate were sobering. They sent out several hundred messages, between Jalla and Tillia reaching out to every connection they had on the station, and Aly sending messages to every client of the Jushintorg clan that owed the clan a favor. Allan sent two messages, one to Hilx’Nit, and one in text to Eddy.
In the end, they received five responses. The first was from Hilx’Nit, stating that he was aware that something was going on at the Quillinar homeworld, but not what exactly. He also made it clear that if Allan found anything amiss that the Bastion of Law would be there and provide what support it was allowed to.
The second message sent Allan into hysterical laughter. Allan had sent Eddy a short paragraph that explained that he might be back home and take Eddy to see some shit and any of his buddies that wanted to come would be welcome, but their commanding office should probably not know. Eddy, in his typical aggressive fashion, had responded with five words, “Blood for the Blood gods.”
The third message was a surprise to everyone, it was a video message, and when they put it up on the screen, Aly was surprised. “Jilnitequa.” She said, and Allan recognized the orange fiery pattern of the woman and the black and red coloring of the little girl that she held in her arms. “Alyniqual, I know that by now you are aware that the council of purity has made its move.” She hugged the little girl who was sleeping in her arms. “I don’t know what is going on, but my mate, my husband, suddenly disappeared. He left a note telling me not to talk to anyone but you should know, that every single member of the council of purity has been called to our world. I don’t know what is going on but I needed someone to know if that man that helped you and set all this in motion truly can do what he claims, tell him that now is the time, tell him that my Spawn-Daughter deserves to grow up with a father. If you find my mate, tell him that he can find me at the place we conceived our daughter.”
The fourth message was from an information broker that owed Jalla a favor. It was a summary of known members of the council of purity and requisitions and purchases that they had made before chartering passage back to the Quillinar homeworld.
The last message was from Yilkie, a short video. “Aly, Allan, we are holding for now, and a surprising number of allies have shown up.” Yilkie panned the camera showing a shocking number of brightly colored Quillianr, a smattering of Gish, and a singular Galgax. “You should know that they are purging any who don’t agree to follow them. Fortunately for us, this means that our numbers grow every day, but this is a disaster. Please hurry, bring who you can.”
“Okay,” Allan said, placing an arm around Aly. “So, the plan is as follows. Once we jump in twenty minutes, we will send a message to Hilx’Nit and Eddy, we will then see what we can get by way of weaponry, and armor. We will then be heading to my homeworld to pick up some of the most aggressive men and women you will ever meet. After that, we will go to Aly’s homeworld where we will deliver a strike to the Council of Purity, the likes of which they probably think no one could deliver.”
Jalla and Tillia nodded and headed off to go about the things they usually did during the day. Allan turned to Aly. “Aly, I need to know are their rules to war?” He asked this, wanting to distract her but also genuinely needing the information.
She shook her head, “No, only the total destruction of a race would result in any kind of hearing. You could say that your people’s saying of ‘All’s fair in love and war’ is exemplified by the galaxy’s view on warfare.”
“Okay,” Allan said, and then he moved to stand in front of her, “are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said, “I know that I have very mixed feelings but I just want this to be over so that we can move on, or at the least not worry about being gunned down in a dark alley.”
“I agree,” Allan said, “But I think that it is going to get worse before it gets better. I hope that Eddy can get some friends.” The last part he only muttered to himself.
“Could we somehow reach out to the leadership of your country?” Aly asked.
Allan thought about this for a while and then spoke. “No, unfortunately, I don’t think that my people are ready for this. I trust Eddy to bring people that will keep their mouth shut.”
“Well, let’s get this show on the road then.” Aly said, and we waited for the confirmation from the gate. When it came Aly pressed the button, and suddenly there was a flash of light, and then they were through the gate. Several hours later the Solstice slaved its controls to the station AI, and it guided them into docking.
—-------------
A flurry of activity was all the fourteen-hour stay on the station felt like to Allan, in that time they managed to send their messages, purchase weapons that were essentially railguns, and armor that would adapt for all races. They had gotten enough for two hundred troops, and Allan had paid for it all with a smile, he had also purchased enough ammo to make the face of the Gish who ran the weapons supply store go pale.
Once they had purchased everything they thought they needed, Allan then took Aly, Jalla, and Tillia to a store that he had been assured by Doc, who had reached out to Allan and suggested the weapons supply store, was the best at custom combat gear.
“Hello and welcome to Invary Combat Technologies.” A Gish woman said, standing up as they entered.
“Hello,” Allan said, “I have come here on the urging of Yilvar of the Gish, he told me to ask for Jeths.”
The woman’s face maintained her smile as she pressed a button that locked the doors behind them. “Follow me.” She lead them through the halls of the beautiful building, and into what Allan would describe as a Lab. “Mr. Jeths, a referral from Doctor Yilvar.”
The being that stood up from the chair, was humanoid, but most certainly made from metal. “Hello, I am Jeths, if Doctor Yilvar recommended you then the need must be urgent.” It was clear to Allan that the being was an android of some kind.
“I’m Allan,” He said, following the man, “I have to ask Jeths what race are you?”
“I am a Gish, who has had his consciousness and had it implanted into a mechanical form.” Jeths turned to Allan, “Doctor Yilvar saved my life in combat, but he could not save any of my limbs, so when I had healed to a point that would allow it, I asked that he help me by performing the transfer. He did so reluctantly, but even he would agree I was never meant for combat, but for building the weapons used in it. So here I am.” The metal shoulders shrugged.
Allan nodded, “Good enough for me. So Jeths here is the situation, I need full sets of body armor and weapons suited each of us.” He gestured to the women behind him. “I also need nanite injections that assist with healing, and boost basic combat abilities.”
“My gratitude to Yilvar is vast but that is a lot.” Jeths said.
“I am aware, the introduction was from Yilvar, I intend to pay.” Allan said pressing a button that triggered a predetermined transfer from his account to Jeths’s account.
A notice popped up on Jeths’s datapad and he tapped it and smiled at all the zeros that accompanied it. “Understood Mr. Mac’Millen, you shall have the very best.”
“One more thing, Mr. Jeths,” Allan said, “Call me Allan, I feel like you and I will grow to be good friends.”
Jeths nodded and then went to work. A rush of measuring, fabricating, and work resulted in four suits, each matte black, that looked like what Allan figured a harbinger of death would. When Jeths had finished, they took their suits and went back to the ship. Signaling their departure from the station.
—-------
The three days that it took for the Solstice to leave the Jumpgate and make it to Earth were quiet, none of the typical fun and fancy that filled the ship took place.
Aly called them all together on the bridge. “I can’t thank you three enough. So I want to ask the three of you to accept official membership to the Jushintorg Clan.” She smiled at Allan, “I had always planned for you to become a part of the clan, but I want to make it official. Before we bring anyone else on the ship, I want to do something but, I need to know if all three of you want to be a part of the clan.”
“I’m in, I have been in since you scooped me up off that green and blue marble.” Allan said, looking out the window at Earth spinning in space. “Jalla, Tillia, I know I am your Alpha, but this is a decision that you must make for yourselves, join the Jushintorg or not, I will still be your Alpha.”
Jalla and Tillia spoke in their native language for a moment. “Thank you for telling us that Allan, and Aly, we would be honored to join the Jushintorg clan.” Tillia said, and Jalla nodded.
Aly pressed a button. “Very well, thank you, all three of you. I have just sent notice to the Banker Clan.” She walked over to the wall opposite the passage that lead to the sleeping chamber, and the rest of the ship, at least as Allan, Jalla and Tillia knew it. She spoke a name and the wall seemed to ripple leaving behind a stunning golden door that shimmered like a gem.
“This is the Jushintorg’s inner sanctum. If I do not make it past the upcoming battle, at least the clan will continue.” Aly said, and then taught them all to open the door. She showed them through the door, smiling at the looks of wonder that she saw on their faces. She showed them everything, and when they were done she spoke as the door in the bridge seemed to be absorbed back into the wall. “After this is all over if I am around, I will do more than show you the sanctum, I will explain its purpose and what everything inside it is. If I do not live, Allan I want you to become the head of the Jushintorg clan. Do what you will with the name, but do something good.”
Allan nodded and smiled as Jalla and Tillia both hugged Aly. He decided at that moment, that Aly was not dying. He stepped up and hugged all three women in a bear hug, and then pulled back. “Okay, let’s go get Eddie.”
—-----------
Eddie felt stupid, he trusted Allan, loved the man like a brother. But when he had received the email with no return address telling him to get anyone that had time and will to fight a war and go out into the desert of Nevada, he had nearly dismissed it as someone playing a prank on him. But here he was, with twenty-three other veterans. Allan didn’t know but Eddy was out of the Corps, largely in part to Allan’s father.
“Eddy, what the hell is going on man.” Troy said, looking around at the group of ex-operators that stood milling around.
“Look man I sent you all what Allan sent me.” Eddy said, moving to say more when a voice rang out from the dark.
“Sorry, I’m late Eddy.” Allan said, stepping out behind the rock that Aly had teleported him behind.
“Allan, what the hell man. You couldn’t ask us to meet somewhere a little warmer?” Eddy said, Hugging his brother.
“Not for this, get everyone together, I got some stuff to say that is going to change your world.” Allan said pulling back. “It’s good to see you man.”
“Same to you brother.” Eddy said before turning to the group, “All right, gather around assholes!”
“Fuck you, Eddie.” Several voices rang out, as well as laughter, but the men and women gathered around.
“Yeah, fuck you guys too. Now,” Eddy took a breath, he had called in every favor he had to get them all here, now he just hoped that Allan had a good enough reason to warrant this. “Allan here, has something to ask you all, don’t give him any shit or he will put you on your ass.”
“He could try.” A female voice said, which got a laugh.
“Yeah I could, but I’m not here for fight night.” Allan said, stepping up to them. “What I am about to ask you all, is to fight for a group of people that are being oppressed based on the color of their skin.” He could see in the dim light of the moon that he had their attention. “Before you ask, this is not something that the Government of any nation on Earth knows about, or has the ability to help with.”
Allan looked around at the confused looks. “What I am about to say you may choose to believe or not, but a few months ago, on my birthday, I was approached by a being that you all would call an Alien.” This caused a laugh to come from them all. “It’s funny, I know, but it’s true, and I have been off-world, traveling with that woman, and it is her world that I am asking for your help in dealing with a problem.”
A flash of light and suddenly Aly was standing next to him. “This is Aly Jushintorg. She is a Quillinar.” Allan saw the rapid appearance of several sidearms. “And if you keep those guns in your hands, the two women behind you, Jalla and Tillia, will take them.”
The group collectively turned to see Jalla and Tillia behind them. “So please put your weapons away and hear me out.” Allan said with a stern look. “Troy that means you, big man.” With a grumble, the guns went away.
“Yeah, alright,” Troy said, “only because you put me down hard last time I didn’t listen to Eddy when he said you would.”
“Okay, So here is the deal…” Allan said, and dove into what was going on.
“Okay hold up.” Troy said, “You are telling us that you and your space girlfriend want us to come and help you kill off space nazis?”
“That’s pretty much it. Now when we are all done we will bring you all back, and you will be able to go back about your lives. Aly has also said that if you desire it, she would be more than happy to ensure that your bank accounts never run out of cash ever again.” Allan said.
“Shit I’m in.” One of the four females said, “Getting paid to kill nazis, sounds like a dream vacation. Just one question, what would our rules of engagement be?”
“That’s the fun part.” Allan said a feral smile appearing on his face. “The greater galaxy seems to hold true to the idea that war is hell. You are all free to engage as you see fit. So long as we do not destroy the entire race, no one will even bat an eye. I also have weapons and armor for you, but I get the feeling you all have what you are comfortable with.”
Aly stepped forward then. “As it stands we can give you weapons, and armor, but if you would like I can also send you anywhere on the planet with access to a bank account with no limit. Your planet’s banking and internet systems are surprisingly easy to hack.”
“Shit Allan,” Eddy said in a quiet voice, “you found yourself one hell of a little firecracker.”
“I know, but she found me.” Allan said as the humans talked. “I will warn you, Eddy, that if any of them try anything with Aly if she doesn’t rip them in half Jalla and Tillia probably will.”
“Oh yeah,” Eddy responded looking Jalla and Tillia over, “You won’t get any trouble. I think that if anything Johnson,” he gestured at one of the women in the group who was eyeing Jalla, “will be your only problem. She is a furry.”
“You are fucking with me.” Allan said.
“Nope.” Eddy laughed a little. “Other than that, they are all good people. So if they come with us, you should have no issue.”
Aly was approached by several of them asking questions and she answered what she could. When they all settled down, Allan spoke. “Okay, if you are in, take one of these.” He set a small box of matte black stones that were identical to the one that Aly had given him when he first left. “Twenty-four hours from now, make sure that you have what you need. We will bring you up to the ship using those stones. After that, we will get whatever else we need. Plan on operating in groups of 3-4 and as hunters, when we get there you will all be your own commanders, we can go over more once we are on the way. If you decide not to go, throw those rocks into some vinegar and they will dissolve.”
They all took one talking amongst themselves and began the short hike down to the road where their cars were parked. Allan stood there, handing out stones, until it was just him, Aly, Jalla, Tillia, and Eddy. “Well, Eddy, what do you say we go see mom?”
“Sure, I caught a ride here so I could ride with you.” Eddy said. Allan handed him a stone, and then after a flash of light, they were on the bridge of the ship. “Holy shit.” Eddy said, walking towards the windows that looked down on the Earth. “Man Allan when you say you are going to find adventure, you sure don’t half-ass it.”
“You don’t even know.” Allan said, then turned to Aly. “Okay my dear, if you could drop us just outside my mom’s place, that would be great, and then once I talk with mom. You and the girls can join us.”
—---------
“Hey, Mom.” Allan said when his mother opened the door.
“Oh, Allan! And Eddy too! Isn’t this a surprise?” She hugged them both and they walked in.
She started asking him all about his adventure, but Allan stopped her. “Mom, um, So I want to tell you something. I have three more people, I met them while I was away.”
“Oh, Well where are they?” She asked looking past Eddy and Allan out the door that Eddy still filled.
“Well so here is the thing, they look and are far more different than you are used to.” Allan said, trying to figure out how to express that he was in a relationship of variety or another with three alien women. “I just,” he paused and pulled the door closed, “I want you to sit down, and then I will introduce you to them.”
“Okay.” His mother said, sitting down as she looked around confused.
“Aly.” Allan said quietly. And suddenly Aly, Jalla, and Tillia were standing beside Allan. “Mom, these are my friends, Aly, Jalla, and Tillia.”
His mother was frozen for a moment and then burst out laughing. “I knew it!”
“What?” everyone in the room other than Allan’s mother spoke in unison.
“I knew that night you said you were leaving. It had to be space.” Allan’s mother laughed wiping tears from her eyes. “I figured that the only thing that would make you leave like that was either a woman or an adventure the likes of which you would never find here on earth. And I think I was right.” His mother stood up and walked around the three women.
“You knew?” Allan asked surprised.
“Well of course I did. It had to be women or space, and judging from how this one,” she gestured at Aly, “Is looking at you, I think that it was both. I can see why you went with her though.”
Allan and Aly both blushed, and everyone else laughed. “Okay well, let’s get some food.” Allan said, and picked up the phone and the menu to a good little Chinese place. He told the woman on the other end of the phone, that they wanted one of everything, and paid with the card that Aly had set up for herself when she had first come here.
“Okay it’s gonna be about two hours, so let’s talk.” Allan said, he sat down on the couch with the three women, and Eddy and his mother took the two recliners. They talked, catching up and explaining to Allan’s mother what they had come back for.
“So the two of you are back to fighting.” Allan’s mother said, her eyebrow raised.
Eddy and Allan looked at each other then grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, sorry about that mom.”
“Does it really anger you Mrs. Mac’Millen?” Aly asked, eating a veggie dish that a small device she had brought with her told her she was able to eat.
“First of all, It’s Sarah, not Mrs. Mac’Millen.” Allan’s mother said with a smile, “And no not really, these boys grew up rough. But I always thought that they would always be fighters, at least as long as they had a good cause. I still despise their fathers though.” Sarah said with venom in her voice.
Allan glanced to Jalla and Tillia who did not know about his past. “Speaking of your father Allan.” Sarah said, “He tried to come by a few weeks ago.”
“What?!” Demanded Allan and Eddy, both their voices dripping with anger. “You know what fuck this, I say we take him with us and toss his ass out an airlock.” Allan said, and Eddy nodded.
“It’s fine, the only reason that I didn’t call Eddy is that he brought me these.” Sarah said gesturing at the papers on the coffee table with the food. Allan picked them up and saw that they were uncontested divorce papers, in which he relinquished all claims to any money or property, simply nullifying the marriage.
“Good, finally.” Allan said.
“He’s a bastard for making you wait this long.” Eddy said, eating a spring roll and reading over Allan’s shoulder.
They chatted until late in the night. Sarah expressed an interest in one day seeing the places I had told her of after the current issue was dealt with of course. When they finally said goodnight, Eddy staying in Allan’s old room, and Allan and the rest of them going back to the ship via teleporter.
The next morning, they went back down and had breakfast with Sarah and Eddy. After talking for a few more hours Allan stood. “Well, I guess that it is time for us to head out.” Allan said, Aly, nodded moving with Jalla and Tillia to say goodbye to Sarah, who hugged them all tightly, wishing them luck, and whispering in Aly’s ear causing her to blush. The girls finally stepped back and Aly activated the teleporter, sending the three of them to the ship.
“Now, as for you two,” Sarah said, hugging each of the men who made her seem as if she were a child next to their height, “I did not go through the trouble of raising you, and patching up god knows how many broken bones and black eyes, for either of you to not come back. Understood?” She said this last part in a way that only a mother could, and Eddy and Allan both hugged her tight.
“Don’t worry I’ll bring him back, in at most two pieces.” Eddy said, dropping a hand on Allan’s shoulder.
“Two pieces?” Allan asked in an amused tone. “I think you’ll be the one who is brought back, bud.”
Sarah laughed and then Hugged Eddy again. “Eddy I need a moment with Allan if that is okay with you.” She said, and Eddy nodded kissing her on the cheek, and stepped outside. “Allan, you do right by those young ladies.” She gave Allan a look that he knew well from his youth.
“I will mom, I’m not trying to lead anyone on,” Allan shrugged, “but I also don’t want to agree to something just cause they want it.”
Sarah nodded, placing a hand on his face lovingly. “Good, don’t hurt them for no reason, but don’t hurt yourself without a good one.” She kissed his cheek, “Now get out of here and kill some space fish nazi things,” a look crossed her face, “well that’s a sentence I never thought I would say. Anyways, good luck and fight well.”
“I will mom. Love you.” Allan said as he pulled the door closed behind him. “Alright, Eddy let’s get on up to the…” He stopped talking seeing Eddy staring down at none other than his father.
“So my worthless son finally came back. I already fucked up Eddy’s life I wonder what I can do to fuck up yours.” His father said, a smile crossing his face, and Eddy’s face filling with rage. “Maybe I cancel those divorce papers your mom has in there. Or better yet I file for her to committed, and you both as well. I don’t know what you are involved in, but I got to admit that the fish lady that vanished out of the living room, she is hot. Maybe she could convince me to keep my mouth shut.”
Allan’s father was laughing and didn’t see Allan tap his comm-link, “Hey Aly, do me a favor and send Jalla, and Tillia back down here.” A moment later Jalla and Tillia were standing next to Allan and Eddy.
“Ohh the furries!” Allan’s father said, “I don’t know what kind of trick you are using to make them hide and appear like that, but I’m not into Furries Allan. Now listen to your father…”
Allan cut him off with an uppercut that knocked him to the ground. “Jalla, Tillia, please take my father to the ship, and secure him. I don’t care how you do it, nail him to the hull with a spike through each hand, he only has to live until I get to him.”
“Yes, Allan.” They responded and grabbed the man, who was shorter than Allan, hoisting him into the air like a child so that his feet dangled between the two women.
“If he does or says anything that you don’t like,” Allan said, looking his father in the eyes as the man’s brain struggled to comprehend what was happening. “feel free to show him that you dislike it in any way you see fit.” Jalla and Tillia smiled, the holes on their snouts opening up and their growls now sounding like hellhounds. Allan’s Father opened his mouth to scream, and they disappeared.
Sarah came out of the house. “Allan, Eddy, I know you hate the man, and I do too, but don’t think that you need to kill him. He has nothing.” She said this, apparently having heard what he had said.
“Oh, but I want to.” Eddy said, clenching his fists. Eddy quickly explained that Henry had sent repeated letters to his commanders, telling lies about things Eddy had done, and Eddy unable to prove otherwise had been forcefully separated from the military.
“We will deal with it, mom.” Allan said, hugging her one last time and stepping back to Eddy before signaling Aly to bring them up.
—-----------
Allan and Eddy stepped out of the room that Aly had teleported them to, just in time to see Jalla’s fist sink into Henry’s gut. “If you say something like that again, I will break one of your limbs.” She snarled from where she sat perched atop his chest. Jalla looked up at Allan and smiled, “Tillia is getting rope.”
“Good we will be dropping him off soon so it doesn’t have to last long.” Allan said, smiling back at Jalla, and Tillia who came rushing around the corner with a bit of rope. Once they had Henry trussed up like a Christmas turkey, the two women carried him to the bridge where they dropped him.
“Okay,” Allan said, slipping his arm over Aly’s shoulder as he stood next to her. “Let’s see who shows up.” In the end, they had forty. Troy and several others had passed along the message to some of their former military friends who needed cash or simply hated their jobs, and they had agreed to help.
“Okay you got your bodies, now we need hardware.” Eddy said.
“Hey if you have no limit on budget, I know a guy who has anything we could want.” A younger man said stepping up with his prosthetic leg. “ I’m James. I know A Russian guy from when I was stationed with NATO forces, he’s out now and helps his dad run his weapons business.”
“Russia?” Allan said looking from Eddy to Henry with a meaningful glance.
“Russia.” Said Eddy with a vicious smile on his face.
—-----------
Moments later James, Eddy, Troy, and Allan were hauling a trussed-up Henry through the doors of a warehouse somewhere in the tundra of the Siberian wastes. “Yo, Igor!” James said, waving at a younger-looking man, amid a bunch of others who had pulled guns on them.
“James?!” the mand said and then shouted in Russian which resulted in the men lowering their weapons but not their guard. “How the fuck did you get here?” Igor asked walking up to shake hands with James.
“That is a long story that I’m fairly certain you would not believe.” James turned to Allan, “Today I want you to meet Allan, he is about to be your best friend.” Allan shook hands with Igor.
“Igor, was it?” Allan asked, handing him a piece of paper, “If you can have all of that ready to go in a pile in the next twenty minutes, I will pay whatever price you want, direct deposit to any account on the planet.”
Igor read the list. “What the fuck are you about to get into, James?” Igor asked and rubbed the stubble on his chin. “I have all of it. How much ammo for this stuff do you want?”
“How much do you have?” Allan asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.
“He’s for real?” Igor asked looking at James.
“About as real as they get.” James said, not breaking eye contact with Igor, who held the stare for a long time.
“Poslushay!” He shouted, and then started rattling off weapon names and Russian words. His men jumped to work running to get things, two getting into old forklifts and moving pallets of ammunition into the pile. When all was said and done they had stacked everything not already on a pallet onto two empties, and there were nine pallets total. “Okay here is your stuff,” He said handing me the paper, “and it only took us fifteen minutes.” Igor smiled.
“Give me an account and routing number and an amount.” Allan said tapping his comm-link so Aly could hear and do whatever it was she did to make the money appear.
He rattled off the account and routing number from memory after dismissing all his men but one. “Two hundred million.” Igor said, he looked as if this was where he expected Allan to haggle.
“We will call it two hundred and ten million, on one condition.” Allan said, and Igor, with eyebrows raised, nodded. Allan kicked his foot at Henry shivering on the concrete floor. “This is my father. He is a piece of shit, to say the least. My mother has requested that I not kill him, but I am done dealing with his bullshit. So my request is that he be allowed to live here in Russia, and if he happens to die in a gulag somewhere, well that’s none of my business.”
Igor smiled and held out his hand. “Now I just need…” He trailed off as the man he had let stay behind walked over and showed him an iPad, which Allan guessed was used to confirm the money. “Never mind, your money is received. Who are you, Allan?”
“Someone who just paid without haggling for you to forget that I exist.” Allan said, and smiled as Igor laughed and turned with his man to look at henry. “Welcome to Russia then mister piece of shit.” Igor and his man turned back to see that the pile of weapons and Ammo, along with the men who had purchased them were gone in its place was a bottle of exquisite vodka and a note that read “Good doing business with you.”
Igor looked to his man. “Brother, I think that we will not talk about this.”
The man who was Igor’s younger brother nodded, his face somewhat pale, and took a sip of the vodka. “It is very good vodka though.”
—----------------
Back on the ship, now in the cargo hold that had been cleared by the other military folk while they waited for the weapons, Allan was having everyone get their kit set out. He walked back to the bridge of the ship, “Okay, Aly, let’s go drop a world of hurt on some eugenics using assholes.”
A groan sounded through the door of the cargo hold as Allan and Aly walked back. “What’s that all about?” Aly asked, looking around at the somewhat amused looks on everyone’s faces.
“Troy just made a joke.” Eddy said.
“Well considering that this group is mostly marines, I just thought it would be funny if we called ourselves the space marines.” Troy said a smile on his face, as he knew that it was an incredibly on-the-nose joke.
“Yeah, I think I will have to veto that one.” Eddy said, and a chorus of voices joined in.
“Okay, so now that we have gotten the inevitable out of the way, finish packing your shit, then I’ll show you to the room I got set up for you all, I did my best but it was short notice.” Allan waited and then lead them to a large storage room next to the rec-room he had built. In this room, he set up a bed for each person, with solid walls made by the assembler on either side, and a heavy noise dampening curtain on the front, the middle of the room had several couches and a couple of beanbags that Allan had originally intended for the rec room but decided against.
“Next door is a rec room that has more movies, and music than you could ever listen to.” He said, leading them on a brief tour of the ship, showing them to the dining hall, the bridge, and of course the bathrooms, he showed them to the assembler, telling them that if they needed anything custom made, they should talk to himself or Jalla, and they would get it done. They wound up back at the dorm he had set up for them, where Jalla and Tillia were adding a few more rooms for the unexpected additions that they had.
“I don’t know what brought you all here, but I appreciate it.” Aly said, looking each of them in the eye. “My people don’t know you, and you don’t know them, but I assure you that when the time comes for humanity to join the galaxy, your people will be welcomed with open arms by mine.” She walked around thanking each of them in turn and learning their names.
They all smiled and told her not to worry, that they would surely destroy the enemy. She smiled at each one. When she was finished. She left with Jalla and Tillia who had finished adding the needed rooms. “Okay boys and girls, grab some rack time, its three days to the Jumpgate and then only a few hours till landing. For the next three days, we prepare, then we unleash every twisted and fucked up idea of hell that we can come up with on these nazi wannabes.” The room filled with the sounds of humans, all of whom had been trained to be merciless soldiers, chanting for the death of the Council of Purity.
—---------
Allan spent an hour talking with them and then finally decided it was time for some sleep. He got to the sleeping pit to find Aly already snuggled up with Tillia and Jalla. He carefully inserted himself next to Aly, who opened her eyes and looked at him. “What is it, Allan?” Aly asked seeing the thoughtful look on his face.
“Oh it’s nothing,” Allan said, smiling at her, “I think I know what it is that will be humanities mark as a deathworlder though.”
“Oh really?” Aly smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. “And what would that be?”
“You told me that earth was a deathworld because of a lot of stuff, but I think that is dumb to assume that just because we come from a deathworld, that we are deathworlders.” Allan said as he stared at the ceiling. “Because we are not the strongest, we are not the smartest, we are not the best at anything, other than one thing.”
“What’s the one thing?” Aly asked, sounding more serious.
“We will be marked as deathworlders not because we are from a deathworld, but because we are the best at bringing death to other worlds.” Allan said, and Aly saw in his eyes that he believed this to be true. Allan kissed her forehead, and laid back to sleep, leaving Aly to wonder at the words. Wonder if she truly understood what it was that she was bringing down on her world.
