The Narnon just re-grouped, re-equipped and moved back in eight days ago. They brought reinforcements, Tuldavian Swamp Lizards. The big suckers were busy building their mud traps just below the surface of the slime all over the place. It was like a damn mine field. If you fell into one that was unoccupied you went in at least to your waist and needed someone's help to get out or you would be permanently stuck and eventually lizard bait. If you had the misfortune to fall into an occupied one you didn't get out, or at least your bottom half didn't.
Jake hadn't wanted to bring the kid to this so soon after the episode with the Hydras. Sure he was healed up as good as new. The kid had incredible recuperative powers. Jake hoped they would have another short rest before going into action again. He wasn't trying to kid himself. He was looking forward to the rest too. Hell, he thought, this was going to be a birthday party.
Tim O'Malley, Dusty Wilson and Watts had joined them. Tim said as soon as they got the place back to ship shape they'd have one hell of a party to make up for lost time. After all, it was Jake's Big Four-O.
The factory had shut down, the staff evacuated, until the planet was secure again. The mercenaries moved into the plant, but the operation was really a guerilla affair, go out kill some Narnon and hopefully some lizards, then retreat to the factory to regroup. The Narnon were not very bright, just fighting machines. They didn't even want the planet or its useable slime. They were a force like the mercenaries, hired by another interested party who wanted the little planet and its multitude of green ooze. They were limited in number. That's why they added the lizards to their forces. They thought this time they might have a chance to win.
Chapter 37
Arr, Jake and Tim sat around the space heater in the factory lounge. At least there was a shower here. Once their watch was over they could wash off the green slime that seemed to ooze into every crease and pore of their bodies. Dusty and Watts were on look out. The other three were just finishing their coffee before turning in.
Arr was just sitting and listening. As usual when you got Jake and Tim together that was the only alternative you had, listening. Tim was a big man, though not as big as Jake. He had flaming red hair and always talked as though he thought you were hard of hearing. He seemed always to be smiling and quoting old sayings from earth's past. Most didn't make sense to Arr. Tim said if you had to explain them it took all the punch out. Arr liked Tim even if he didn't seem to speak English at times.
Dusty and Watts were old friends of Jake's too. Dusty was built like a dar-dolf with two legs. He didn't talk much, but that could have been the company he was keeping. Jake said he was one of the best men in a hand to hand combat he ever saw. Jake saw him take on as many as five guys at once and win. He carried a thinly shaped, razor sharp knife. Dusty told Arr it was really made for filleting fish but, he added with a wicked grin, 'I find it useful for filleting other things too.'
Watts was a large black man. Jake told Arr that Watts wasn't his real name. He killed a man once in a bar, at a Trading Post. He managed to get past the Guardians and escaped. He had to change his name as a consequence and chose a name from earth's 20th century history. Jake said he was the kind of man you wanted on your side.
Tim had just given Jake a tantalizing clue to his birthday present when Watts came running in with Dusty close behind.
"They're making a run on us," he shouted, just before the factory exploded and everything went dark.
Arr struggled from under the debris. He saw the Narnon coming over the top of the rubble toward the survivors. He raised his blaster and killed two before scrambling for cover behind a wall, which was still partially upright. Tim was already there. He was sitting with his back against the wall just before the explosion. Dusty was obviously dead. The Narnon stepped over his body coming in. Watts was behind a metal locker that was tipped over. Arr didn't see any sign of Jake.
"Have you seen Jake?" he asked Tim, as he scanned the debris frantically for any sign of his friend.
"Not since the Big Bang!" Tim exchanged rapid fire with the Narnon, bringing one down in a wail of pain.
There were eight of them. They advanced past the place where the mercenaries had all been sitting, to press their excellent odds advantage against the three. There was nowhere to escape! The only way was through the opening made by the Narnon. The Narnon knew they had won this time. They advanced further.
All at once, Jake rose up out of the rubble behind the invading force and opened fire. They were caught totally off guard and between the mercenary forces. They didn't have a chance. The incident was over in a matter of minutes.
After the rough night at the factory, the Narnon, as Tim said, 'Tucked their tails and ran.' The worst part of the job was the clean up. The Tuldavian Swamp Lizards were left behind in the Narnon's rush to retreat. All the lizards had to be found and liquidated. You couldn't have a factory slime collector lose a leg or two. Jake and Tim devised a way to drag the slime. When the lizards were lured up to the bait they became so much 'swamp slime.'
When the factory staff returned they said they would take care of shipping Dusty's body to his kin. Usually a mercenary was buried where he fell, but the four of them agreed that Dusty deserved better than Gligula.
Chapter 38
Jake's birthday was wonderful. Arr had never experienced so much warmth and friendship before. He wasn't the only one who loved Jake. He was lucky Jake chose him as a partner.
The best part of the celebration was when they brought in the cake. It looked to Arr like a round building with several floors each one smaller than the one below it. They put forty candles on it and it was studded with Red Raspberry Goo Chews. Tim found out about Jake's wayward dar-dolf's addiction, during one of his rare quiet periods when Arr told him about how he made friends with the beast.
Tim's gift was a brand new Magnum Class (MC) Blaster with a new light weight scope attached. It was not the usual gag gift and it was very warmly received by Jake. All the other gifts were rude and obnoxious, but fun.
Arr waited until they returned to the cruiser before he gave Jake his present. Jake thought the festivities were over and he was ready for a good night's rest. He had too much to drink. Oh well, you only had a birthday once a year and a fortieth one only once in a lifetime.
"I couldn't think of anything as funny as your friends' gifts," Arr said, as he stirred restlessly in the doorway to Jake's cabin.
Jake came up to Arr smiling down on the boy, he put his hand on the Henu's shoulder. "That's okay. I don't think I could stand another gag gift."
Arr pulled a piece of rolled paper tied with a ribbon from behind his back. "Happy birthday, Jake." He was a bit embarrassed that it was so small. He handed it to Jake and retreated briskly, walking back to his own cabin.
When Jake unrolled the sheet it was one of Neena's pictures. The only one Arr kept out of the dozens she drew. Arr's favorite. The Henu in the picture smiled back at him from under a tree by the lake.
Chapter 39
"You're under arrest for the murder of Bola Terga of the planet Athos."
They were Galactic Officers all dressed in their blue with gold braid. Jake could see six of them, behind him and Arr, in the mirror above the bar.
Jake took the gamble and lost. If he were by himself he would try fighting his way out, but the kid was with him. Jake had his own code of ethics and pulling a friend into a fight, maybe getting them killed, was against the rules when that friend wasn't given all the information and the choice up front. Jake didn't bother to explain to Arr that he was taking a risk coming here. He convinced himself that after over fifteen years the incident on Rigil Four would be forgotten. He was sure no one would recognize him with a beard. After all, he only took the chance because of an emergency.
It wasn't often that Jake underestimated his opponent. How the Guardians got a whiff of his presence on the planet, God only knew, but they were tenacious. They probably were following them all day. Probably took his prints off the prod he picke
d up at the repair shop.
Jake turned slowly around. "I believe you've made a mistake gentlemen." He raised his hands to show that he had no intention of going for his blaster.
"You are Jake Harcourt of the cruiser Calpernia, are you not?" The leader of the six asked.
"Yes." Jake gave Arr a gentle nudge, to put him out of the line of fire.
"Then there has been no mistake," the lieutenant stated. "If you'll just hand over your blaster and come quietly no one will get hurt."
Jake slowly removed his blaster from its holder and gave it to the officer.
The GO leader indicated with a head movement for one of his men to cuff their prisoner. When the man took the cuffs off of his belt and headed toward Jake, Arr started to go for his blaster and a low rumble emanated from Kay-o.
"Don't!" Jake protested forcefully to the two. "This is my business! You stay out of it. Go find Tim. Tell him what happened."
The officer locked the cuffs securely. They hustled Jake quickly out of the bar. Arr and Kay-o trailed along like lost puppies.
As they pushed Jake into a transport craft he called back over his shoulder, "Take care of yourself, kid."
Chapter 40
Arr paced the pilot platform in agitation. He had been waiting four days. He called Tim as Jake instructed the moment he arrived back on board the Calpernia. Tim advised him to 'Sit tight and stay out of trouble,' until he got there. Arr glanced at the onboard time line for what seemed like the umpteenth time. By his best calculations Tim should arrive sometime tomorrow morning.
Arr went down to the planet's surface at least a half dozen times to try to see Jake, but the Galactic Officers refused to allow him any visitors. Arr did everything he could to get them to change their minds, short of blasting his way in, which Jake and Tim both forbid.
Arr had experienced very little rest in the last four days. He spent his time wearily prowling the corridors of the ship day and night. Only when he was too exhausted to lift his head did he fall into a troubled sleep. He had a lot of time to think, a lot of time to remember.
He was with Jake five years now. He had been with Jake through five Christmas', five birthdays and nineteen missions. He battled everything from Andruvians to Hydras to Basha'a. He had been kicked, stomped on, bitten, beaten and shot at. He lost count of all the beings he shot at, much less killed. He fought to secure everything from slime, used to make air breathable, to quillanium, the strongest metal known used for the hulls of space vessels. He endured extremes in heat and cold, thirst and exhaustion, and.... he saw wonderful, truly marvelous things. Things that he never guessed existed in his wildest imagination. He met some incredibly diverse people and shared their traditions and celebrations. And, he had Jake through it all.
Arr sat down in exhaustion in his co-pilot seat. Kay-o came to lie at his feet.
Jake was family now. He was the father Arr lost at the early age of four. He was the brother he buried on the Henu planet. He was teacher and mentor. He would never leave Jake. To leave Jake was to leave part of himself behind. These last four days would have been totally unbearable except that he kept telling himself it would be over soon. Tim would get here and straighten it all out. Jake killed before, they all had, but Jake was not a murderer. Tim would somehow make it all right. Jake said Tim could 'Talk a Darill into buying a sand box.'
It was night aboard the ship. Jake set it up for a twenty four hour cycle of lighting changes. The temperature dropped 15 degrees, also due to Jake's settings. He said you slept better in a cooler room. Arr slid down out of his chair on the pilot platform to the floor by Kay-o. He hugged the dar-dolf, softly purring.
"It's going to be all right," he said, as much to reassure himself as Kay-o.
Chapter 41
Tim parked his cruiser in orbit next to Jake's. He pulled his pod into the extra bay on Jake's ship exactly 104.32 hours from departure. He made record time. He hopped through two space windows and three solar systems to get here.
Arr was waiting when he crawled out of the pod. He'd never seen the kid like this. He'd seen him sick, hurt and exhausted, but this was different. It was like his best friend and his mother had died on the same day. He looked as though he hadn't slept much in the last four and a half days and the sleeping he'd done must have been in his clothes. Arr once tried to tell Tim how he was bound to Jake, but it didn't make much sense to him. This must be the result of being separated. So, this was Henu bonding. He'd have to get Jake sprung as much for the kid's sake as for Jake's.
"Got a cup of coffee, kid? It's been a long trip," Tim asked, as he pulled himself wearily from the pod.
"Sure, in the mess." Arr acknowledged leading that direction.
"I'm glad you're here Tim." Arr poured Tim a cup. "They won't let me see Jake. I don't even know if he's all right."
"Oh, Jake'll be fine. He's probably doin' less worrying than you and he's the one accused of murder." Tim noticed that Arr's hand shook as he finished pouring. "How long has it been since you ate?"
"I don't remember. It's not important." Arr sat down dejectedly across from Tim.
"It sure as hell is important," Tim bellowed in his usual blustery manner. "If I'm going to get Jake out of this jam I'm going to need all the help I can get. I don't need you folding on me in a crunch."
Tim rose heartily from his chair. He started to rummage about the mess for a meal for the kid. He remembered the Henu liked greens so he piled a plate full of the 'Rabbit food,' as he called it.
"What were you and Jake doing in this solar system?" Tim asked, as he sat the over flowing plate in front of Arr.
"We broke a landing prod on the pod at the last job. Jake attached it, but he couldn't get it to retract. We came here for parts." Arr looked at the plate of food with disgust. He wasn't the least bit hungry.
Tim picked up a carrot and thrust it at the young Henu testily. "Eat!"
Arr obediently gnawed at the veggies.
Tim picked up his cup and stood frowning into its depths. "Why didn't he just go on to a Refitting Station instead of stoppin' here?"
"It was on the way to the next job he had lined up. The Refitting Station was out of the way," Arr said, in an irritated tone. The problem was to get them out of here, not how they got here.
"Of all the stupid," Tim muttered under his breath, as he collapsed back into his chair. "All for a landing prod. The idiot!"
"What are you talking about?" Arr's voice rose in angry stress.
"Jake knows he's dead meat in this solar system, kid." Tim paused and then asked, "Did he ever tell you how his dad was killed?"
"No!" Arr answered in blunt exasperation. He wished just once Tim could get from here to there quickly. "What happened?"
"Well, it's a long story," Tim started.
Arr could see his desire for a swift answer was not to be.
Tim procured a carrot from Arr's plate and leaned back in his chair. As he crunched away he told the Harcourt family saga.
"Jake's dad, Taylor, was my best friend. I would have been with him when he was killed, maybe even died with him like Jake almost did, except that I'd gotten laid up on Alturous III with a pretty good wound of my own from a tangle with a Slugg Rat. Nasty beasts!
"Taylor had a younger brother, Jake's Uncle Charlie. The Harcourt's had been mercenaries for generations, but Charlie was different. He was the black sheep of the family. He wanted a wife and kids. He wanted to come home every night, put up his feet and read the newspaper. He wanted to help the kids with their homework and listen to what the missus had done all day. So with Taylor's blessing, but not his full understanding, Charlie went to work in the everyday world." Tim rocked his chair back on its two hind legs as he warmed to his story.
"Charlie wasn't much older than you at the time. He hired on as a clerk in the shippin' room of an import/export business. The company lost shipments on a regular basis due to high-jackers and poor routing through areas that were in turmoil due to wars or skirmishes between planets. We mercenari
es knew where all the trouble was. Charlie's connections with us proved useful. We kept him on the QT. He started routing the merchandise around the problem areas. He proved himself invaluable to the company. He got the wagons through. It wasn't long before the big guys at the top noticed him." Tim finished his carrot and leaned forward for another.
"Charlie rose rapidly in the company. When he'd learned all the ropes, he started his own import/export. He hadn't had time for a family, but he went home to the same place every night. He put his feet up and read the paper. I guess you should consider yourself pretty lucky if half your dreams come true, huh?" He pointed the stub of his rabbit food at Arr for emphasis.
"Well, Charlie's company was doing real well. I guess it must have been about fifteen years ago, he hired a man named Hughes to help with the business. Mostly the bookkeeping as I understood it. What Charlie didn't see was this Hughes guy was crooked as a snake. Charlie never was a very good judge of character. He would have made a lousy mercenary.
"Well anyway, after about a year Charlie caught Hughes dippin' his hand in the till. He was not only skimmin' the books, but he had a scam set up with a guy named Bola Terga. Bola was in the black market. Pretty high up. He'd bring stolen goods to Hughes. Hughes would sell them through Charlie's company usually at an inflated rate. Clear profit. The guy was makin' money hand over fist." Tim leaned forward once more and prodded a finger at the contents of Arr's plate. Not finding anything to his liking he crossed his arms over his chest and rocked his chair leisurely back again.
"Charlie always was too soft. Instead of havin' the guy arrested or at least cannin' him he told him he'd give him a chance to pay off the money he'd stolen. He would let him continue working for him if he'd sever his connections with this black market dude.
"But I guess Charlie thought better of it that night when he got home and put his feet up cause he sent a message to Taylor that he needed to talk to him as soon as possible about somethin' real important.