The Elephant Ep2.13: New Directives

The destroyed gammek base sat pathetically in space outside the window. It was not the first one he had seen today. Standing next to the glass, Braca sighed heavily and tried to imagine what it must have been like. Pieces of debris still floated in the space outside. More than once he had seen a grisly reminder of what had happened. The sound of footsteps from behind made him turn. Someone had entered and sat down in a chair across the room. She said nothing to him. Her eyes never left the sheet of paper on her lap. "Who did this?"

She looked up momentarily into his eyes and smiled. "That's what we're here to find out." Braca tried to continue the dialogue but she wouldn't have it. The woman ignored him and went back to her studies. Off to their right, the door opened and two men stepped inside. He recognized them immediately. "Generals." He saluted and stood to attention. The first one, a man named Hallin, returned the gesture and walked up to the window. "So Lt., anything new?" Braca shook his head. "Where exactly were you when this happened?" General Lyle, the older of the two, was not as calm.

"He was on assignment. Running errands for the hybrid." She stood and walked over to him. Waving Hallin off, she spoke directly to his face for the first time. "Is that not correct Lt.?" Braca nodded his head nervously. The woman smiled and turned back to the generals. They both took on his uneasy expression. She was a much higher rank. "In fact, you didn't even know about this until now." Letting his eyes fall back on the wreckage below, Braca did not respond. "I see." Without any warning, she grabbed the back of his head and smashed it into the window. Something broke, and it wasn't the glass.

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Chiana grinned and let her head fall comfortably on the pillow. Something was up and she wasn't telling anyone. From the doorway, a pair of curious eyes watched with waning patience. The Hynerion was determined to find out why. "You just gonna stand out there?" She turned towards him and continued to smile. Rygel shook his head as if he was just passing through. "No, I was only seeing how you were." He grunted something unintelligible and rode away on his hover throne. The Nebari looked over at the piece of paper on her desk. It was blank except for one word written in the center. "Soon." Chiana whispered the word to herself. "I can deal with that."

Rygel made his way down the corridor, growing more and more annoyed as he went. As it happened every so often, there was absolutely nothing to do. He had checked all of his usual places but came up empty handed. They wouldn't even let him help fix things. "Only when they need me." He grumbled to himself and headed back towards his quarters. The sound of people talking caught his attention. It seemed to be coming from Tom's room. His attention won, the Hynerion grinned and stopped his throne.

Tom sat quietly at the table in his room with a pen in his hand. Across from him, Meryl lay asleep on the bed. She had been moving around for hours. Making small snorting noises every now and then. It was becoming difficult to concentrate. "Could you keep it down please?" There was no response. Despite the distractions, he was happy to have her there again. His mother had only recently consented to finding her own room. Tom looked down at the piece of paper in his hands and groaned. It was empty. "Need some inspiration?" He turned to find Rygel floating at the door.

"Are you comfortable?" Rachel glanced up from her seat and saw the creature looking expectantly at her. D'Argo had made it a point to be nice to the woman. "Yes, thank you." Without waiting for an invitation, he stepped into the room and sat across from her. She gave him a confused look and fidgeted. "On my world, mothers are revered and cared for." The Luxan waited for her to say something. Rachel nodded slightly. "So, you're here to?" He smiled. "I just wanted to make sure you were adjusting to Moya." Before she could answer, his comm went off. "D'Argo, would you mind coming to command?"

Zhaan bent over the ex-peacekeeper's still form and rubbed the cool gel across her forehead. "Is this really necessary?" She fought to keep from saying something rude and nodded. "You have a headache. This will help." Aeryn grimaced as the substance began to stick to her skin. "Feels funny." The Delvian smiled. "How's she doing blue?" John walked into the lab and sat down beside the bed. Aeryn shot him a look and turned back to Zhaan. "Can I go now?" The older woman backed away and let her stand. "Try not to aggravate yourself." John laughed. "Highly unlikely."

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Things were tense for the crew of the Artanis. A new arrival in their sector was stirring things up considerably. Every tek lab had been ordered to work nonstop until something solid came up. Moving silently through each level, Captain Grisham surveyed his people with earned dismay. "Have you got anything yet?" Behind him, Lt. Ness raced to catch up with him. The man held a portable computer in his hands. "No sir. None of the recovered files have done any good." Grisham turned around to face him. "Which means?" Ness looked up at the sign above their heads. It read: Detention.

Zelaya had felt the change a few days earlier. Despite her awkward situation, the Ferrian was still well aware of what was going on outside. The Regulator ships in the area had picked up on it too. A change had somehow occurred. "Guard! I demand to speak with a person of authority." The new situation meant that certain parts of the plan would have to be sped up. The officer in charge of her section walked up to the door and peered inside. "Shut up and sit down." He undid the lock and stepped inside. Zelaya smiled. "What was your rank again?"

They were still standing in the hall when the alarm began to sound. Ness pulled his pulse pistol out and charged into the holding cell area. A door stood ajar at the other end. He didn't need many guesses to figure out who it was. "Sir, go ahead and head back. I'll take care of this." Grisham stuck his head inside and nodded. "Keep me informed Lt." The Captain walked back towards his chamber. Moving in the opposite direction, Ness stepped in front of the open cell. A sickening crunch came from the darkness. "Well it's about time."

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The Nyid had never seen a ship like the one that loomed over their ravaged planet. Sure, command carriers and other assorted vessels had passed by in recent weeks. But nothing like this. The behemoth was painted black and red. A floating city in space with structures sticking out into the darkness. A synthesized atmosphere protected its crew of five hundred thousand from the vacuum of space. It was called the Velorion. A single marauder, with the obligatory prowler escort, departed from the massive creation and headed down towards the planet.

Helen Raynor jumped out of the temperature-controlled ship and felt the crunching of gravel beneath her feet. It was a wonderful feeling. She hadn't been in a rural setting for more years than she could count. "Aren't you excited Lyle?" The general beside her frowned slightly and nodded. "Forgive me Madam High Counselor. I do not share you enthusiasm." He brushed a layer of dust off his uniform and motioned for the escort soldiers to walk ahead. Helen turned to him and smiled. "Come now, you need the exercise."

The once bustling marketplace had been reduced to a small contingent of shops formed in a circle. Many of the buildings alongside sat in ruined heaps. It was not the destruction that caught her attention. Helen had seen much worse than this. The large brown weapon, on the other hand, was new to her. "Do you recognize the design?" Her tek, a young girl named Sil, moved closer to get a better look. "No Helen, I've never seen anything like it." The only peacekeeper in the entire universe who could get away with calling her that. The girl knelt down beside the machine and furrowed her brow.

Helen turned away from her and glanced up at the sun. "This was the last place that Chernov reported from?" Lyle nodded and pointed towards a pair of devastated buildings down the road. "His signal was last transmitted over there. I have men checking now." She left the two of them standing there and walked towards the rubble. "Six gammek bases, three command carriers, one research scientist, and a general. All to whoever left that there." She sighed and wiped her brow. "What am I still doing here. It's frelling hot."

Sil stood from her work and looked over at General Lyle. "Tell your men to forget about Chernov and dig up this thing. Then burn down the rest of the town and get back to the ship." She knew how Helen Raynor liked things done. The girl had been brought up to know. In place of someone else she had never seen. Lyle nodded and headed over to inform the men. She packed up her equipment and headed for the marauder.

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D'Argo walked into command just as Pilot's image appeared on the clamshell. He noticed that the projection system had been activated over the table. "What's the problem?" The creature nodded and pressed some buttons on his console. An image passed across the hologram and made the Luxan's hair stand on end. "When did you see this?" Pilot sighed. "Only a few microts ago. They haven't spotted us yet. Though I fear that won't last long." D'Argo growled and tapped his comm. "John, get up here." He stepped over to the window and looked out. "This feels wrong." The image wavered slightly. "Allow me to congratulate you on your insightfulness."

John pulled his comm out and spoke into it. "Be right there. Just got to take care of something first." There was a growl from the other end. "Hurry up." He clicked the device off and turned back to Aeryn. She seemed to be doing better already. Their eyes met momentarily and she nodded. "Go." Zhaan came up behind him and patted his shoulder. "I'll finish up here." John thanked her and headed out the door. "What is so important that you had to-." The entire ship suddenly lurched to the side. He was thrown violently against the wall. "Frell me for asking."

The Regulator ship passed by Moya and left only inches to spare between the two of them. In a tactic that was becoming all to familiar. "They're checking our defenses. Seeing if we can hit back." D'Argo and Pilot gave each other glances of equal worry. "Should I prepare for starburst?" The Luxan shook his head. "No. Don't do anything. Just let them work." John stumbled into the room and shook his head. "I thought these guys were leaving us alone." Pilot frowned. "The situation has changed."

Pilot looked back to his sensors and gasped in surprise. "They've fired on us!" John and D'Argo ran to the window and checked the space around them. Nothing was coming towards them. "Are you sure?" The creature nodded his head vigorously as he brought the display up on the table. A beam of light had burst from the brown ship above and moved towards Moya. "It should hit your location any microt." They looked at each other and groaned. The room began to shake violently and they were thrown to the ground. When everything was still again, something stood in the middle of the room.

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Ness stepped into the darkness and held his pulse pistol out ahead of him. Switching on the attached flashlight, he searched for the woman. A figure lay still on the floor in front of him. Shining the light over it, the Lt. froze. Red blood reflected off the ground surrounding the soldier's body. Something had ripped through his throat. Death must have been instantaneous. "I hope it doesn't frighten you off." Zelaya walked from his left and smiled. Her teeth were still stained with the man's insides. "Door close." Ness heard the sliding sound from behind him.

Zelaya shook her head as she sat down across from him. She had been right about this one. Lt. Ness wouldn't be as easy to predict. He stared coldly back at her and wiped the edge of his gun with a finger. "Let's cut through the formalities. Give me the wormhole information and I'll let you go." The Ferrian purred quietly and licked her lips. "Is that an offer from Captain Grisham or yourself?" Ness sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Always with the intrigue. No, it's my decision."

"Very well." She slipped a hand under her shirt and pulled the portable computer out. Sliding it over to him, Zelaya waited for him to respond. "This is it?" She nodded. Ness flipped a switch and the screen activated. A complex sequence played out across the monitor and settled into a distinct pattern. "Forgive me, I forgot to mention something." He looked up at her and scowled. "What?" She slid over beside him and pointed at the sequence. "It's not in the right order. That you must figure out for yourself." Ness closed the machine and turned to her.

"We don't have much longer do we?" Zelaya shook her head.

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John stood and faced the brown creature that was now in the middle of command. It turned to look at him but said nothing. "What the frell happened?" D'Argo opened his eyes and glanced up from his place on the floor. Seeing the new arrival, he jumped up beside his companion. "Has it done anything?" John shook his head. "He's just standing there." The Luxan stepped forward slowly and held out his hand. "I am Ka D'Argo." A high-pitched sound burst from the creature. The introduction seemed to have triggered something inside it. "I wish to speak with Aeryn Sun."

Aeryn had left the lab shortly before the first attack. The sensation had left her feeling even worse than before the headaches started. She was walking into the maintenance bay when her comm went off. "Aeryn, where are you?" John's voice sounded agitated. Instinctively, her hand went down to the pulse rifle on her belt. "What's going on?" It didn't take her very long to figure that out. Pilot overrode John's message and signaled her. "I've opened the outer hanger. See for yourself." She ran into the hanger and looked up. A brown ship flew by and temporarily blocked her view.

The creature glanced at both of them one last time before moving. It stepped forward and promptly slipped into the ground in front of them. "Where'd it go?" D'Argo walked over and stood over the spot where it had been. "The tier below. Zhaan!" Both of them went for their comms. "Yes, what is it?" Her voice was calm. Then a shout came. "You frightened me. Can I help you?" The same high-pitched sound came through. "I wish to speak to Aeryn Sun."

"What did I miss?" John looked to D'Argo with a confused expression on his face. The Luxan nodded and remembered the last time it had happened. "They spoke to Aeryn last time. She helped them complete their task." The human nodded in understanding. "So she's the familiar one." He froze as a terrible realization came to him. "Aeryn's in the hanger right?" D'Argo gave him the affirmative. "And?" John's expression turned dark. "The ship's in there."

Aeryn heard the creature before she saw it. Stepping out of the wall, the brown thing moved speedily towards her. "Hello again." She tried to smile and appear calm. It stopped and looked at her. "Yes-." The creature froze as it saw the similar-looking craft behind her. Angry sounds erupted from it as the recognition set in. "John, I think we have a problem." Those were the last words John and D'Argo heard before the signal went dead.

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Helen opened the door to her office and heard the sound of people rising from their seats. The usual assortment of characters stood waiting for her. Two generals and a young girl. Sil nodded to her and moved towards the computer. Her short, choppy brown hair shook from side to side as she walked. It hadn't been combed. The other two men were sharp contrasts. Each had his uniform neatly pressed and worn with pride. Sil was not proud of anything that Helen was aware of. "What have you heard?"

General Hallin acknowledged the question and pulled a sheet of paper from his case. "The advisory board has sent its recommendation." He said the words with more than a little discomfort. Helen Raynor had never gotten along with those men. They had failed her once and that was all it took. She looked shocked as he spoke. "What? It is possible that I might agree with them." The general nodded and continued. "They feel that a full-scale occupation of the sector is warranted. Followed by quarantine and flushing out of this new enemy." Helen shook her head. "Well, they got one part right."

She waved a hand at Sil and the girl pressed a button on the computer. "What did you have in mind, Madam High Counselor?" General Lyle ignored the angry look on Hallin's face and turned to his superior. "This came in several days ago from one of my employees." The monitor came to life with an image of static. The white noise went away to reveal a voice underneath. "There are many different factions working this sector at the moment. To launch an invasion would mean to lose it. We must allow ourselves to take the defensive. The liberating heroes so to speak."

Helen motioned for Sil to stop the tape. Lyle looked up at her and smiled. "You've had someone here the whole time?" She raised her eyebrows but said nothing. "Who?" The High Counselor laughed. "Do you really think I'd tell you?" Sil shook her head in mutual disgust and glanced over at the window. "I have become aware of an excellent opportunity. It demands that we move immediately."

The two women left the generals sitting bewildered in the chamber. Sil never looked up at her boss once. The older one stopped abruptly and turned to her. "You've never kept your opinions from me before." The girl looked up and pushed a strand of hair from her eyes. "Doesn't it bother you? Sending your own people to their deaths?" Helen said nothing. "It was just a thought." They passed a window in the corridor with a stain of blood on it. "Oh, what ever happened to Lt. Braca?" Sil frowned. "Sent to the infirmary I believe." High Counselor Raynor smiled. "Get him back here. I'm not finished with him yet."