Chapter 15: “Finale: Rescue on Dacooma”
There had indeed been no cessation of hostilities between the two inhabited planets in Sector SC’s fifth group. Just before the scheduled appearance on the scene of the full retinue of Combine forces, Faldon’s X9 (commissioned Tremmin Dose), Delirium Plus (both with holo-modifications) and the Ghost, all emerged in pirating poise beside the thru-line of the planets. They placed their request for an apology from the Dacoomans for loss of the crewmen at the palace, during the recovery, a week ago, of the Beggar’s Grasp.
The Combine detachment entered the zone just behind a Dacooman bound strike-force returning from a victorious sack of the Karaoolian palace. They had on board the captured High Priestess, and they had no interest in holding her hostage.
Helper Nee-Yool, while coordinating intelligence on special assignment for the Job Master, had finally broken the mysterious Dacooman code. Sitting beside Valkarr, again serving as his pilot, she couldn’t help teasing, “Looks like you will again get to play the hero for your honey.”
The three scout ships moved forthrightly towards Dacooma, closing on the returning small fleet. Cara had determined that while the Holy City had fallen, it was not well secured, and the Dacoomans were looking to crush Listrong resistance with a public execution of their religious figurehead. They would be quick about it.
The Combine allowed the ship carrying the Holybody to land, then placed their final demand for apology.
Then came the rejection.
Immediately the trading began. Stock activity went wild as employees bid for properties to be made available by the ensuing takeover.
Valkarr’s ship transmitted the ultimatum of surrender as still only the three ships were visible to the now “ready” Nattelites.
Heavily concentrated fire came from the planet, and from the string of ships near the atmosphere, but there were no hits. From over the horizon, speeding to entrap the three, four squadrons of Dacooman strafe-whackers emerged, firing far in advance of their range.
It was now that the remaining job force materialized in low orbit above Dacooma. Dominating the scene was the most impressive, gigantic headquarters platform, which the Dacoomans, angry for having been deceived before, wrongly assumed to be a holographic illusion.
While laughingly informing the ground of the spectacular structure, the four squadrons were destroyed by the station.
Meanwhile, the images of the three ship envoy dropped swiftly into the atmosphere high above the Dacooman capital of Zustrunma. The ships themselves had penetrated much farther, preceding their projections at maximum range, to the very rooftops of the main administrative facilities, which Faldon knew all too well.
The assault now entered the third phase: neutralization of the feuding authorities. The descending craft all seemed to vanish, with the imaging hardware shifted to show normalcy where the twenty takeover-team members ran down their ramps.
Valkarr led the crew from the Plus, with Sufa, now Helper Second Class, as Site Coordinator. His team of seven entered through an open archway from a small roof-dome. The point teams flooded the capitol’s inside air with phaserous gas while Valkarr waited on Faldon, who would lead to the chamber where the High Priestess was likely being held for execution.
Journeyman Faldon entered from outside at a jog, and laughed windedly, “I guess it’s good I was on their death row once. I’m really going to get a kick out of blasting it!”
“Yeah, OK, but let’s get the Priestess out first, and hope she’s conscious enough to notice.” Valkarr now waited for his Apprentice, “I want her to see us rescue her, and in such a way that she can’t refuse our refinery offer.”
Kelmaran had at last chosen his specialty, and was among the last to enter the broach point with his DDS. Finding a tie to house systems, the Apprentice quickly located his primary concern in the endeavor, the financial network. He began searching for abnormalities, seeking identity of the mysterious Dacooman benefactor. He remained at his siph-station as the others set out for the detention compound.
News of the administration complex’s penetration barely preceded the gas, and in fearful desperation the High Priestess was being quickly moved to the execution cell-block.
Cara, monitoring the propaganda channels, followed the hurried action as announcements were being made and the actual pictures began to flow from the termination chamber. She informed the interior forces of the rushed action, and Kelmaran’s priorities were divided to provide the raiders with a shortcut through the “legislative hall” to the studio where planetary judgment was about to be carried out.
The Apprentice, from his intelligence gathering spot, noted that several members of the high command had refused to flee the building, so that they might be witness to, as well as have a hand in, the torture killing of their hated long-time foe. He also reported the lock codes effectively disabled from the point of retreat, and was instructed to resume pursuit of the economic information.
The crew of the Ghost had not debarked on the roof with the others, and now the ship moved to land at a ground point near the main detention cells, saving many steps, and crucial time. Nee-Yool began to worry that the Dacoomans might actually get to carry out their last act of defiance.
The three man Galguan complement leading those inside soon had the Combine’s forces at what had once been the final lair of a more often attacked regime.
The wall casing was proving most effective in resisting bombardment, especially since the initial blasts were being tempered in order not to collapse the structures above the striking group.
The Ghost aided the exterior group with surgical disintegration of whole building sections, allowing her detachment to arrive right on time at the rear wall of the execution chamber. Though they did not share the same concern for falling structure, the bunker wall, composed of the finest old style Dalmaakin dyconium, remained.
Still, there was the door.
Through their wristcom displays, those seeking to rescue the High Priestess, and millions of others riveted to the live action via ref-mons, watched as she was strapped to a vertical rack for the public display of her torture death.
Valkarr called to Sufa, who moved to stand behind his Journeyman, into whose backpack he reached to remove three foot-long tube canisters. Through the transparent cases the varieties of ingredients swirled as they mixed while being handled ever so gently.
When the vials were on the floor, the Journeyman stripped down to the straps that supported his assault communications gear. Turning and kneeling, he and Sufa, who had produced a large flask from his own pack, began pouring the smoking substances into the larger flask.
The Galguans warned, then fired another intense round at the almost giving door. Those in the chamber watched curiously as Valkarr re-worked his in-transit experiments.
He smiled at Sufa, “I remember you laughed when I told you the story of my first visit to Karaool” Taking the flask containing his strange brew, Valkarr stood, “There ought to be some sort of ritualistic words to say here, but all I’ve got to say is: I hope my experiments stand up, and that the effect is limited according to the timetables previously observed.”
The Journeyman raised the flask over his head and poured its contents over himself. Sufa began smoothing the goo over his boss’s body and gear, while referring his group to a designated explanatory docu-disc.
Valkarr cheerfully addressed his charges, “OK, guys, prepare to get a load of a genuine slime monster.”
This was Journeyman Valkarr’s opportunity to shine in his specialty, and he promptly began to do so. Rapidly reading the docu-disc, his co-workers withdrew somewhat when the Journeyman’s skin and features became obscured by the very fast gelling coating. This was a very friendly coating of slime, as opposed to that first enlightening encounter.
To those watching, he appeared as he had in his final previous stage as a slime statue, but this time Valkarr knew how to manipulate the sentient qualities in the diverse organic compounds. He glowed with the exertion of power, and he grew slightly, for effect. He then marched, roaring as he cleared his throat, to the heavily contaminated, thoroughly blasted cell-block door. He pushed, and it began to give.
Cara, the whole job crew, and all those of the two planets that were in a position to watch, saw from the perspective of the resisting Dacoomans as the roaring eight-foot tall, living, seemingly iron, then bronze, then ivory super-warrior burst into the execution chamber. The Galguans followed.
There was no gas used as the Combine workers showed no mercy on the gore-bent barbarians of Dacooma. The High Priestess was still conscious, though gagged and confused, as her giant champion walked to her and pulled at, thus snapping, the straps that had her bound. As she was being released, the Galguans blasted in coordination with the group from the Ghost, successfully opening the wall to the outside.
As per the instructions on their docu-discs, when the Listrong leader was freed, all the Combine personnel dropped reverently to a one-knee bow. Sufa had stepped back into the ante-room from which his group had emerged and discreetly showered his boss with a Santo-nutrium beam.
Valkarr, too, had bowed, and now, in conjunction with his Helper’s move, he stood tall and effected the rather spectacular reversion to his normal self.
He smiled, “Your Worship, I hope you find it in your heart to put whatever differences we might have had aside. We have common interests, you and I, my commitment to which, perhaps by this action, you may now believe. If our association may proceed, it would be my pleasure to restore your regency.”
The Holybody somehow found strength to mutter, “My lord,” as she fainted forward, collapsing into the Journeyman’s arms.
Kelmaran then signaled that he had found suspicious revenues from a specialized property tax exemption, and through land records he’d found an alien concern that had deeply buried its credentials. The land tract, shown on all company displays, became the new target as Combine forces concentrated on the always dark northern polar region. Their strike was swift, fierce, and very rewarding.
Valkarr boarded Delirium Plus with the High Priestess, and was already returning her home when Faldon, coordinating the assault on the dark zone, reported destruction of what was the long sought outpost of Lumwadian organization and training.
Also discovered was an impressive archeological dig, the guardians of which had fled, unable to destroy all records.
The trail was warm enough to be damning, and the Job Master passed this news to his charges in his eloquent End Of Job address.
