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Fourth Moon of the Palace Planet, In the Hynerian System
After an apology from Rygel (which had almost certainly been coerced) and some incessant encouragement from Chiana (entirely of her own volition), Stark had agreed to accompany the two of them and Jothee to the palace planet’s moon. It was probably a bad idea but it was no worse an idea than many others he’d gone along with. It would be a distraction for a little while if nothing else, even if he had no idea what use he could possibly be. He was not, he’d been assured by Chiana and Jothee and a reluctant Rygel, there to be a prop.
“I’m not sure we should be here. That I should be here,” Stark said quietly as they exited the transport pod. Jothee was there as the muscle. Chiana was clever and fast. Rygel was the reason for the meeting in the first place. Stark wasn’t sure what his purpose was.
“Maybe someone will die,” Chiana chirped back just as quietly but she flashed a grin in his direction.
“You’re not helping,” Stark muttered, one hand hovering over his holstered gun and the other reaching up to toy with the buckle at his neck. Yet another nervous habit that had made a return of late.
“You’re backup,” Chiana said, shooting a warning look at Rygel before he could open his mouth. “Right, Jothee?”
“The more people the better,” Jothee said, surveying the assembled Hynerians waiting for them. “Let’s go.”
The meeting started off well. One of the Hynerians, Stark thought he might be a general, greeted Rygel with a cheerful “Dominar! You have returned to us!”
Rygel was, of course, gratified. “Yes. Your long Hynerian nightmare is at last at an end.”
“Welcome back, your highness.”
“It’s good to be back, Gighun. Always knew you’d make general someday.”
“Thank you, your highness. Your troops are assembled.” The general waved his hand towards the soldiers who responded with a loud “hurrah!”
“Excellent,” Rygel said, clearly pleased as he acknowledged them as well.
There were more Hynerians than Stark had expected. More soldiers, on foot and inside silvery balls armed with energy weapons. More ships. More of everything.
“I must say, your highness,” Gighun continued, “you look so, so…unsoft.”
“You try being a Peacekeeper prisoner for 130 cycles,” Rygel harrumphed. “ On the other hand, don’t. There’s only person in the universe I’d wish that fate on and he’s about to be deposed.”
“Tell me, your highness, are this Luxan and this Nebari your bodyguards? Or the leaders of your army?”
“Leaders of his what?” Chiana asked, incredulous.
“We’ve heard stories,” the general explained, “of your exploits over the past few cycles. Destroying a Gammak base, blowing up a shadow depository, forcing the Peacekeepers and Scarrans to sign a treaty. We assumed you did that all with your army.”
Chiana burst out laughing. Stark startled at the noise and took a step backwards.
“The Banik seems unnecessary here though it is only fitting you should travel with a slave to tend to your needs.”
Chiana’s laugh turned bitter while Stark’s face twisted in a snarl. She reached over, squeezed his shoulder once, and turned her attention back to the Hynerians.
“Something amuses you, Nebari?” Mmyna asked.
Chiana shook her head. “I’m no bodyguard, princess, he’s no slave, and I’m no army leader.”
“But the Luxan wears a uniform!”
“Actually, I’m on leave,” Jothee said, stepping forward. “But-”
“It doesn’t matter,” Rygel interrupted. “What need have I for an army of aliens when I have loyal Hynerian troops right here?”
“So,” Gighun said, just a bit too eagerly, “there’s just the four of you? No troops hiding in that pod’s mothership?”
“There is no one of consequence on my ship,” Rygel declared.
“His ship?” Chiana muttered.
Stark just shook his head before looking back at the transport pod longingly. Something didn’t feel right here. Moreso than the usual feeling of wrongness that pervaded everything recently.
“What of the infamous human, Crichton?” Mmyna asked. “Where is he?”
“Not here. It doesn’t matter,” Rygel insisted. “I have all that I need here.”
“That is good to know, your highness,” Gighun said with a smile.
“Indeed,” agreed one of the other generals.
“I don’t like this,” Jothee whispered to Chiana, reaching for his qualta blade.
“Me neither,” Chiana agreed.
“It’s…we should go,” Stark said, hand on his gun. “This isn’t right.”
“You see,” Mmyna said, smiling widely at Rygel, “there is one more person here who wishes to see you.”
“Oh?” Rygel asked, turning. His face fell immediately.
“Welcome home, cousin,” Dominar Bishan said from his floating throne. “It’s been a long time.”
“What the yotz? Bishan?” Rygel was clearly shocked at this turn.
“That’s ‘your highness’ to you. Seize them!”
At their Dominar’s order, the Hynerian troops advanced on Rygel, Jothee, Chiana, and Stark.
“Don’t be stupid. There are only four of you,” Gighun said. “Only two, really.” The looks he gave Rygel and Stark made it clear which two members of the party were being discounted. “You cannot hope to defeat us.”
“Oh you think so?” Chiana asked, gun raised. “Remember those stories about blowing up the Gammak base and the shadow depository? Didn’t need an army for that, frog-lips. We’ve faced worse odds, general, and we’re still here.”
“We’ll see.”
Chiana fired first, at the general closest to her, backing towards the pod as she did so. Jothee tried to lay down covering fire. Stark, fighting an urge to turn and run, took aim as well. Rygel had no weapons and had wisely maneuvered behind the three of them. They were so outnumbered. The Hynerians were smaller than they were, of course, but there were so many. An army’s worth to their foursome and with weaponry and vehicles to match their numbers.
Chiana fell first as well, with a shout as she was struck by some sort of energy weapon. Jothee stepped forward, still firing, and urged Rygel to get into the transport pod.
Stark dropped to his knees by Chiana’s fallen form. “Nonononono,” he kept repeating. “We should have left we shouldn't have come we need to leave.” Why hadn't they left? The three of them had known something was off even if Rygel was blinded by the idea of retaking his throne. They should have gone. They should have stopped this. They could leave now before it got worse, maybe. If he could get Chiana safely onboard and if Jothee could get Rygel to move, they could be away before anything else happened.
“Rygel! Move your frelling eema,” Jothee shouted. But it was too late. He was struck by a blast from one of the machines and fell not fair from where Stark still remained crouched by Chiana.
Stark, torn now between which of them he ought to be trying to tend to first, had holstered his own weapon. It was useless against an advancing army and he had more important things to do now. They weren’t dead. Either of them. They weren’t dying. He could be sure of that. But they were hurt and they were vulnerable and there was no one to protect them now. And, Stark was painfully aware (as he'd been painfully aware for over a month now), there was no one to protect him.
Bishan raised a hand and the firing stopped as he floated directly in front of Rygel. “I admire your bodyguards’ fortitude but it was all for naught, I’m afraid, cousin. In the end you were predictable as the tide. Give you a bunch of cheering soldiers and you think you can dethrone me?”
“Typical really,” Mmyna sneered. “You expected to walk in, do nothing, have everybody else do your work for you, and get your throne back. You haven’t changed one bit, ‘my love.’”
“You betrayed me?” Rygel asked, still reeling. “You? My last remaining wife!”
Mmyna’s only answer was to spit in Rygel’s face.
“I’d say that’s a yes, wouldn’t you, cousin?” Bishan gloated. “Take them to my flagship!”
Another cheer went up from the assembled army. Rygel, slumping in defeat in his thronesled, was flanked by soldiers with no route of escape. More soldiers walked up and took hold of Chiana and Jothee to carry them to the waiting ship. Stark lunged at them, snarling, before being swarmed and taken down himself. The gun aimed at his eye was enough to discourage any further attempts, though he still struggled when his arms were pulled behind his back and forced into cuffs. He couldn't help it.
He was pulled along behind the crews carrying his companions and thrown roughly onto the floor of the ship beside them. All of their comms were taken. He hadn't had time to contact the ship before it was too late. All of their weapons were gone. Not that they'd been much use. His phone, thankfully, was safe on Moya. Not that that helped. What if none of them made it back? Moya, at least, was safely hidden with the Oort Cloud and would be difficult for the Hynerian military to locate. Or so he hoped.
[NFB for distance and the saddest alien is unable to accept any calls or texts at this time due to being captured. Again. Because his life sucks. Adapted from "The Beginning of the End of the Beginning: Return of the King."]
“I’m not sure we should be here. That I should be here,” Stark said quietly as they exited the transport pod. Jothee was there as the muscle. Chiana was clever and fast. Rygel was the reason for the meeting in the first place. Stark wasn’t sure what his purpose was.
“Maybe someone will die,” Chiana chirped back just as quietly but she flashed a grin in his direction.
“You’re not helping,” Stark muttered, one hand hovering over his holstered gun and the other reaching up to toy with the buckle at his neck. Yet another nervous habit that had made a return of late.
“You’re backup,” Chiana said, shooting a warning look at Rygel before he could open his mouth. “Right, Jothee?”
“The more people the better,” Jothee said, surveying the assembled Hynerians waiting for them. “Let’s go.”
The meeting started off well. One of the Hynerians, Stark thought he might be a general, greeted Rygel with a cheerful “Dominar! You have returned to us!”
Rygel was, of course, gratified. “Yes. Your long Hynerian nightmare is at last at an end.”
“Welcome back, your highness.”
“It’s good to be back, Gighun. Always knew you’d make general someday.”
“Thank you, your highness. Your troops are assembled.” The general waved his hand towards the soldiers who responded with a loud “hurrah!”
“Excellent,” Rygel said, clearly pleased as he acknowledged them as well.
There were more Hynerians than Stark had expected. More soldiers, on foot and inside silvery balls armed with energy weapons. More ships. More of everything.
“I must say, your highness,” Gighun continued, “you look so, so…unsoft.”
“You try being a Peacekeeper prisoner for 130 cycles,” Rygel harrumphed. “ On the other hand, don’t. There’s only person in the universe I’d wish that fate on and he’s about to be deposed.”
“Tell me, your highness, are this Luxan and this Nebari your bodyguards? Or the leaders of your army?”
“Leaders of his what?” Chiana asked, incredulous.
“We’ve heard stories,” the general explained, “of your exploits over the past few cycles. Destroying a Gammak base, blowing up a shadow depository, forcing the Peacekeepers and Scarrans to sign a treaty. We assumed you did that all with your army.”
Chiana burst out laughing. Stark startled at the noise and took a step backwards.
“The Banik seems unnecessary here though it is only fitting you should travel with a slave to tend to your needs.”
Chiana’s laugh turned bitter while Stark’s face twisted in a snarl. She reached over, squeezed his shoulder once, and turned her attention back to the Hynerians.
“Something amuses you, Nebari?” Mmyna asked.
Chiana shook her head. “I’m no bodyguard, princess, he’s no slave, and I’m no army leader.”
“But the Luxan wears a uniform!”
“Actually, I’m on leave,” Jothee said, stepping forward. “But-”
“It doesn’t matter,” Rygel interrupted. “What need have I for an army of aliens when I have loyal Hynerian troops right here?”
“So,” Gighun said, just a bit too eagerly, “there’s just the four of you? No troops hiding in that pod’s mothership?”
“There is no one of consequence on my ship,” Rygel declared.
“His ship?” Chiana muttered.
Stark just shook his head before looking back at the transport pod longingly. Something didn’t feel right here. Moreso than the usual feeling of wrongness that pervaded everything recently.
“What of the infamous human, Crichton?” Mmyna asked. “Where is he?”
“Not here. It doesn’t matter,” Rygel insisted. “I have all that I need here.”
“That is good to know, your highness,” Gighun said with a smile.
“Indeed,” agreed one of the other generals.
“I don’t like this,” Jothee whispered to Chiana, reaching for his qualta blade.
“Me neither,” Chiana agreed.
“It’s…we should go,” Stark said, hand on his gun. “This isn’t right.”
“You see,” Mmyna said, smiling widely at Rygel, “there is one more person here who wishes to see you.”
“Oh?” Rygel asked, turning. His face fell immediately.
“Welcome home, cousin,” Dominar Bishan said from his floating throne. “It’s been a long time.”
“What the yotz? Bishan?” Rygel was clearly shocked at this turn.
“That’s ‘your highness’ to you. Seize them!”
At their Dominar’s order, the Hynerian troops advanced on Rygel, Jothee, Chiana, and Stark.
“Don’t be stupid. There are only four of you,” Gighun said. “Only two, really.” The looks he gave Rygel and Stark made it clear which two members of the party were being discounted. “You cannot hope to defeat us.”
“Oh you think so?” Chiana asked, gun raised. “Remember those stories about blowing up the Gammak base and the shadow depository? Didn’t need an army for that, frog-lips. We’ve faced worse odds, general, and we’re still here.”
“We’ll see.”
Chiana fired first, at the general closest to her, backing towards the pod as she did so. Jothee tried to lay down covering fire. Stark, fighting an urge to turn and run, took aim as well. Rygel had no weapons and had wisely maneuvered behind the three of them. They were so outnumbered. The Hynerians were smaller than they were, of course, but there were so many. An army’s worth to their foursome and with weaponry and vehicles to match their numbers.
Chiana fell first as well, with a shout as she was struck by some sort of energy weapon. Jothee stepped forward, still firing, and urged Rygel to get into the transport pod.
Stark dropped to his knees by Chiana’s fallen form. “Nonononono,” he kept repeating. “We should have left we shouldn't have come we need to leave.” Why hadn't they left? The three of them had known something was off even if Rygel was blinded by the idea of retaking his throne. They should have gone. They should have stopped this. They could leave now before it got worse, maybe. If he could get Chiana safely onboard and if Jothee could get Rygel to move, they could be away before anything else happened.
“Rygel! Move your frelling eema,” Jothee shouted. But it was too late. He was struck by a blast from one of the machines and fell not fair from where Stark still remained crouched by Chiana.
Stark, torn now between which of them he ought to be trying to tend to first, had holstered his own weapon. It was useless against an advancing army and he had more important things to do now. They weren’t dead. Either of them. They weren’t dying. He could be sure of that. But they were hurt and they were vulnerable and there was no one to protect them now. And, Stark was painfully aware (as he'd been painfully aware for over a month now), there was no one to protect him.
Bishan raised a hand and the firing stopped as he floated directly in front of Rygel. “I admire your bodyguards’ fortitude but it was all for naught, I’m afraid, cousin. In the end you were predictable as the tide. Give you a bunch of cheering soldiers and you think you can dethrone me?”
“Typical really,” Mmyna sneered. “You expected to walk in, do nothing, have everybody else do your work for you, and get your throne back. You haven’t changed one bit, ‘my love.’”
“You betrayed me?” Rygel asked, still reeling. “You? My last remaining wife!”
Mmyna’s only answer was to spit in Rygel’s face.
“I’d say that’s a yes, wouldn’t you, cousin?” Bishan gloated. “Take them to my flagship!”
Another cheer went up from the assembled army. Rygel, slumping in defeat in his thronesled, was flanked by soldiers with no route of escape. More soldiers walked up and took hold of Chiana and Jothee to carry them to the waiting ship. Stark lunged at them, snarling, before being swarmed and taken down himself. The gun aimed at his eye was enough to discourage any further attempts, though he still struggled when his arms were pulled behind his back and forced into cuffs. He couldn't help it.
He was pulled along behind the crews carrying his companions and thrown roughly onto the floor of the ship beside them. All of their comms were taken. He hadn't had time to contact the ship before it was too late. All of their weapons were gone. Not that they'd been much use. His phone, thankfully, was safe on Moya. Not that that helped. What if none of them made it back? Moya, at least, was safely hidden with the Oort Cloud and would be difficult for the Hynerian military to locate. Or so he hoped.
[NFB for distance and the saddest alien is unable to accept any calls or texts at this time due to being captured. Again. Because his life sucks. Adapted from "The Beginning of the End of the Beginning: Return of the King."]