"What a shithole," Troy Wooten bemoaned as the
Shield Maiden's
engines kicked up dust on the surface of Thruello Three. The planet was barely habitable and those who called the desolate planet home were as harsh and formidable as the arid planet itself. The human first officer of the Furvoid ship never ventured on the surface of any planet unarmed, but even he chuckled at the amount of weaponry he decided to bring with him on this vital mission. He wasn't the only one to see humor in his weapons load-out.
"You've got enough firepower to level a moon. Do you think you have enough guns on you?" Ember, drop-dead gorgeous tigress and fearless captain of the small ship remarked as the human walked by. He was armed with two automatic projectile rifles slung over each shoulder, two pistols on his tactical vest, another pistol on his leg holster, and more knives than a butcher at a hog farm. The human was also replete with grenades, explosives, and enough ammunition to fund a small war; which, ironically, was exactly what he expected to be fighting in before the day would be through.
"I don't know, I left the revolver under my pillow, do you think I should get it?" he quipped back.
"Ladies, I know you've stuck with me through some tough times and some really bad times, but this is as bad as it gets. Catelli is waiting for us. He knows what we want, and he's just about as desperate to get that stone as we are. Our dear human companion has kindly provided us with a model of what we should be carrying with us; weapons, lots of weapons. Anything you can carry and still keep a running pace with; take it. The cavalry is coming, but we've got to bust through and get the stone before that slimy bastard does. Any questions?" Ember asked.
"What about the human woman?" Piper, a flirtatious, dominatrix of a vixen asked. The ship's engineer was fiercely loyal to her crew, and uncomfortably protective of Troy.
"What about me?" Elizabeth O'Shea asked. The human helped Troy escape from Catelli's interrogation chamber, even though she was the one tasked with extracting the information from the human soldier. She proclaimed her loyalty with her government and that she was a plant in Catelli's ranks. The Furvoids were slow to trust her, and any mishap seemed to have all eyes on the human woman to blame.
"Is she coming with, Captain?" Piper asked in a fiery and confrontational voice.
"We need all hands on deck, everyone who can fight will fight," Ember said.
"I trust her...I trust Elizabeth," Troy cleared his throat and softly spoke.
All eyes, including Elizabeth's fell on Troy.
"She's proven herself again and again. I'm...I'm convinced she's on our side," he said.
"Very well," Piper grumbled, retreating back to her bunk to grab her weapons and gear.
"Troy, you were about ready to send her into the void of space not too long ago," Audra, the archeologist and purple-furred skunk chimed in. She was often the quietest and most submissive of the bunch, but she was not afraid to voice her opinion when she needed to.
"Even I make mistakes, on occasion," he sheepishly smiled then headed back to his bunk after all to grab the revolver he joked about with his captain. Suzy, the ship's doctor and quite the sultry bunny remained quiet but returned to her quarters to grab her medical gear. She knew this battle would be severe and her talent for patching up wounds was going to be as valuable as any sure-shot gunslinger.
Elizabeth started to head back to her quarters when Ember called out "Elizabeth, wait for a moment."
"Captain?" Elizabeth asked quietly.
"Troy may have placed his trust with you, and perhaps you've earned it, but if I see you so much as wink at any of Catelli's men, so help me, I'll shoot you myself. Are we clear?"
"Perfectly, Captain," Elizabeth replied, heading back to her bunk.
Thruello Three was as nightmarish of a planet as they come. Uncomfortably close to a main sequence star, the temperatures were sweltering and barely livable during the day, countered by frigid, windy nights. There were less permanent residents on the planet than the crew of some small frigate ships. Only about two hundred people of mixed species dared calling the forgotten world home, and most looked for ways to leave the harsh rock at any opportunity they could get. Palladium mining was the only real industry on the planet. The only establishment, Harker's Pointe, was near the last workable mining facility. If Catelli's men were on the planet, Harker's Pointe was the only beacon of civilization, and they would stick out like a sore thumb.
The residents of Harker's Pointe were poor, even by outer world standards. Most dressed in tattered and dust-stained scraps and rags. Many wore tinted goggles to protect their eyes from the blinding sunlight and the frequent sandstorms. None of the residents went about their business without a weapon or three on their persons. The wealthier afforded pulse-pistols, projectile weapons, or grenades, but even the poorest miner had at least a dagger on his or her belt. Be that as it may, Troy still garnered nervous stares, for he carried a veritable arsenal.
Normally, four very attractive furvoids and an equally pretty human woman would have gained hungry stares at the very least from the rough crowd in Harker's Point, but one glance at Troy's demeanor and his weaponry persuaded them to be exceedingly polite. They disembarked from the
Shield Maiden
on a cracked and crumbling landing pad, with Troy taking point. The villagers scattered upon seeing the brutish man and his diverse collection of killing instruments.
"Not necessarily a place I'd like to retire to," Elizabeth quipped to Troy as a small dust devil whirled up to the right of their craft. The winds were howling, casting an eerie red glow as the dusts muted the normally scorching sunlight. Troy tied a bandana around his mouth and nose, and wore dark sunglasses under a combat helmet.
The girls wore various eyewear to protect against the blasting grains of sand, and scarves to filter the air they breathed. Each, including the doctor, Suzy displayed weapons as they walked through the landing port and toward one of only two bars in town.
The Drowning Fish was the ironic name given to the desolate saloon on the forsaken planet. They entered the pub, filled with a dozen men as hard as the weather and about as inviting. They turned to see the group of strangers in the entrance, staring awkwardly for a moment, then returning to their drinks.
"You selling?" the bartender asked Troy.
"Selling what?" he replied.
"The women," the bartender added incredulously.
"No, they're here with me," he replied. "They're not for sale."
"Got it, Chief. Meant no harm by the question. So what's your poison?"
"Whiskey, neat," Troy said. The bartender poured Troy's drink in a stained and tarnished glass. Troy didn't bat an eye; he drank out of far worse.
"So, if you're not here to sell the women, you here to buy more for your concubine?"
"Actually, we're here for the sightseeing," Troy replied with a falsely warm grin and sipped his drink. "Audra, this is your department," he added, slapping a few coins on the countertop for the whiskey.
"Uh...right...uh...well, sir...do you...do you have any wreckage...I mean...ruins, artifacts, uh temples on this planet?" the timid skunk asked the burly bartender, whose hair seemed to migrate completely away from the top of his head and into a thick, bushy red beard. The man seemed twice as large as Troy, and not one tenth as handsome.
"I don't know..." he said in an airy voice, "it's an awful large planet. I don't get to exploring most of it." The bartender rubbed his nose quite deliberately.
Troy slapped a pile of coins on the bar.
"Come to think of it...yes...why...yes...I do believe you might be interested in the old Archaic Temple Ruins," he said.
"And would you so kindly be able to give us coordinates for this temple?" Troy asked.
"Well, it's been a long time since my ma and pa brought me out on any picnics in the wilderness..."
Troy dug deeper in his pockets and fished out a few more coins.
