Yarrowl dug her paws into the dirt and screammed her delight over the bloody Gel beast. Both her paws and her chest were splattered with the animals blood. She had managed to take it down with only the help of her son. She calmed and hooked her claws into the animal. Looking up at the sky with fear.
Yarrowl managed to drag the kill under a tree. The branches blocking out the evil sky. She turned to her son. "Our clan will eat well tonight! We might even be able to ask guests over. A great honor will be done us."
Barowl grinned from ear to ear... then leaped out into the open, his eyes wide with fear for the moment that he was there. "Even the deamons will not dare stop the feast!"
"Get under the tree by Tover! Foolsih child! Always, remian hiden."
Barowl slunk under the tree and shivered. "Mother Tr'tes smiles upon us today mother. I felt that challanging the sky.."
"Do not push your luck like that again Barowl. The otterfolk remembered from the start of time. Father Tailstar showed us. Now, help me get the gel into the underdeep for the feast. The sooner we are hiden the sooner I will feel safe."
"Yes mother." Barowl took the hide parts to the beast and helped to carry it to the nearest part of the underdeep. They kept to paths overgrown above their heads. He thought to himself as he helped his mother. 'I will never make a hunter. How can anyone show themselves to the sky!'
Together they made it home to the forestlake. Keeping watch was a old grayfured otter. Keeping the duty as they should. Barowl and Yarrowl waved to the otter. Who nodded in return. "Welcome back home to the underdeep."
That night they did have guests over, and there was a feast, but Barowl could sense that there was something wrong. Even his mother seemed to be affected by the strange subdued air, but no one wanted to talk about it, and he wasn't about to make a scene and ask.
So he waited until everyone was gone, and then asked. "What's wrong, mother? We don't need to fear the demons, here in the underdeep, and the hunting has been good. What's wrong with everyone?"
Yarrowl smiled, and snuggled him, and in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry, Barowl, you're just a child. When you're a hunter, then you can worry all you want, and more."
"I'm not a child, mother, I'm almost ten years old. There are plenty of people younger than I that are hunters now, so why can't you tell --" He paused. "Is that what you're worrying about? That I'll never be a hunter? You're ashamed of me, aren't you! Eveyrone is."
His mother blinked, a bit surprised, but before she could protest he'd stormed out and was gone.
Barowl leaped onto his mat and baried his nose into one arm, crying for all he was worth. He was useless as a hunter. A compleat failure at everything that he tried. Even the time when it was his watch at the horrid sky. He went to sleep keeping watch!
"Son. It is not you that we are worried about." Yarrowls paw settled down on his side, softly petting his fur back. "There are other things going on that you should know about. You are a hunter now. Even if a bit unskilled in the hunt."
Barowl wiped a tear from his cheek. "What other things?" He looked away from his mother. His tears turning to anger in only a moment.
Yarrowl sighed. She would have to tell her son. "What are the signs that father Tailstar told us to look for Barowl?"
Barowl blinked. What was this change of subject. "Everyone knows that mother. Stars that move. Stars that shoot to far. Is all very simple things that any welp knows!
Yarrowl nodded. "I know. The watches know when they see such a thing."
Barowl noddled. "They would know. What is so inportent though?"
"Lately, however... the watches have been seeing things that worry them. Stars blotted out, as if by a cloud, but that never come back. Stars that change color unpredictably. All these stars that have been known and charted for many generations. And so we worry. If the demons returned, we would know that hiding was the right thing to do, but it's hard to be sure when things happen that no one ever warned us about." She sighed. "Some people say it's a sign from the gods that we've been hiding too long."
"There are no gods in the skies, only demons!"
"Maybe," Yarowl replied, gripping his shoulder a little tighter, "But would it worry you less if the *demons* were teasing us?"
Barowl gasped. "No! They wouldn't! They don't know that we are here. As long as we hide! The underdeep is our home and we are safe here. No mother. We should watch and wait. We can do nothing about the stars."
Yarrowl nodded. "That is why so many are worried. There is nothing that we can do about it. Nothing in all the world.
--------------------
"Captain. Station ten and fourteen are online."
Bezz laughed. "Good job Teggens. The colleny fleet should arive soon. I hope that they like Jaaka's world."
Teggens perked his ears forward. He looked over at the human. "Sir. How did this world get such a funny name as Jaaka's World? People have tried to colinize the planet before?"
Buzz hummmed. "Not exactly. Seems that some ship hundreads of years ago crashed here. The captain of it was named Jaaka. It was named after him.
Teggens nodded. "They rescued them all then."
Buzz shoke his head. "Unsure. The records didn't really say that. Only that they helped some."
Teggens lifted his brow. Then looked at his boards. "Not a sign of anyone there now."
Buzz nodded. "Lets hope."
"I don't know," Teggens said, "It might be interesting to see what sort of culture they'd develop, after so many years in isolation..."
"The rescue mission took care of that, and it wasn't pretty. Or interesting. And if there *were* any 'natives' we couldn't very well colonize this place, could we? And wouldn't *that* look good on my record."
"It's not like you picked this world, sir..."
"It doesn't matter, Teggens, it's my job to see to it that the mission succeeds. No excuses. The Imperium won't take them and neither will I, got that?"
Teggens nodded, and left. Buzz flipped his screen to the sattelite readouts. Nothing. Still... it couldn't hurt.
Walking over to the wall safe, he spun the lock left and right in the memorized sequence. An antique security measure... no one would suspect that he'd actually keep anything valuable inside. Just the captain's little eccentricity. He removed the small black book from its hiding place behind the false back of the safe and returned to the console, where he keyed in the machine code he'd transcribed back on earth.
The sattelites so recently placed in orbit activated, and released the surface survey drones. Buzz halted execution of the program and deleted everything else, changing the code until that was all it had done. Then he locked the book back in the safe and called up a picture of the planet on the main viewscreen.
And felt a little better now that his insurace policy was underway.
Earfuzz daydreamed as he looked up at the stars. It was his night tonight to keep an eye on them. There was goldentips back in the underdeep to think about. She was soft and subtle to the touch. He so wished that he was with her.
After a moment his eyes widened and his daydream shattered. In the sky were longstars. They stretched out over the sky. Hundreads of them leaving horrid clawmarks accross the night sky. He gaped and hid his eyes behind his paws... "They come!"
Earfuzz tumbled down the rock and hit the ground on his little webbed feet at the run. "By Tover! They are coming again! By Tover! Everyone wake up! By Tover! Damn, the deamons are comming!"
He ran like a wild animal down the tunnel of the underdark. Then someone grabed his tail. "What is wrong Earfuzz?"
Earfuzz looked around and saw Yarrowl, her son behind. "Longstars.
Yarrowl let go of the otter and leaned into the wall. "Longstars. How many Earfuzz!?"
Earfuzz was already running down the tunnel in half a panic... "As many as there are stars!"
Barowl backed away from his mother. "I will go look mother."
"Barowl, wait!" called his mother, too late to stop him. She scrambled after him, up the tunnel, pausing only to send Earfuzz on to warn the others.
Barowl dashed up the tunnel, eager to see the demons for himself and prove he was as worthy a watchman as Earfuzz. What kind of a name was 'Earfuzz', anyway?
But when he got to the surface, the sky was quiet and peaceful as he'd ever seen it. Admittedly, the tiny glowing stars were a bit terrifying, like a demon's eyes, but no more so than on any other night. "A shower! He ran inside over a false shower." Barowl turned back towards the tunnel, a little angry and disappointed.
Then, behind him, came a sound unlike anything he'd ever heard. It was almost like the pipes the music-makers played, but louder and clearer, and but a single note. Barowl froze, some instinct telling him he was safest in the dark if he didn't move, not even to breathe.
The noise came again, closer this time. Beneath it was a low humming, and a smell like lightning. Barowl stared straight ahead at the tunnel, ignoring the way the hairs on his tail rose slowly on end, and the thoughts of some demon-beast breathing down his neck, about to devour him at any second.
"Barowl, wait!" yelled Yarowl, barreling out of the tunnel, spear in her paws, "It might be --"
Before he could warn her, three tiny green dots appeared on her spear, and then a blinding flash made both of them cry out in terror.
"Mother!" he yelled, stumbling forwards, still blind. The demon beeped again, this time next to him, and he felt something warm and metallic push him aside. "Mother?" He cursed at the spots in front of his eyes, and shoved back at the demon as he ran towards where he'd last seen her.
Somewhat to his surprise, the demon moved, and he was able to find Yarowl by tripping over her. He heard something heavy crash into a tree. "Mother, are you okay?"
There was no answer, so he grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the tunnel, still blinded. Just as he ducked inside, there was another flash, so bright he could see it even though he still couldn't see anything else, and a searing pain made him lose his grip. Terrified and in pain, Barowl scrambled back down the tunnel alone.
Yarrowl slowly came to painfull wakefullness. She could see only spots and blackness. It was very dark when she opened her eyes. It took her a moment to see that she was blind. Perhaps forever. She lifted her paws to her eyes. Touching them painfully.
"Where are the others?"
Yarrowl shivered at the voice. The words were very strange. Not only in the way that he, no, it said the words but also the way it said it. Like two rocks being rubbed together. "Who are you? I am Yarrowl the hunter!"
Something hard gripped her shoulder. She hit it and broke the fingers in her own paw. Whatever it was happened to be has hard as stone. It started to grip her harder, slowly crushing her shoulder. "I will ask only once more. Where are the others?"
Yarrowl screamed in pain and tried to tell them. "In the underdark! Hide Hide they all! Deamon! Tover strike you down!"
------------------------
Buzz woke up at a soft chimming next to him... he hit a switch on the computer next to his bed. Then frowned. The report was not good. Not good at all. "One drone down. Smashed when a creature attacted it. They got another creature. Catfolk. Crap."
The planet was positively infested, the drones would never be enough. But what else could he do, with Teggens watching?
"Teggens, report to the bridge," he said, into the intercom, "I've got a job for you."
Yes, a very *special* job. Buzz cackled a little to himself. Just then, the door opened, and he almost jumped out of his seat.
"I was already on my way, sir," Teggens said, waiting for Buzz to stop coughing. "I'm sure you saw the same thing I did -- there's been an anomolous reading from the planet's surface."
"What? Oh, one of the survey drones malfunctioned and self-destructed, nothing to worry about. I'd like you to go check out station eight, though. It was being a little intermittent earlier."
"This was a lot more power than a drone meltdown, sir..."
"Then we'll talk about it when you get back, okay? If we lose a station that's five billion credits down the drain.
"Yes SIR." Teggens gave a stiff salute and headed out.
When the confirmation came that the shuttle was away, Buzz began powering up the weapons.
Buzz pulled off the space to space weapons interface and took a bead on the shuttle. "Now hold stady on Teggens. There you go." Buzz looked at the lockon light and grinned. "I am sorry Teggens. I have to get my promotion now." Buzz reached for the fire switch and pressed it. Twin beams of death punched out at the little shuttle... hitting its engines and ripping one of its stubby little wings.
Teggens was thrown into his control panel as the ship bucked under him from the inpact of the lasers. He was only saved when his restraints pulled him back into place. He pushed the flight stick hard over for evasive. "Computer. Where did that come from?
~The scout ship fired on us.~
Teggens didn't waste his time wondering why. He dived his damaged shuttle down into Jaaka's World stratosphere. He hit the com. "Buzz! Damn you. Answer me you half wit! Why did you frie on me?"
His only answer was two more twin bolts accross his portside. He took a roll and bowed out over the horrizon of Jaaka's world. Heading in for a landing. He programmed a landing for where the timber drone was distoryed.
From up close, it was worse than it had looked from the scanner reports. A square mile of forest was smashed and burning. "What the hell was *on* that drone, a mining laser? Uh oh..."
Teggens struggled with the controls as the updraft from the fire tossed the shuttle like a leaf. He'd faced worse in the simulators, but the right wing wasn't responding... come on... work on one axis at a time... get out of the spin, then worry about the --
----------------------------
In the underdeep, the otterfolk huddled in the deepest chambers as the earth shook once again. "The demons know where we are," Barowl whimpered, "They're going to bring the roof down on top of us!"
"He's right, we can't hide!" someone else screamed, "We have to run!"
Barowl leaped to his feet and ran for the entrance, along with Earfuzz and a few others... soon, the whole underdeep was running with them. Past the burrows, up the tunnels... which were blocked with dirt and mud. They were trapped!
Teggens struggled with his shuttle, managing to right its spin as it plunged groundward. One thing at a time . . . One thing at a time. . . . No spin, nose down . . . impact in ten seconds . . . The flight controls were jammed. Reverse thrusters roared, struggled to hold the machine in check. "Damn!" The shuttle balked and bucked through the fiery holocaust below and finally roared into a level flight at tree top level just as the damaged main engines cut out and it nosed down.
**************
Panic set in amongst the trapped in the Underdeep. Claws ripped at the blocked tunnels. Screams and cries from the young added to the confused chaos. After the initial shock and anarchy, a kind of calm settled over everyone . . . a fatalism . . . accepting the doom to which they found themselves in . . . and, then the ceiling caved in with a loud BOOM!
***************
Teggens groped in the darkness for support. The acrid smoke of burned circuitry filled the air. He pushed himself back in his chair and gasped. The last thing he remembered was seeing the ground rush up at him. Funny . . . he shouldn't be alive. The crash should have taken the shuttle and him with it. He gritted his teeth and rubbed his eyes. In the darkness before him faces and eyes . . . terrified eyes stared in at him. . . .
Barowl crawled out from under the dirt from the roof and stared at the 'thing' that had joined them. Inside of bits of jagged shards of clear rock sat the biggest dog he had ever seen. Their face was bloody and their cloths were burnt. He took action right away for that was no deamon. No green skinned creature from the stars. "Come on! We have to help him! Earfuzz! Lotslop! Get over here!"
Barowl reached up and started to climb into the smoke filled thing. He looked at the dog. "We get you out of here. There are deamons about today! They attacked and killed my mother. I think I killed one though!
Teggens looked at the youngish cat next to him. They were dirty and dressed in little more then animal skins, but spoke in intelgalatic rather well. Strangly put together, but no worse them some of the ports he had been into. He nodded to the catfolk and started to undo his buckles. "I need to get my blaster friend. Then find a way back up to Buzz. That basterd needs to get his wings cliped for good!:
Barowl shoke his head. "Into the sky? Are you mad? The sky is an evil place dog. No one must ever stand under it for to long. The deepdark places are safe."
Teggens perked his ears forward. "Interesting"
Buzz felt a chill as the shuttle entered the atmosphere. Teggens was good. Damn good, the way he'd dodged those lasers. He might be able to land it safely, and while the discovery of native life might scuttle his carreer, getting caught murdering his copilot certainly would.
None of the other drones had found signs of civilization, and while the sweep wasn't yet complete, this was more important. He set all of them to converge on the shuttle's landing position... which was right where the natives had been sighted. What luck!
Of course, the natives might fight back, and the drones had hardly proven themselves in combat. Buzz fingered his goatee. It'd be hard to explain the blast crater, but, really, it *was* the only way to be sure.
He set the drones to form a perimeter, and launched the nuke.
Teggens gathered up up all the weaponry on hand and communications gear and was led away from the smouldering shuttle. It was time for action. First, get out of the underground and fast. With him down, he knew Buzz would most likely do something egregious and stupid . . . something designed to erase any trace of his mistakes. That meant one thing . . .
"I have to get up to the surface and take a look around!" he announced.
"Why? That is suicide! No one exposes himself to the sky."
Teggens, clutching communications gear started toward the faint glimmer of light back up the chaotic tumble his shuttle had caused when it crashed into the underground. There was only one clear course of action. After a few moments of pleading, the natives backed out of sight as he continued upward into the light. Once above ground, he activated the equipment. It was clear to Teggens that Buzz had no intention of allowing anyone to know what was below on the planet surface. He had to act fast or it would be too late . . . if it wasn't already. His fingers raced over the keyboard on the commuications gear. It had always been his policy that what Buzz didn't know wouldn't jeopardize him.
High above the planet, the drones locked their perimeter as the nuke raced toward the center of the cordoned off area. One of the drones transmitted recognition signals to the nuke and waited. The nuke answered . . . the wrong code. All drones in the perimeter answered with particle beam fire. The nuke erupted in a fiery haze of vapor and vanished from Buzz's watching gaze.
-----------------------
"What th . .?" Buzz stared unbelivingly at the monitor. "What the heck happened?" He turned to the computer. Something wasn't right.
-----------------------
Teggens' fingers danced over the keys of the communications gear while he hummed merrily. Yep, what Buzz didn't know had just saved him and the planet from an ecological disaster and mass genocide to boot. Now what Buzz didn't know just locked up the scout ship's coimputer and placed it out of Buzz's control along with weapons, environmental control, engines, the whole ship's systems. The final command . . . Shut down and fry the central processor. The scout would be nothing more than a floating derlict . . . a convenient prison for a madman, forever in orbit, forever out of harm's way.
Teggens patted his pocket. Beneath his fingers, the small metallic box was his assurance things would be back on line when he managed to get back into space . . . the scout's only secondary processor chip. . . .
Teggens keyed in a final set of instructions to the drones and turned his attention to the opening into the underground. He had to find out why the natives looked strikingly familiar to all the races he was familiar with. He already thought he knew that. The fact they spoke Galactic fairly clear was evidence of that. He just had to make sure before setting out to take care of the next part of the plan now formulating in his mind.
Barowl sat at the edge of the eversky. Watching the dog as he played with small stones in his paws. He could see that he contorled the deamon creatures... the bright superflash of light overhead blinded him all over again. Still, he stayed in the everclear, guarding the path into the underdark.
Teggens made his way back to the hole and stopped. That young cat was still sitting there. He needed to find out about thim. "How did you get here friend?"
Barowl gapped at the stranger. He was very strange not to even know that. "Everyone knows that the Jaaka brought us to this place. Tover was his servent. They told us about the deamons of the sky that we must ever watch."
Teggens sighed. He looked at the cat and frowned. He hopped that he never crashed on a planet like they must once have. "I see. Come on up friend. There is nothing to fear from the sky now. Many more people are on their way here. They will be happy to see you.
Meanwhile.
Meanwhile, Earfuzz swam happily along the river. The demon had been caged, and its servants tamed... so there was no need to fear the sky, no need to swim only in the piddly little lake they called the deep. We were meant for this, we otters, Earfuzz thought, thinking of nothing else but the water and the sunlight... the warm sunlight. We weren't meant to... hide...
Earfuzz stopped suddenly at the horrible sight. He'd almost missed it, in the general destruction, but there, on the bank, was a charred, mangled body. He crept out of the water slowly. "Oh, no... oh, no, poor Yarrowl..."
He looked around for someone to help him carry her body back, so it could be hidden properly, according to custom... somehow, he doubted she'd have wanted to lie out under the open sky. But of course no one was there.
A cold hand dropped onto his shoulder, seizing it in a tight grip, tight enough to be painful. "Mobile assets eliminated... contact with base lost... warning: possibility of mission success is now 0% within specified time frame... proceeding with target elimination...
Earfuzz screamed as cold metal was pressed to the back of his head, and then it was over.
Eventually, he managed to wriggle loose of the strange metal creature that now stood motionless and dark, and ran home as quickly as he could manage.
Teggens gathered with the other natives for the hiding. He watched them morn their dead. Somehow Buzzes bots had managed to get to a few of them. His friend Barowl cried over his mothers body... then stode up with the others to sing.
| Listen, listen, and be wise |
| Moonlight, sunlight, matter not |
| Always, always, remember this |
| Watch the sky so everclear |
| Watch the stars to promise keep |
| Then run and play in undersky |
| To find the water that is deep. |
Teggens blinked. He nudged the person next to him. "That is a strange little song. What does it mean?"
The otter next to him grinned. "Well. I will tell you."