Discovery at Nerwolix (4 page)

“Pobo does not know.”

“His name?” Clarence tries. “Or what he
looks like?”

“Pobo does not know.”

Clarence, along with most of the Rogues let
out a deep, annoyed exhale but Sampson keeps strong, holding focus
with the Pwebole.

“Was it a Dofinike?”

“Dofinikes visit Larupip.”

“And Pallooloo is with them?”

“Pweboles attacked. Pallooloo taken.”

“Is there anything else you
can
tell
us?” Werzo snaps.

“Patience,” Sampson requests, focusing back
on Pobo. He takes a deep breath, centering on Pobo’s large, white
eyes. “Will Pallooloo be returned if you complete this request to
kill us?”

“Pweboles wish for the safe return of
Pallooloo.”

Sampson rises to a stand. “My guess is that
Reuzkimpart sent troops here—and to Arosin, most
likely—blackmailing the natives to attack on his behalf by
abducting a key member of their society.”

“So,” Clarence says, “that means there could
be Vermix here, on Larupip?”

“It is likely. They’re probably tucked away
somewhere nearby with Pallooloo…”

“Pallooloo,” the Pweboles ramble over one
another.

“…Or off planet with him, checking in from
time to time to see if there have been any other sightings. We just
have to find out if the Vermix are here or not.”

“But you’ve already tried asking him,”
Clarence says. “You can’t get anything out of him.”

Sampson thinks for a second, dropping to his
knee again and facing Pobo. “You will not complete this
request.”

“Pweboles wish for the safe return of
Pallooloo.”

“Pweboles follow orders,” Sampson says.

“Pweboles follow orders,” Pobo repeats.
“Always have.”

“You will take me to where Pallooloo is
being kept. Do this, and I shall return Pallooloo back to you.”

“Pallooloo,” all the Pweboles ramble in
nasal unison.

“Fychu…” Qippert starts. “Is this wise? We
are heading off planet tomorrow. There is no need…”

“There
is
need,” Sampson rises to a
stand. “I am a Fychu, as you’ve said. It is my responsibility to
maintain peace. I cannot allow a culture to live in fear and
blackmail, even one as…unique as the Pweboles.”

“But the little bastards attacked us!” Werzo
throws his hands up. “And now you’re going to help them?”

“I’m going to free them so they don’t
have
to attack again.”

“When?” Clarence asks.

“The sooner the better,” Sampson heads for
the hole in the wall, running his hand over the blasted opening.
“If the Vermix are here, they may know the Pweboles attacked us.
They may know we’re here right now.”

“They could be outside,” Werzo’s eyes
flicker to the hole.

“But if they have him off planet…” Blovid
scratches his chin.

“Pobo,” Sampson returns to the short blue
Pwebole, “are we in agreement? You will take me to where Pallooloo
is being kept and I shall return him back to you.”

“Pweboles follow orders,” Pobo scurries for
the hole in the wall. “Always have.”

“They’re here,” Sampson looks back to
us.

“But how many would there be?” Clarence
asks. “And how are we doing this?”

“Fychu…” Qippert exhales, “
please
,
this is an unnecessary risk. If Reuzkimpart left an entire
fleet...”

“He wouldn’t. He’s a delegator. He will have
left a few troops on each target and then had them force the
natives to do his work for him. Pobo, wait,” Sampson turns to the
herd of Pweboles making for the exit. “Not this second. You will
take me to Pallooloo when I order.” With that, Sampson heads back
through the narrow tunnel toward the two-level compartment with all
the Carring hides, everyone quickly following.

“The Fychu is right,” Blovid agrees once we
reach the other end. “Reuzkimpart
is
a delegator. He has
always been too busy to do his own work.”

“We didn’t even think he’d consider Larupip
as an option,” Clarence glances to Sampson.

“Apparently he is considering all options,”
Blovid races up the stairs, tossing various colored hides
about.

“So what are we looking at?” Clarence asks.
“Five? Twenty? Fifty?”

“And who is going?” Vix glances at Qippert
next to her.

“I’d say we leave the kids here,” Clarence
looks to us with an unsettling frown. “But if the Vermix know we
are here…”

“Heads up,” Blovid calls from the second
level, tossing down a Traxpire. “Snagged them before I left.”

Sampson catches the first one and hands it
off to Clarence. “Then this place has been compromised,” he agrees,
glancing up to the Arizal Leader, “sorry, Blovid.”

“It is not my home,” he tosses down another
gun. “Not by a long shot. I was not planning on staying here much
longer, anyway.”

“Reid,” Sampson hands it over, returning to
catch another Traxpire. “We may be able to return if we disable the
troop. Or, we could assume their abode for the night.”

“Or just head for Nerwolix now…” Qippert
tries again.

“I must do this old friend,” Sampson passes
out a Traxpire to each of us. “I would not ask this of you, though.
Please, go to Nerwolix. Advise Hozfin we plan to return
tomorrow.”

“Fychu…” Qippert tenses. “That is not—” he
sighs, closing his eyes in aggravation. “I am not leaving you.”

“You are still recovering. Allow Vix to
assist with your protection. The rest of us will disarm and disable
the Vermix.”

“How?” Werzo asks. “We’re just going to bum
rush them?”

“No. We can’t go in with all our forces. We
need to know what we’re up against; we need a count of how many
there are,” he exhales. “We need bait.”

I elbow Werzo. “You’re up.”

“You’re just going to draw them out?”
Clarence asks.

“Afraid so,” he looks over us in
consideration, “and we’ll need two. Able? Werzo? You up for
it?”

“Why us?” Werzo whines. “Maybe Fallon
might—”

“Not a chance,” Reid shakes his head as
Werzo slumps in defeat.

“No offense,” Sampson looks between them,
“but I need all my best shooters on reserve, ready for when the
Vermix fly out.”

“Ouch,” Able laughs.

“So you think the Vermix are held up in some
place similar to this?” I ask.

“Could be,” Sampson nods, glancing around,
“let’s grab some white Carring hides as well. Shelter you from the
cold and help camouflage us,” he starts passing out the white fur.
There’s only enough for half but we disperse it evenly, breaking
off into pairs. Satisfied, Sampson nods. “Everyone good? Qippert?
Vix?” he tosses a Traxpire to her and she catches it in her free
hand. “Use only if you must.”

“What are
those
?” Able asks, watching
everyone situate themselves with the weapon.

“Traxpires,” Reid says. “One of the
Dofinikes’ most valuable forms of defense.”

“Well…” Clarence corrects, “…more like the
Vermix’s. Arizals are supposed to be ‘weapon-less,’ except for hand
to hand combat.”

“Why is that?” Able frowns.

“It goes back to an even playing field, I
guess. I’m not really sure. Sampson?”

“Arizals promote peace, not war. It wouldn’t
make any sense to have a standard weapon beside strong ideals and
the strength to carry them out. Also,” he explains as the Pweboles
come scuttling down the tunnel toward us, “Arizals come from all
Three Worlds, so there is no unified weapon. But the art of self
defense belongs to everyone, and can be traced throughout every
galaxy. To know your body, to know its
capabilities,
is the
best defense possible. Mix that with the study of your enemies and
there is no need for weapons.”

“But with a Traxpire in your face…” Werzo
starts.

“Disarming is just as effective as
firing.”

“Then why are we bringing these?” he
gestures to the weapon in his hand.

“I don’t like to make a big production of
things. If, for some reason, Reuzkimpart
did
leave a large
fleet, I don’t want to take any chances. We haven’t come this far
to be defeated on Larupip.”

“Pobo wishes for the safe return of
Pallooloo,” he shifts between both legs.

“I know, Pobo,” Sampson nods, glancing to
Clarence and the others. “What do you think, then? Follow a few
meters behind?”

“Won’t they see us coming?”

“Not in this weather. And not if they don’t
suspect it. We’ll follow the Pweboles to their hide out and send
Pobo in with a message that they brought back two humans.”

“If they can even understand that…” Jace
mumbles.

“Won’t they find it suspicious that Pobo is
keeping us outside in the cold?” Able asks.

“Not really. Pweboles live here—they
flourish in the cold. In fact,” he glances down to Pobo by his
knees, “he’s probably overheating being in here. We should get
going. Everyone understand the plan?”

“So the Commander and I will wait outside
for them to come out?” Werzo glances to Able.

“Yes.”

Werzo makes a face to which Sampson replies,
“Do not worry. They won’t get within feet of you.”

“If we take care of this tonight, can we
return here?” Reid asks. “Or should we go straight to Nerwolix
afterward?”

“There is no point staying here,” Qippert
says, “if you feel we must free Pallooloo—”

“Pallooloo…” the Pweboles ramble in nasal
union again.

“—then let us do it and be done. Afterward,
we should shelter with Hozfin.”

“And be ambushed in the middle of the night
again?” Sampson shakes his head. “I would prefer not.”

“He will not ambush you. We have a
tribesman. He would simply need to expose himself as such and we
would be spared.”

“I have made my opinion clear on you and Vix
leaving early,” Sampson cups Qippert’s shoulder. “I will stay the
night here with Blovid and the rest of us will depart in the
morning. You may stay or you may go, but please decide quickly. I
do not wish to discuss this again.” Sampson glances around,
“Everyone ready?”

“I cannot leave without you and the Arizal
Leader,” Qippert sighs.

“Then I suggest grabbing an extra Carring
hide tonight. It will get quite chilly,” Sampson makes for the
tunnel out, Pobo and the herd of Pweboles at his feet.

“Hey,” Reid nudges my side as we ride the
tail end of the line, behind the Dofinikes and Rogues. “Your
shoulder okay?”

“Stings a bit...nothing a little Tregmint
can’t fix.”

“We’ll get some on it tomorrow.”

I lean closer as we reach the first
compartment, Sampson and the others filing out through the moving
rock wall. I keep my voice to a whisper, “Do you think we should
leave tonight? Head back to Nerwolix?”

“I’m sure Blovid’s ready to leave.”

“Do you notice…” I bite my lip, “…do you
think Sampson doesn’t like being on Nerwolix?”

Reid shrugs. “Seems fine to me about
it.”

“With the whole transgression thing…” I step
over a pile of rubble from the Pweboles’ explosion, “…I don’t know.
He seems uncomfortable. Plus, he’s not welcome there. Remember what
he said at Mybyncia?”

Reid raises a brow.

“There was some history between him and the
Nerwos. I wonder what happened. I wonder what this whole huge thing
is between them.”

“You have a lot of questions about Sampson
tonight.”

“Aren’t you curious?” I make my way out of
the tunnel, chilled again.

“If it’s important, he’ll tell us.”

“I just feel like it’s the key to it
all.”

“To what?”

I shrug, not even sure where I’m going with
this. “Everything.”

“I don’t know if it’s the key to
everything
,” Reid laughs, shifting in front of me to block
the incoming chill. “Something happened, yeah, but it was a hundred
and fifty years ago. And now we’re facing war. Whatever it is
couldn’t have been
that
big. We went to Nerwolix and he has
no problems with going back.”

“Yeah, but that’s to the Zingfinolds, not
the Nerwos.”

“So we’ll stay in the southern terrain.”

“I’m telling you… whatever it is…” I bite my
lip. “It’s important.”

“What’re you guys talking about?” Able
throws us a look over his shoulder.

“Nothing,” I shake my head, glancing at the
white Carring hide draped over his shoulders. “Are you warm
enough?”

“Ask me again in ten minutes.”

“Sorry you have to be bait.”

“Robbed me of my masculinity a little,” he
laughs.

“Good thing Werzo’s used to it.”

“Yeah,” he laughs again, pulling the white
fur around him tighter. “
Man
do I wish we brought some
Hunnis with us. I hope we can do this quick and get back.”

“Depending on how far the Vermix are,” I
peer out to the white opening ahead, “we might have to stay where
they are.”

“Yeah,” Able nods, teeth chattering as the
icy wind blows around us. “I’m not a fan of hypothermia.”

The other Rogues and Dofinikes trail behind
the herd of fuzzy blue Pweboles who scurry across the snow with
easy speed. Sampson keeps to the head of the line, Clarence and
Blovid right behind them with a hobbling Vix and Qippert next. The
Rogues all follow after, the white Carring hides blending into the
pristine environment. After walking for a few minutes, Able
breathes heat into his hands just as a gust of wind sends his
covering flying to the ground.

Racing over, I help pick it up and place it
around him, but he’s pink with chill.

“Able…shit…” I wrap the cloak around us,
wrapping my body on his in a tight hug. “Is this better?”

“F-Fallon,” his teeth chatter, “w-what are
you d-doing?”

“You need to get warmer. You need heat,” I
press myself against him, rubbing my hands down his back. “With the
two of us under here, there’ll be more heat.”

“Y-yeah… b-but…” his eyes flicker to
Reid.

“It’s fine,” I start us walking. “We need
you alive.”