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Description
Continued from; Planet M12748 Pt52

As Horus gained altitude and Casey sat the pilot seat, Jool took their carbines, intending to place them in storage. Casey lightly grabbed her arm. Their eyes locked and Casey tried to smile.

"You were right." he said flatly. He pulled the bag containing the vial and arrowhead from his pocket and said quietly. "I screwed up and allowed Sk'lar to do something he probably planned to do all along!"

"I was also wrong!" was her response. She held out her hand for the bag, and he handed it to her.

"How so?" asked the Terran.

"Because I never believed this would happen as well!" she answered. "I believed there would be a peaceful settlement!"

Casey nodded agreement. The plane gently lifted away from the ground. Casey announced they were leaving the planet and to stay belted in until he gave the ok
Jool headed through the plane's corridor the arms cabinet. She quickly stored both hers and Casey's weapons and sighed in relief. At least Casey didn't kill anyone. For some odd reason, she regretted it.

As she made her way back to the cockpit, Jool noticed the silence from the passengers. Airman Maz was quietly crying as Captain Jorgensen tried to comfort her. Ensign F'orea appeared shocked. Thankfully, officer C'ell was dozing. Jool would check them all once the plane was in space.
105

Jool sat down in her seat and belted in. Casey was still muttering to himself about having a deal, but when she clicked her safety harness, something must have clicked with him.

"Let's go Roz." and the Engines roared, and Horus headed up and into the sky.

"Taking us to Mach four, calculating escape velocity." announced Roz. Even the navigator's voice seemed reserved. The plane surged forward as the G absorbers kicked in to shield crew and passengers. The plane headed up at a twenty-degree angle while Roz awaited instructions.

Casey announced. "Manual override, I'll be taking control." He switched to manual and took over control. Roz and Jool were blocked from flying unless an emergency was declared.

"Casey?" both wife and navigator stare as he put on his boonie cap and headphones. The Terran smirked and said nothing.

"Guns online." he said. " Targeting engaged." He gently brought the plane around and began notching down the throttle. He flipped the gun and targeting program switches up.

"All passengers, this is Colonel Gage." announced the Terran. "Prepare for maneuvers, condition yellow, please stay belted until further notice."

"Officer C'ell...!" exclaimed Jool.

"Nothing extreme." replied Casey. "Target practice."

"Ten miles, target marked as friendly." the targeting computer said in a flat voice.

"Targeting overridden." "Colonel James Casey Gage, mission commander." "Acknowledge!"

"Voice print acknowledged." "Target approaching, maximum range.... mark!"

Three miles out, at about six hundred miles an hour. The thirty-degree angle of the dive allowed for maximum effect, and Casey knew it. He pressed the firing button and watched as four pulse disintegrator beams shot out from under the nose of the plane.

"K'rawl!" "The off-worlders have left!" We can still board their vessel and charge our weapons!"

K'rawl turned and faced the men. He had started down the path towards the village, hoping that Damor' might forgive him if he promised to help keep the village fed. It wasn't his fault the chief and her son had been killed. He'd never agreed to the lie to begin with!

"Fools!" snarled the Tracker. "They have secured the vessel, and likely took the machines or power that charges the weapons!" "The ship cannot fly!" "It landed on fire!

K'rawl shook his head and turned to leave. But the men begged him to stay and help. One finally asked why he'd killed Sk'lar. He stopped, then turned around and walked back to the edge of the forest.

Raising his hand to stop their advance he stood and listened. Then he turned to the others and addressed the question.

"Nu'kor was not the best hunter." K'rawl growled. "But as leader, he would've made changes." "Changes I and Sk'lar could have lived with!"

The hominid shook his head. "But my brother from another's womb was not satisfied with having a barren mate!" "He went too far!"

No one questioned K'rawl. It was not the time nor place.

The tracker grimaced. He listened carefully. What was the pilot of the spacecraft doing?

The sound wasn't going away, it was.... returning!

"Stay and wait if you wish, I've warned you!" he snarled at his charges.

One asked. "K'rawl, why are they returning?"

"They have the right to do so." the tracker spoke with a snarl. "We do not deserve to have the off-worlders generosity." He spat on the ground in disgust.

"We have no "deal!" K'rawl growled to the others. "And we need to leave, NOW!"

It was only a speck when the plane came into view. But K'rawl and the others had turned and were retreating quickly!

Description
Continued from; Planet M12748 Pt52

As Horus gained altitude and Casey sat the pilot seat, Jool took their carbines, intending to place them in storage. Casey lightly grabbed her arm. Their eyes locked and Casey tried to smile.

"You were right." he said flatly. He pulled the bag containing the vial and arrowhead from his pocket and said quietly. "I screwed up and allowed Sk'lar to do something he probably planned to do all along!"

"I was also wrong!" was her response. She held out her hand for the bag, and he handed it to her.

"How so?" asked the Terran.

"Because I never believed this would happen as well!" she answered. "I believed there would be a peaceful settlement!"

Casey nodded agreement. The plane gently lifted away from the ground. Casey announced they were leaving the planet and to stay belted in until he gave the ok
Jool headed through the plane's corridor the arms cabinet. She quickly stored both hers and Casey's weapons and sighed in relief. At least Casey didn't kill anyone. For some odd reason, she regretted it.

As she made her way back to the cockpit, Jool noticed the silence from the passengers. Airman Maz was quietly crying as Captain Jorgensen tried to comfort her. Ensign F'orea appeared shocked. Thankfully, officer C'ell was dozing. Jool would check them all once the plane was in space.
105

Jool sat down in her seat and belted in. Casey was still muttering to himself about having a deal, but when she clicked her safety harness, something must have clicked with him.

"Let's go Roz." and the Engines roared, and Horus headed up and into the sky.

"Taking us to Mach four, calculating escape velocity." announced Roz. Even the navigator's voice seemed reserved. The plane surged forward as the G absorbers kicked in to shield crew and passengers. The plane headed up at a twenty-degree angle while Roz awaited instructions.

Casey announced. "Manual override, I'll be taking control." He switched to manual and took over control. Roz and Jool were blocked from flying unless an emergency was declared.

"Casey?" both wife and navigator stare as he put on his boonie cap and headphones. The Terran smirked and said nothing.

"Guns online." he said. " Targeting engaged." He gently brought the plane around and began notching down the throttle. He flipped the gun and targeting program switches up.

"All passengers, this is Colonel Gage." announced the Terran. "Prepare for maneuvers, condition yellow, please stay belted until further notice."

"Officer C'ell...!" exclaimed Jool.

"Nothing extreme." replied Casey. "Target practice."

"Ten miles, target marked as friendly." the targeting computer said in a flat voice.

"Targeting overridden." "Colonel James Casey Gage, mission commander." "Acknowledge!"

"Voice print acknowledged." "Target approaching, maximum range.... mark!"

Three miles out, at about six hundred miles an hour. The thirty-degree angle of the dive allowed for maximum effect, and Casey knew it. He pressed the firing button and watched as four pulse disintegrator beams shot out from under the nose of the plane.

"K'rawl!" "The off-worlders have left!" We can still board their vessel and charge our weapons!"

K'rawl turned and faced the men. He had started down the path towards the village, hoping that Damor' might forgive him if he promised to help keep the village fed. It wasn't his fault the chief and her son had been killed. He'd never agreed to the lie to begin with!

"Fools!" snarled the Tracker. "They have secured the vessel, and likely took the machines or power that charges the weapons!" "The ship cannot fly!" "It landed on fire!

K'rawl shook his head and turned to leave. But the men begged him to stay and help. One finally asked why he'd killed Sk'lar. He stopped, then turned around and walked back to the edge of the forest.

Raising his hand to stop their advance he stood and listened. Then he turned to the others and addressed the question.

"Nu'kor was not the best hunter." K'rawl growled. "But as leader, he would've made changes." "Changes I and Sk'lar could have lived with!"

The hominid shook his head. "But my brother from another's womb was not satisfied with having a barren mate!" "He went too far!"

No one questioned K'rawl. It was not the time nor place.

The tracker grimaced. He listened carefully. What was the pilot of the spacecraft doing?

The sound wasn't going away, it was.... returning!

"Stay and wait if you wish, I've warned you!" he snarled at his charges.

One asked. "K'rawl, why are they returning?"

"They have the right to do so." the tracker spoke with a snarl. "We do not deserve to have the off-worlders generosity." He spat on the ground in disgust.

"We have no "deal!" K'rawl growled to the others. "And we need to leave, NOW!"

It was only a speck when the plane came into view. But K'rawl and the others had turned and were retreating quickly!