Future Fur-The Racosan War

Chapter 1(15) Saltaner Incognito(unrevised)

Zane woke up, panicking due to remembering the last thing he saw, a small brigade of Rasosan officers on Saltaner. Checking himself for injury immediately he missed the fact that he wasn't alone, the flash replayed in his mind as he found multiple small cuts but little more. Looking around the familiar grey walls he noticed he was in a standard S-type shuttle M-class that had been modified slightly for medical reasoning. He let the panic subside, no white light today he thought as he tried to normalize his breathing patterns, with the look of things it was possible that the war came to Saltaner but he needed to talk to someone else who knew what was going on. Zane moved to sit up, moving too quickly he stopped midway for a second and then continued to move at a slower pace. When he finally managed to sit straight up a hand grasped his shoulder lightly, the normal response would be to retaliate and possibly hurt the person who touched him but the touch was familiar and soothing. Much too small to be Collin's or Tanem's hand but it was not the hand of a child either. Never knowing the touch of his father he only could think of one living soul that it could be.

"Mom, is that you?" Zane asked quietly not for lack of trying to speak loudly.
She released a sigh of relief, "Yes! Zane, do you need anything for pain relief?" Tala asked, waiting patiently to be asked about Collin, she knew it would happen never would she forget how Zane could be in a panicked state.
"I am fine, Where is Collin? Is he okay?" There it was the big question she had been waiting for him to ask.
"Collin is nearby, they put him through more than they put you through. The Cheif medical officer on hand estimates he will wake in an hour or so there is no need to rush." Seeing both of them unconcious pissed her off, already dispising the occupation this pushed her past that, It was time to rebel and that is why she was here. THe Purity war had taken one of the people she loved from her and she would not lose her son's or any of her family to the Racalnas is she had a say in the matter. She lost her husband to sacrafice, a sacrafice that saved her, their son, and the Jax family. She would never regret marrying him and never regret feeling the pain she felt by his absence, that was on him and she still loved him.
"I want to be there when he wakes up, I don't know how he will react!" Zane stated on the edge of actually yelling, his voice was coming back as he used it more and more. "Please? He needs to know I am alright!" He begged. She knew how much her son cared for his husband and quickly headed as long as he heard out the situation.
"Its true, we are an occupied planet now, I joined up with the resistance when they came and the academy has been sealed off since to keep us hidden using secret exits and passages to stay hidden as we carry out our objectives and mount a defense until the fleet comes to help. I figure that you had not heard about the occupation since they invaded during the attack on earth." She spoke quickly trying not to let any details go unnoticed, "We have been putting up a war hidden from those who have not joined the cause, I can't blame them for not fighting, I only joined because I don't trust them to leave this world when the fleet comes. Zane, I want you and Collin to join our efforts until the Argos Explorer returns but I don't think that will be long. The underground war has a new contestant, he has been moving around unnoticed by both sides and I have a theory as to whom it is."
"Tanem! No one knows the city like he does if someone wanted to seek something they used to go to him but if he didn't want to be found he would be able to pull it off!"
" Exactly! She said with a large grin overpowering her concern, "an unidentified shuttle landed a few days ago, I am almost certain he was flying it."
"Then let's make war!" Zane said as he stood, Tala took his arm and put it around her neck so he could move easier as she led the way to Collin.
***
Shiro looked at the conference going on which she was really not supposed to hear but was allowed to since she was in temporary command of the Argos Explorer, Liz was the one talking and Shiro understood that this was because she was only trusted by two officers with commands out of the entire fleet, stupid regulations she thought. Tanem was in trouble and so were two of his officers, it was wrong at least in her mind to make them suffer like this because one man with considerable influence disagreed with the urgency to act. The longer they did nothing the more chance they would be long dead by the time the fleet decided to act but Zaryal ignored the points saying that we 'Cant abandon the home world' and save out people. "What a bunch of Bull Shit!" Thankfully she hadn't said that it remained an unspoken thought, Liz would have laughed but she didn't know about anyone else. Tanem if he were here, maybe. Argos had made some good company and being similar to Crimson had even made her feel at home on the Argos Explorer, that meant four people that were on the crew of this ship were in danger and the people on Saltaner, time to speak up.
The bickering continued to fill the comm channel, Shiro waved a hand towards Ensign Volen Tec asking that the sound be muted, within seconds the bridge was silent, "I guess it's time to do something stupid, let's sway this argument." Shiro said sitting up straight, "Volen, give me a sound burst through the Comm system, that should calm everyone down or at least it will get them to shut their mouths for a second." Let me make my own fate, I'm coming to Tanem, hold on just a little longer she thought. Volen gave a nod as he activated the comm pulse, honestly, she was glad Lieutenant Commander Veers was not on duty, he would have tried to take her off of the bridge for thinking about her plan. The sight of Zaryal's mouth being open for more than his rambling pleased her as she watched him grab his ears and waved for Volen to reactivate the audio for the meeting, "Sorry about that!" Shiro said with a smile looking over for approval from Liz which sure as hell was there with that big gleaming smile of hers.
Shiro continued her speech with a new source of courage she hadn't noticed before, "Listen up, I know I am breaking probably a hundred or more of the fleet's regulations right now but this is too much! I hope I am doing what Tanem would do right now but in an hour the Argos Explorer is heading back to Saltaner, alone if we have to because it is not a strategy I came here for! I came her so we could prevent another tragedy like Aden, stand with us if you will but don't you dare prevent this ship from doing its job! You don't want to make me angry now do you?" Shiro signaled for Volen to pull the Argos Explorer's Commlink out of the meeting, seconds later the screen turned back to the familiar ships status board. That was that if they were going to try and seize command this was the time to do it so she sat there waiting for the imminent response of either followers or a riot, maybe both but there would be one of the two that was certain. How many days had she wanted to do that? She couldn't remember but what mattered was that the fleet made it to Saltaner, even if that meant pissing everyone off to get them to follow, Liz would come, she knew that Liz would follow to the depths of hell and back.
Volen spoke up, "Commander, Theta Oria has joined our cause we have a three to one in the New Howler class vessels, more ships are submitting to the rescue plan as we speak!" That was a good sign, at least, the Argos Explorer would make a difference when it returned to Saltaner instead of a suicide run. Things were looking better, maybe the Delta Expedition would follow the fleet, if not Shiro didn't see Zaryal as much of a loss at the moment.
***
I was returning to the place I grew up. What was on the surface? Did anyone know anymore? I could see that it was still intact, still living though the air felt dry and lifeless. Though I knew this was my home it felt wrong as if it was dying. I had to get to the Jax Manor, the place I lived before it was destroyed and after it was rebuilt until I graduated from the Saltaner Space Acadamy. If I was to get the materials I needed to survive this undercover war that I have seen the signs of I needed the materials that I left behind. This was going to be a long night, yeah I just thought that at noon, I knew it was a matter of days before the Argos Explorer got back.