trigger it, allowing Pern to straighten his uniform and wipe off the drool.
The streets were dark outside, patrolled from high atop the towers and rooftops by rotating cameras. The cameras scanned the buildings and windows and faces of pedestrians, constantly searching for signs of disturbance or wanted criminals. There were only three actual policemen on the outpost, and Pern had already factored in losing one of them to his next budget.
That might get me Lieutenant's bars, he thought happily as he adjusted himself in the seat and tried to get comfortable. If I could do away with both, they'd have no choice but to make me Chief.
A light cough in the office made Pern jerk awake, kicking his feet off of the desk and nearly throwing him sideways from the chair. He opened his eyes in horror to see a scruffy-looking man in a dark coat leaning on the desk, looking at him. Pern's hand flew to his side for his gun, but cursed when he realized he'd never bothered to take it out of his locker that day. He balled his fists and shot to his feet, nostrils flaring . "Who the hell are you?"
The man held up his hands passively and said, "I'm sorry I frightened you, Sergeant . I tried to get your attention from the window but you wouldn't budge."
"How did you get in here?"
Pern's eyes widened as he saw three more figures standing in the police station's entrance. Each of them, armed with pistols and assault rifles slung across their chests. He stared at the one in the back in wonder, a shaggy, mountainous beast that was forced to stand slouched so its head didn't touch the ceiling. The Mantipor looked at Pern and growled lightly, showing just the smallest tip of its fangs.
"Who the hell are you people?" Pern shouted. "And what is that, that thing , doing in my police station with a weapon?"
The Mantipor snarled menacingly at Pern, and the man inside the office said, "Easy, Big Man." He reached inside his coat for a small black triangle that shimmered even in the dim station light. He cupped the badge as he held it out for Pern to see, "Captain Victor Cojo. These are my men. You have a Cryndian by the name of S'bal in custody. That's my fish."
Pern's mouth opened in disbelief, his mind racing to assemble all of the facts, even as they bombarded him. Cojo certainly did not look like any captain Pern had ever seen. He'd served four years with Unification Forces as secretarial assistant to the command staff of the 14th Air Support Division, and never once had he seen any of them without brightly-shined shoes and a crisply pressed uniform. To this day, he buzzed his hair bald on the sides and straight up to form the military high-and-tight, just like the men he emulated. The ruffian in his office was unshaven and unkempt, his hair shaggy and stuck up in the front. And where was his uniform? This so-called Captain wore nothing more than a pair of dark jeans and shirt with a long black coat like some sort of street-person. Some sort of terrorist. Pern's eyes narrowed and he said, "You can't have him."
The smile stayed frozen on Vic's face as he said, "Come again?"
"He was breaking Khor-Wa law by possessing controlled substances for sale. He's not a citizen, so I have to arraign him. That's the law."
Vic nodded, "I see. Well, you can rest assured that he's going to face a lot worse by the time I get finished with him."
"I said you can't have him."
"What makes you think I was asking?" Vic looked over his shoulder at one of his men and said, "Bob, go get the fish."
The muscular man in a knitted skull cap looked down at the computer tablet mounted to his forearm. "It's a pretty standard detention system, Cap. Give me five minutes."
The Mantipor nodded at Pern and said, "Tell this rent-a-badge to stop jerking around and give us the prisoner before I get cranky."
"Who in the hell do you people think you are? You're all under arrest!" He stared at them with his
The streets were dark outside, patrolled from high atop the towers and rooftops by rotating cameras. The cameras scanned the buildings and windows and faces of pedestrians, constantly searching for signs of disturbance or wanted criminals. There were only three actual policemen on the outpost, and Pern had already factored in losing one of them to his next budget.
That might get me Lieutenant's bars, he thought happily as he adjusted himself in the seat and tried to get comfortable. If I could do away with both, they'd have no choice but to make me Chief.
A light cough in the office made Pern jerk awake, kicking his feet off of the desk and nearly throwing him sideways from the chair. He opened his eyes in horror to see a scruffy-looking man in a dark coat leaning on the desk, looking at him. Pern's hand flew to his side for his gun, but cursed when he realized he'd never bothered to take it out of his locker that day. He balled his fists and shot to his feet, nostrils flaring . "Who the hell are you?"
The man held up his hands passively and said, "I'm sorry I frightened you, Sergeant . I tried to get your attention from the window but you wouldn't budge."
"How did you get in here?"
Pern's eyes widened as he saw three more figures standing in the police station's entrance. Each of them, armed with pistols and assault rifles slung across their chests. He stared at the one in the back in wonder, a shaggy, mountainous beast that was forced to stand slouched so its head didn't touch the ceiling. The Mantipor looked at Pern and growled lightly, showing just the smallest tip of its fangs.
"Who the hell are you people?" Pern shouted. "And what is that, that thing , doing in my police station with a weapon?"
The Mantipor snarled menacingly at Pern, and the man inside the office said, "Easy, Big Man." He reached inside his coat for a small black triangle that shimmered even in the dim station light. He cupped the badge as he held it out for Pern to see, "Captain Victor Cojo. These are my men. You have a Cryndian by the name of S'bal in custody. That's my fish."
Pern's mouth opened in disbelief, his mind racing to assemble all of the facts, even as they bombarded him. Cojo certainly did not look like any captain Pern had ever seen. He'd served four years with Unification Forces as secretarial assistant to the command staff of the 14th Air Support Division, and never once had he seen any of them without brightly-shined shoes and a crisply pressed uniform. To this day, he buzzed his hair bald on the sides and straight up to form the military high-and-tight, just like the men he emulated. The ruffian in his office was unshaven and unkempt, his hair shaggy and stuck up in the front. And where was his uniform? This so-called Captain wore nothing more than a pair of dark jeans and shirt with a long black coat like some sort of street-person. Some sort of terrorist. Pern's eyes narrowed and he said, "You can't have him."
The smile stayed frozen on Vic's face as he said, "Come again?"
"He was breaking Khor-Wa law by possessing controlled substances for sale. He's not a citizen, so I have to arraign him. That's the law."
Vic nodded, "I see. Well, you can rest assured that he's going to face a lot worse by the time I get finished with him."
"I said you can't have him."
"What makes you think I was asking?" Vic looked over his shoulder at one of his men and said, "Bob, go get the fish."
The muscular man in a knitted skull cap looked down at the computer tablet mounted to his forearm. "It's a pretty standard detention system, Cap. Give me five minutes."
The Mantipor nodded at Pern and said, "Tell this rent-a-badge to stop jerking around and give us the prisoner before I get cranky."
"Who in the hell do you people think you are? You're all under arrest!" He stared at them with his
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