[Deep Woods - New Hampshire]
"Hey, Bobby Joe, have you got that cage in the truck yet?"
"Just a sec, Billy Ray, I'm almost done."
The big American hefted the cage he held and dropped it into the back of the beaten up old pickup truck. As he tied the cage in place, the creature within jabbered and yowled, slamming itself against the bars in an attempt to get at him.
"Hey, Billy Ray, how much you do you think we can make for bringing back a real live big foot baby?"
Before his longtime hunting partner could compose a suitable reply, the pair of them were suddenly the focus of an extraordinarily bright beam of light, which appeared to be coming out of midair.
Billy Ray was a bit quicker on the uptake, and yelled, "Run for it, Bobby Joe. Them bigfoots must be in league with aliens, and they've come to get us!". Before he could follow his own advice, a blue ray shot from the trees, felling him as he turned. Bobby Joe began to yell out, but another burst of light silenced him, too.
As the second human fell to the ground, the light from the sky blinked off, and dark shadows began to emerge from the trees. Short, stocky, and powerful, they moved in, searching the humans' bodies. As they moved towards the pickup, another vehicle appeared out of the sky. Matte black, it descended slowly towards the ground, the faint whine of repulsorlifts indicating its means of support.
After it settled gently to the ground, another, taller, figure emerged. This figure straightened, turning its head to take in the whole of the scene. Coming to a decision, it spoke, "Throw those two in the back of their truck, and then get Tealla back to her mother. Gavik, Arbo, you stay here to keep an eye on the speeder and I'll deal with the truck."
A chorus of strange chirping barks answered the man's command. A brief light flared from the cage in the back of the truck, and there was another chorus of the strange barks as the creature within was helped to the ground. A couple of loud thunks came from the truck as the inert humans were deposited, none to gently, in the tray of the pickup. One of the dark shadows hefted the rescued creature in its arms, and then most of the shadowy figures vanished back into the darkness.
Apparently alone once more in the darkness, the taller figure looked once more around the scene. Sealing the vehicle it had just left, it strode over to the hunters' truck. Slipping easily behind the drivers wheel, it it started the pickup and drove off into the darkness.
[Fortified Bunker - Undisclosed Location]
"So that was about it really. I dumped the truck near the highway, with the hunters still in it, and then walked back to the speeder. The others got Tealla back safe and sound, and Gavik and Arbo got a ride back with me. If we're at all lucky, what happened to Tealla might help us with keeping the other pups within the perimeter."
Yarg give Nick a look which indicated just how unjustifiably optimistic he figured the human was being. <"Sure. And, while they're at it, they'll all decide to pay attention to their lessons and respect their elders.">
Nick grinned at his business partner. "I can dream, can't I? Hey, what's your bet on the Weekly World News headline? 'Big Foot Babies in League with Aliens'?"
<"Don't bet the headline this time. It's too hard to figure out who's closer. We'll go for publication date. A hundred credits says two weeks.">
"Two weeks? And you're calling me optimistic. However, since I've never been one to turn down genuinely free money, I'll take three weeks."
<"Deal. Now, there has to be somewhere in the next month we can find a slot for Kaerb to come in.">
Coming over to the table, Nick looked down at the charts in front of Yarg. Tapping one of them, he said, "There. The vector in from the beacon should be clear, and Kaerb can easily get ready for the run out of Mssar in that time frame. It's a fairly tight slot, but it isn't like this is the first time he's made this run."
Yarg nodded his agreement. <"That one looked good to me, too. I guess we should give Kaerb a call.">
[Royal Palace - Mendellia]
Nick strolled casually past Z-3PO as he headed for Scifantasy's office. "Heya Zed, Chief waiting for me?"
"Sir, I do believe the Major is indeed waiting for you to arrive for the meeting he requested."
Still grinning at the protocol droid's insanely formal phrasing, Nick rapped on the doorframe of Sci's office as he walked in. "Hi Boss, what can I do ya for?"
Without looking up from his datapad, Sci held up what appeared to be some sort of newspaper. "You can explain this, for starters."
Nick's reaction was perhaps not quite what Sci was expecting. "What's the date on that?"
Obviously bemused by the apparent non sequitur, Sci actually looked up from what he was working on. "What? Yesterday's. Why?"
"Damn, the little furball did me again." Nick slumped down into one of the seats Sci kept for visitors that he wasn't yelling at. Responding to the quizzical expression still on Sci's face, he gestured at the Weekly World News Sci was holding up and continued, "Yarg and I had a bet on how long it would take for that article to show up. Yarg just won."
"Right. I take it that means you can explain the article."
"Yeah. The ultra-condensed version is that one of the pups went wandering well outside the colony, got captured by a couple of dumb headline hunting hicks up from down south, and we had to rescue her. I did it in such a way that it was a damn sure bet that the story would show up in the WWN and its ilk and nowhere else."
"Well, I guess its better that way, than to have them just go missing."
Nick shuddered theatrically. "Too right. The last thing we want is an intensive search and rescue operation in those woods."
A thoughtful expression crossed Sci's face as he leaned back in his chair. "Is it just me, or are those Ewoks you used to farm smarter than the average bear?"
"Yeah, it's starting to look that way. I don't really understand it either. Kristy's got some weird theory about the drugs I used to feed them when I was running the farm. I sure as hell didn't understand it, and I'm not sure she does either. And of course, we can hardly bring in any NR scientists to figure it out without having to answer a bucketload of really uncomfortable questions. It was hard enough convincing Piggy that I'd seen the error of my ways."
"And have you?"
"Have I what?"
"Seen the error of your ways?"
"Well, if the error of my ways is subjugating a sentient species simply due to their being insufferably cute and implausible, luxuriating in the fact that the only organisation likely to object in any significant manner, that being the government of the New Republic, had no knowledge of the existence of me or my entire planet, then yeah, sure, I've learned that such a course of action ceases to be feasible once the patina of secrecy is removed. However, I've also learned, that if a decision to cease unpalatable practices is made sufficiently early, and immediate steps to rectify the inequality of the situation are taken, albeit for non- altrustic reasons, then pursuing justice, particularly when the former victims have become enthusiastic supporters of their former oppressor, will, in many circumstances, be seen as unjustifiable."
Sci cocked his head to one side, blinked twice, and repeated one of his oft-made observations. "You know, you may just be one of the most amoral people I've ever met."
Having recovered his breath, Nick shrugged. "So you've said. I always figured it was one of the reasons you kept me around. I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who'd have a few qualms about doing my job."
"True enough. Anyway, that article was all I wanted to talk to you about. Are there any other little surprises you'd like to share with me before you go?"
"Well, just that I'm going to have to disappear after the briefing today. Kaerb's coming in and I need to be there."
Sci grimaced. "It's a good thing you're not invited to the party yet, then. We might need everybody later, which is why I've pulled you all in for this initial briefing, but, for now, a fair few of you will simply be business as usual."
"Got it. See ya later then Boss." Nick got up and headed towards the exit. Briefly turning back, he added, "Oh yeah, one more thing, try and liven this one up a bit. I'm sure I saw Mike fall asleep in your last briefing."
Before Sci could reply, his subordinate had disappeared out the door.