Super SciFi Smackdown

5.1 Retrieval

"Are you sure this will work?" Xacks looked doubtful as he held up the strange looking jacket.

"They have been waiting for three days now. I doubt they will act hastily." Nutmeg reassured him. "I need you to get me in."

"So you can scurry off and leave me to handle the mess." Xacks sneered.

"It's my place." She growled back at him. "So you're happy to walk into a bar with god knows how many enemies but when you know the deal you get all nervous? Besides, I will need you if I'm going to make it out, I can't do it alone."

"At least you're putting that tail on the line this time." His backhanded compliment made her snarl involuntary. "What about Dana and ClickClack?"

"We need them to watch the ship, it will be vulnerable with us out of the picture." Nutmeg explained again with a sigh. "You're just not happy because it wasn't your plan."

"Fuck you! I'm just making it hard so you don't expect this shit all the time." He grinned but it was mostly from his high. "The data is ours and we have a vested interest in this. Our carcasses are on the line too and while it might be okay for you and me, it's not their place." He said motioning to their two companions.

Nutmeg gave him a disapproving look which was mirrored by Dana who had followed the conversation just fine.

"I can do my bit, I'm not useless!" Dana added. "What do you need me to do?"

"While we are getting at the data, the ship will be vulnerable." Nutmeg spoke slowly for the Thoracians pet. "We will need ClickClack and yourself to man the defense cannons."

"Run me through it." Dana suddenly looked less than confident and with good reason, the cannons were large with multiple modes of fire and more triggers than she had arms.

Once Nutmeg was confident that the Human and Crarab together, could at least make anyone looking to take the soft target think twice, she set about getting prepared for their own infiltration plans.

It was a short walk from where they parked and the Thoracian moved stiffly at first, counter balancing two weights while navigating an unfamiliar surrounding was hard work. Nutmeg did her best not to move inside the chest plate, despite the stench of bug as he lumbered towards her place wearing the coat she'd bought him.

He made an easy target in his current state and Nutmeg was relying on the aliens waiting for them to be professional. She had known about them the moment they had set foot inside her place and for the last three days they hadn't moved. If the guys in her hide away were anything to go by, then there would be a lot more eyes on them in the street.

She only hoped that Dana and ClickClack could guard the ship well enough using the freshly installed turrets. The whole endeavor made her both nervous but she was glad for the support she had.

For the first time in her life, she gave a stranger the code to her secret lair and he shuffled inside. Quickly he made his way through the corridors of computing towers, shifting into position and letting her use the cover of darkness to slip nimbly down his front into her network of hidden tunnels. Once inside she felt much more secure for herself and even more confident that Xacks would hold up his end. He was after all putting himself in the line of fire. Voices inside the open room told her it had begun and silently she slid into position, quickly installing the network, before working her way into her own position.

"Klabooei?" One of the company men asked, confused.

"Yeah." Xacks stood in the ridiculous looking coat with two hands in the air and two on his hips. "He lives here, I just came for a visit."

"Don't fucking play games with me." The largest of the three waiting men grabbed the Thoracian by his throat. "I have been cramped in here for sixty hours and I'm not in the mood."

"Good." Creaked Xacks as his eyes went to Nutmeg as she came up behind them wielding Scott's shrapnel gun. "There iss Kaboooooee now."

The gun kicked with a deafening roar in the small space as the shot tore through the unsuspecting goons face and mutilated his skull. It was quickly followed by two more shots and a burst from a sub. Xacks put two magnum slugs into the dazed middle man and hit the brute holding him with a pile of lead. All three collapsed, leaving a metallic tasting mist in the air and a fine spray of blood over everything.

With a quick nocturnal look about, Nutmeg quickly decided that there was nothing she wanted enough to take away covered in gore. Not liking the weight of it she handed the gun back to Xacks, who was already wielding two with his lower arms.

"Something is not right here." She looked at the bug.

"No fucking shit." He was already making the call to Dana. "Have you got the data?"

"It's transferring now."

"Transferring where?"

"To the ship of course." Nutmeg knew as soon as the words left her mouth that it was a mistake.

"So if they move now they get the whole package." Xacks yelled at her but he was already half way to the exit and hailing the ships coms.

"Wait." She called after him, but it was too late, he was out and into the street, leaving her with no choice but to back him up. "It's probably an ambush." she rationalized aloud making her fur stand on end, instantly she wished she hadn't given the gun back as she followed him outside into the light.