The Councilman's Wife by BillA1

Copyright September 2006

 

Disclaimer: The characters Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Superman & Flash and their respective secret identities are all owned by DC Comics. This story is intended for my own pleasure and is not for profit. It has been posted to this site for others to read. Places and characters not own by DC are my own creation. This story is based on characters from the animated Justice League series episode: Destroyer written Dwayne McDuffie. Inspired by an email exchange with Merlin Missy.  Note: Spoilers up through "Destroyer." Not a direct sequel to any previous work, but references material that appeared in Living with Shadows, Aftermath: Night of the Paladin and Bookends. A huge shout out of thanks to Merlin Missy for her beta on this story. This story is part of the R 'Verse tales set after Destroyer and before the Batman Beyond time period. Familiarization with that series is suggested, but it's not required. The R 'Verse is copyrighted 2006.

 

 

The Councilman's Wife

Rating: (PG-13)

Synopsis: John & Shayera come out of retirement to right a wrong - for a Gordanian.

 

 

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Chapter One - You Should Get Something for Your Throat

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The Third Moon Hotel on Jennia

(54 years after the Toyman kills Rex Mason)

 

"Where's my breakfast?" The shout came from the bedroom of the hotel suite.

 

Siarus looked up as Gerfin turned the audio off the video communicator and sighed. The whiny voice belonged to Lady Hue. He was her bodyguard and at this moment, he couldn't think of anyone whose body he wanted to guard less than hers. But she was the wife of his employer, the leader of the Gordanian High Council, and it was his job to make sure nothing happened to her. Gerfin whispered to Siarus, "I'll tell you where I'd like to put her breakfast."

 

Siarus, seated at the writing desk, put his transcriber down and raised his claw to his snout, "Shhhh. She'll hear you. You know her husband can make you disappear, right?" He turned back to writing his trip report hoping Gerfin would take the hint and wouldn't follow up the conversation.

 

But Gerfin wasn't finished. "What? Are you stupid? The council leader's trying to make her disappear. Why else would our military escort suddenly get recalled back to the Homeworld, but we wouldn't be allowed to go with them?"

 

Siarus pointed back at the video communicator. Gerfin turned back to the device, turned the audio back on and spoke to the Jennian at the other end. "Well?"

 

The Jennian was apologetic as he answered, "Sorry for the delay, sir, but we're still working on it." Gerfin snorted at the screen image. "You have two minutes before I come down there and make you my breakfast." He turned the audio off again and turned his back on the stunned Jennian.

 

"Think about it," Gerfin continued to Siarus. "He dispatches her halfway across the galaxy to attend a conference that's cancelled when she gets here. Doesn't that sound phony to you?"

 

"Like a Thanagarian smile," Siarus replied. He turned his transcriber off and stood. Sitting on these humanoid chairs was hard on a Gordanian's tail. "But, I think you've got a point. Maybe it's time for us to depart from the itinerary they have us on and make our own way back."

 

From the bedroom came the whiny voice again, "Where's my breakfast? I'm tired of waiting."

 

Siarus nodded toward the bedroom. "So are you gonna tell 'Miss high and mighty' in there about changing the schedule?"

 

Before Gerfin could answer, there was a knock on the door. A voice on the other side called, "Room service."

 

Gerfin turned back to the video communicator and turned the audio on. The Jennian on the view screen looked relieved when Gerfin said, "Never mind, it's here. You get to live another day." He turned off the device.

 

Siarus walked to the door and glanced back at Gerfin, "Finally! Go let her ladyship know breakfast is served." Siarus waited until Gerfin went into the other room before he opened the door. A Jennian wheeled a cart with food plates on it into the room and, without looking up, handed Siarus a courier pouch.

 

"This came by messenger last night. It's for Madam Hue," the Jennian said as he took the plates off the cart and set them on the little dining table in the center of the suite. The Jennian waited about ten seconds for a tip that Siarus never gave him. Grumbling the waiter wheeled the cart out of the room. Siarus set the courier pouch down on the table next to the plates and called out, "All clear."

 

Madam Hue stepped out of the bedroom. She was having an animated discussion with Gerfin, and Siarus knew who was going to win that argument.

 

"No, we will not change our schedule," she said firmly. She sat down at the table, lifted the covers off the plates and sneered. Siarus shook his head slightly, not wanting her ladyship to see his disgust. It was going to be one of those days.

 

"I know you're trying to be helpful," she continued, "but you see conspiracies where there are none." She picked up a fork, took a bite of her meal, and promptly frowned. Then she looked back up at Gerfin and said with her mouth full, "Changing the schedule says I don't have faith in my husband. I won't ever say that and if you want to continue to serve in my household, you will drop this matter. Is that clear?"

 

Gerfin's frown matched hers. He bowed his head. "Very clear, my Lady. I want you to know that when we get back home, I intend to resign from your service."

 

Lady Hue said nothing. That in itself didn't surprise Siarus. After all they were just hired help to her and easily replaced like broken plates.

 

Gerfin noticed the pouch on the table, picked it up, turned to Siarus and said, "What is this?"

 

Siarus shrugged his shoulders. "Room service brought it up. Said a messenger left it last night for Madam Hue."

 

He could hear Gerfin's breath catch as he said, "Did he say 'Madam Hue'?"

 

As he sat back down at the writing desk again, Siarus said, "Yeah." Then he froze and mumbled, "Oh... tward!!!"

 

Gerfin flung himself at Madam Hue and knocked her over and to the floor. Siarus jumped up from the desk, grabbed the pouch, and ran to the door. The pouch exploded just as he reached the doorknob.

 

(Five hours later)

 

It had been a quiet morning in this old neighborhood. John stood in the middle of his living room staring into the bottom of his second coffee cup. He'd been up about three hours. Frankly, retirement sucked. Deep down inside, he wished for the days when he still wore a ring and every day brought the chance of new adventure and excitement. He suspected Shayera felt the same way. But it was too late to go back now. There was a new Lantern in John's old sector and a new Warhawk as well, though it wasn't as if Rex even remembered to call now and then.

 

A sharp knock broke his train of thought. He set his cup down on the hall table next to the pistol that he kept holstered. It was probably one of the neighbors wanting to borrow a couple of hadipp eggs for some recipe again.

 

He opened the door and looked into the face of a Jennian he'd never seen before.

 

"Are you John Stewart?' the Jennian asked.

 

John felt his hands start to sweat and suddenly wished he'd carried his pistol to the door. Vengeance didn't go into retirement just because a Green Lantern did. There were plenty of people who might want him or Shayera dead and wouldn't care if they were retired. He knew he still had reasonable self-defense skills for a man his age, but he'd not practiced against a real opponent in years. He quickly tried to size up the Jennian at the door. Maybe he could take him, but he'd feel better about his odds if he had that gun right now. He cleared his throat. "I am John Stewart. What do you want?"

 

"Your mate is a Thanagarian," came the reply. "Where is she?"

 

"What's this about?" John asked sharply. He mentally counted the steps to the table where his pistol lay and tried to calculate whether he could make it to his weapon before the Jennian could fire his --- except the Jennian wasn't showing a weapon.

 

The Jennian quickly moved inside the house, sidestepping John and turning to face him said, "I mean you no harm, John Stewart. I just need to know where your mate is."

 

"I'm right here," answered Shayera behind him. She'd donned her black mask and had her energized mace in her hand. "What do you want?" John stepped behind her, grabbed his pistol from the table and then slipped in front of Shayera, pointing his weapon at the floor by the Jennian's feet.

 

The Jennian ignored the weapons. "My name is Fam Hawf. I need you to come with me."

 

John shook his head. "She's not going anywhere until you explain what this is all about."

 

The Jennian slowly nodded his head. "This morning there was an accident. A member of the Gordanian High Council wishes to see your wife. In the interests of keeping diplomatic relations calm, Shayera Hol of Thanagar must accompany me or there might be another accident - here."

 

John raised his pistol. "You can't come into my house and threaten me or my mate."

 

Shayera put her hand on John's pistol and lowered it. "I'll go."

 

John's head spun in her direction. "What?"

 

Hawf looked relieved as he said, "Thank you. I'll wait outside, but please hurry."

 

As the Jennian stepped outside, John grabbed Shayera by the shoulders. "You can't go with him. They can't come here and do this."

 

Shayera shook her head as John released her. "Yes, they can. We're not on Earth anymore. Besides, they know my name. I need to know what else they know."

 

John fastened his pistol holster around his waist, threw on a gold-colored vest over his black turtlenecked shirt and put his rifle holster on his back. "Well, I'm going with you."

 

Shayera clipped her mace to her belt and smiled. "Well, d'uh."

 

 

John was surprised that Fam Hawf took them to the local hospital. He'd half expected they'd be questioned at the Administrator's office, but instead they were escorted to a waiting room within the building. There were two chairs and a desk in the room. This room looked more like an interrogation room than a waiting room. John's hands started to sweat again when Hawf left the room. He wiped them against his dark trouser legs.

 

About a minute passed before the door burst open, startling them both. And for the first time in his life, John laid his eyes on a live Gordanian. His first thought was how big it was, followed by how ugly. Shayera let out a chirp at the sight of the big lizard. The sound surprised him. He'd heard Shayera make many sounds during their time together, but he'd never heard her make that particular noise before, like the clatter of a sparrow that had been cornered by a cat. He moved to stand closer to her and just slightly in front of her. She cleared her throat as he positioned himself.

 

The big Gordanian closed the distance between them and the door in seconds. He made a point of standing nearer to Shayera than to John. Speaking in a surprisingly soft voice he said, "Please sit down. I'm sorry they took you away from your home, but Jennians are not known for being subtle."

 

"Neither are Gordanians," John answered. "We'll stand."

 

The Gordanian stared at John briefly. "You are correct, Green Lantern. Gordanians are not subtle, but this isn't about you. It concerns her." He pointed to Shayera.

 

She fingered her mace as she answered in a strong voice, "Concerns me how?" The Gordanian noticed her restless hand.

 

"Don't be afraid of me, Thanagarian," the Gordanian answered. He whipped his tail in the air with a swooshing sound. "If I thought you were responsible for what happened this morning, I would have already ripped your wings out of your body and gutted you."

 

"That's enough," John snapped as he drew his pistol and pointed it at the lizard. "I'm tired of people threatening my woman. The next words out of your mouth better be an apology or the next thing you say will be your last."

 

The Gordanian stared down at the pistol and then nodded slowly. "Yes, human, I think you would shoot." He turned toward Shayera. "Please accept my apology if anything I've said has caused you any discomfort."

 

Shayera glanced flatly at John and then back to the Gordanian. John noticed her wings move just enough to touch him, bringing a quick smile to his face. "What do you want with me," she said, "and what about this name the Jennian called me to get me here?"

 

"First things first. My name is Gerfin and the Gordanian Homeworld requires your services."

 

Shayera bristled. "I don't wish to serve. If you require nothing else, I'm going home."

 

Gerfin folded his arms across his massive chest and whipped his tail again. "You misunderstand, Lieutenant Hol. I require your services, but I'm prepared to pay for them."

 

John raised his pistol again, pointing it at the lizard's head. "This woman is nobody's lieutenant, but you said something about payment. How much are you talking about?"

 

This time it was Shayera's head that spun. "John, I'm not taking any money from these people for anything."

 

John holstered his pistol and stepped next to Gerfin, positioning himself between the lizard and Shayera. "Okay. She won't take your money, but I might. What do you want done?"

 

Shayera put her hand on John's shoulder and forced him around. "No. You. Won't." She turned to Gerfin. "Why did you call me Lieutenant Hol?" She cleared her throat again.

 

Gerfin looked at John. "I'll pay 10,000 credits." He looked back to Shayera. "You should get something for your throat. There is a large file on you in the Thanagarian military archives. The helmet is different, but you Thanagarians live a long time. Sixty standard cycles ago, you or someone with your name who looks like you prevented completion of some sort of weapon that would have allowed the Thanagarians to get to the Homeworld and win the War of Liberation. At least they believed they would have won. How old are you, Thanagarian?"

 

Shayera frowned. "You're the one telling this tale. You tell me."

 

Gerfin turned back to John. "They don't tell their age just like they don't show their faces." John thought the lizard was frowning but he couldn't be sure. Gerfin looked at Shayera and hissed. "All you Thanagarians look alike. While I don't personally think you are that Shayera Hol, you are close enough. You see, Thanagarian, you've been set up to take the fall for an assassination and you didn't even know it."

 

"What?" John and Shayera chorused.

 

"This morning," Gerfin continued. "Someone tried to kill Madam Hue, the wife of the leader of the High Council. My partner and I are her bodyguards. Personally, I think it's her husband." Gerfin looked around the room as if he thought that he'd said too much and someone had overheard him.

 

"And this is where you come in," Gerfin added as he sat down. "Our security service knew there was a Thanagarian here. That's how I knew where you lived. I had your house and both of you under surveillance for two days before our arrival. You didn't make a move I didn't know about. The explosion was supposed to kill Madam Hue and us, and you were to be blamed for the deaths. The wing ripping?" He shrugged his shoulders, then scratched his claw across the desk. "Very real possibility for you if they hadn't screwed up."

 

Shayera's eyes narrowed. "Screwed up, how?"

 

"The bomb was in a courier pouch addressed to Madam Hue. They brought it with the morning meal. But, they didn't know I registered in the hotel under my name with two guests. Any official packages should have addressed to me. Our security service knows that's the protocol. Someone wanted to be sure she opened the bomb. My partner was killed trying to get rid of it when it went off. Madam Hue wasn't hurt."

 

John rubbed his chin. "So what do you want us to do for 10,000 credits?"

 

"I want you to take Madam Hue back to the Homeworld."

 

Shayera threw her hands in the air. "Are you crazy?"

 

"20,000 credits and we'll do it," John said.

 

"Are you crazy?" Shayera exclaimed as she dragged John toward the door. "Don't you see? If anything happens to her, someone will be coming after me ... after us."

 

John smiled, reached up and gently stroked the side of her face with the back of his hand. "You're absolutely right. If anything happens to her, someone will be coming after you. So I would think that you'd want to make sure she gets home safely so no one comes after you. Get it?"

 

Shayera grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly in hers. "You know, I could learn to hate you."

 

John rubbed his hand after Shayera let go. "Too late for that."

 

"I know," she smirked.

 

John turned back to face Gerfin. "Seventy-five percent up front, the rest on delivery."

 

Gerfin shook his head. "Fifty percent now. The rest when her ladyship gets back to her husband in front of witnesses."

 

"You heard him," Shayera barked. John wondered who the anger in her voice was really directed at. "Seventy-five percent on deposit with the City Administrator of Jennia in the name of Rex Stewart. The rest of the credits are to be paid by the husband on delivery."

 

Gerfin was quiet. Then he stood. "Done! I want you to meet Madam Hue now."

 

Shayera shook her head. "Bring her to my house. But not before the money is deposited."

 

John and Shayera turned to leave. As John opened the door for her, Shayera stopped and turned back to Gerfin, "And just so you know," she said. "Shayera is a common Thanagarian name. It means bitter. I imagine a lot of girls were named Shayera during your occupation."

 

She turned and walked out of the door. As John followed her, he noticed she was trembling.

 

 

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Chapter Two - We've Got a Problem

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John had learned that within a marriage there are always unwritten rules for the division of personal property: 'his,' 'hers,' and 'ours.' John could never figure out why the pile labeled 'his' was always smaller than the piled labeled, 'ours' and dwarfed by the pile labeled 'hers.' Somehow, that just didn't seem fair.

 

This was her spaceship. It was the old, out of service Javelin-7 that Diana had given Shayera when she and John first made their accidental leap, stranding them over thirty years in the future. She'd cared for it, refitting everything, and after all this time John was as comfortable here as in his own home. But the ship remained hers.

 

"How long do you figure it will take us?" John asked. He was watching Shayera compute and input a destination in the Javelin navigational computer that he knew she'd never, in her wildest dreams, ever thought she would go to on her own free will.

 

"About four days," Shayera answered without looking up. "We'll have to stop on," she referred to a map, "Nagbor for refueling."

 

John shook his head, but he wasn't sure she could see it. "Nagbor has a nitrogen atmosphere. You and I have suits, but we don't have anything that will fit a Gordanian."

 

Shayera cursed. "That adds another day to the trip. Okay, we can stop on Vollan III instead."

 

The communicator in the ship started beeping and its lights flashed on and off. Shayera plugged in the headset and answered the signal. "Hello? Okay. Okay. Thank you." She unplugged the headset and turned to John. "The money is on deposit in the administrator's office. Are you going to call Rex?"

 

John nodded, sat down in the pilot's chair and plug in his headset. He dialed in Rex's number. After a few moments, the line clicked over.

 

"Hello?" Rex answered.

 

John took a deep breath and tried to keep the anxiety out of his voice. "Hi Son. Dad here. Have to keep this short and in transmit mode. Look, your mom and I are going on a little trip. You know how your mom always worries. Well, she wanted me to tell you that if you don't hear back from us in two weeks, we have some money set aside for you at the City Administrator's office on Jennia. You remember my old friend, my Batman? Well the money is in the name he uses to cash personal checks with. Okay? Well, I gotta go. The phones are so screwed up here, no telling who may be listening." He paused for a millisecond before continuing. "We don't need your help and don't want you to offer it. Your mother and I can take a little vacation without you. Take care. Remember we love you and we'll call you in a week when we get home. Love you, boy." John disconnected.

 

Shayera sat down in the co-pilot's chair. "So, I'm the worrier, huh? Do you think he got it? Understood it?"

 

"He's a Stewart. He got it," John smiled to himself. After he and Shayera left the hospital, he made arrangements with the city administrator on Jennia that any money deposited in the name of Rex Stewart was to be immediately transferred to an account in the name of Bruce Wayne. Only he, Shayera or a young male humanoid with green eyes who identified himself as Bruce Wayne could withdraw the money.

 

After they finished loading their ship with supplies, all John and Shayera had to do was wait at home for the councilman's wife. Two hours later, Gerfin showed up with a female Gordanian.  Probably female, John reasoned.

 

"What are we doing here?" the female lizard asked. From Gerfin's body language, John guessed this was a woman of some importance.

 

"Madam Hue," Gerfin said bowing, "this Thanagarian and her mate volunteered to help me escort you back to the Homeworld."

 

Madam Hue hissed at Shayera. "I don't need the help of a Thanagarian and this ... whatever it is," she said pointing at John.

 

"Keep talking, lady," John snapped, "and our price will go up."

 

Madam Hue looked at Gerfin, her eyes narrowing, "Price? What price? What is he talking about?"

 

"My lady," Gerfin mumbled. "They will take you home in return for ... compensation."

 

"We are paying them to escort me? That is not volunteering. They should do it for the Homeworld --- at least the Thanagarian should. But since you are paying them, do I at least get sex from the Thanagarian? I've heard they can be thrilling!"

 

In one motion, Shayera unclipped her mace, energized it and said, "Yeah, I got a new thrill for you. I'm going to shove this mace so far up your -"

 

"Shayera!" John cut her off and turned to Madam Hue. "No sex, just transportation. We'll leave as soon as your luggage is loaded on our ship."

 

Madam Hue snorted. "We'll leave after I finish eating. You, Thanagarian, bring me my dinner."

 

John turned to Gerfin. "Is she slow on the uptake or what?" Then he turned back to Madam Hue and said firmly, "We leave in ten minutes. You can eat on the ship."

 

Madam Hue looked straight ahead. "We'll leave after I eat and not before. Thanagarian, I'm waiting on my food."

 

Shayera growled. "That tears it. It will take me a week to get the smell of her out of my house. Hey lady, I want you to see this."

 

Madam Hue turned to look at Shayera, "See what?" At that moment, Shayera hit Madam Hue with an uppercut, knocking the female out. Shayera grimaced and shook her hand in pain. "Ow!"

 

Gerfin looked at the prostrate form on the floor and John thought he heard him mutter a "Thank you" under his breath. Gerfin looked at Shayera. "I will follow the Gordanian established itinerary back to the Homeworld and expect to meet you at Chelor in two days. Don't be late and don't disappoint me or I'll have to hunt you down myself."

 

John stepped up to Gerfin and said, "You don't need to threaten anybody. Chelor in two days. We'll be there. Now help me load your lady on the ship."

 

 

They'd been traveling about thirty minutes and were making good speed. Madam Hue was still unconscious. They'd laid her on Rex's old bed in the back of the ship. John sat up front as Shayera piloted the craft. "Why'd you tell Gerfin we'd meet him on Chelor when you knew I created a flight plan for Vollan III?" she asked.

 

"Because I don't trust him."

 

Shayera's eyes widened. "How's this for a scenario," he continued. "We get to Chelor and the Lady of the sun and moon back there gets killed by an ambush. It will look like she was kidnapped by a Thanagarian and even though they paid a 15,000 credit ransom, the lady was killed by her kidnappers before the bodyguard killed them."

 

"You think the bodyguard is part of the plot."

 

John frowned. "I honestly don't know what to think anymore except Gerfin is counting on you being too afraid of him to do anything other than what he wants. He's been trying to intimidate you since we first met him. You are the only one I trust. Our only escape out of this mess is to get the old lizard back home in one piece in front of witnesses."

 

Shayera was silent as she looked down at the pilot's yoke. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

 

"Sorry? Sorry about what?"

 

She looked up at him and removed her helmet, setting it in her lap. "If I were human we could have lived on Earth. We wouldn't have to live out here and you wouldn't be in danger now --- without your ring...."

 

John reached across the console and gently touched her hand. "No more talk like that. I've said for years I was more than the ring - now I get to prove it. Besides, I wouldn't know how to sleep at night if I didn't have feathers in my face."

 

Shayera's smile lit up his heart. Suddenly, from the back of the craft, they heard the voice of Madam Hue bellowing, "You hit me! How dare you hit me?"

 

Shayera put her mask back on, hit the autopilot on the ship and stood. "I got this."

 

John took the autopilot off, taking control of the ship and watched Shayera walk to the back. "Just don't kill her. Remember she's our meal ticket."

 

 

 

Shayera took a meal pack out of one of the storage lockers and offered it to Madam Hue. The Gordanian had been sitting on the edge of the bed and hissed when Shayera approached. Madam Hue didn't take the meal pack from Shayera's hand. There was a two second staring contest between the two women before Shayera shrugged and dropped the meal pack on the bed. "Here."

 

Madam Hue hungrily ripped open the pack and shoved a food bar in her mouth. "Don't think," she said between bites, "I'll forget you putting your hands on me."

 

Shayera leaned forward and whispered. "I don't want you to forget it because if something happens to my mate because of us trying to transport your sorry butt home, I will kill you myself. Now eat up because that's your only meal for the next six hours, so you'd better enjoy it." She leaned back and turned to walk away.

 

Madam Hue growled. "I will have Gerfin kill you when we get to Chelor."

 

Shayera turned and nodded. "And I'll give him a chance ... when we get to Chelor. I know why I want you dead. Why does your husband want you dead?"

 

Madam Hue looked surprised and offended by the question. "My husband loves me," she answered. Then she looked away silently.

 

"Yeah, he just loves you to death," Shayera mocked. She enjoyed inflicting discomfort on this lizard woman.

 

"You don't understand," Madam Hue said standing. She seemed taller to Shayera than before. "You can't understand. My husband is important. He's a leader of a movement that longs to return the Homeworld back to the days of domination. He believes we should have never freed Thanagar. Your people were happier when we were your masters. Freeing you 30 cycles ago was a bad idea."

 

There was a sour taste in Shayera's mouth as she listened to this woman. Her eyes narrowed as she thought about knocking the Gordanian out again. Finally, she said, "I think I'm going to be sick from your trash mouth."

 

"Well, I'm not surprised. You people are like children."

 

"You stupid clackcor," Shayera snapped. She pointed her finger in the woman's face. "Haven't you figured it out? If you get killed and it looks like a Thanagarian did it, it gives your husband and the council a reason to rescind Thanagar's freedom."

 

"Move your finger from my face, Thanagarian, before I bite it off," Madam Hue snarled. "You're the clackcor. Haven't you been listening? That what I want to happen too."

 

Shayera's eyes widened as she lowered her hand. "Well, he's prepared to kill you to make it happen," she said calmly trying to control her anger. "Is that what you want?" She paused, softening her voice. "Look, your ladyship. Until we get you back to your home, I want you to humor us and assume your husband and your bodyguard are both trying to kill you. Can you do that?"

 

"My bodyguard, too? But he hired you. Why would he want me dead?"

 

Shayera focused on Madam Hue's use of the word 'too.' The Gordanian knew her husband had tried to kill her despite her protest to the contrary. "I don't know yet."

 

Madam Hue sat down on the bed again and then looked up at Shayera. "Thank you for helping me. It's nice to know that there are still Thanagarians who respect Gordanians, even if it's costing me 10,000 credits."

 

Shayera frowned. "Don't flatter yourself. This is purely a business transaction. Nothing more. Besides, if you got killed on Jennia, I might have had a most unpleasant afternoon." She turned to walk back up front when she stopped and turned back to Madam Hue. "Wait. We're getting 20,000 credits to get you home and Gerfin's already paid 15,000 of it. Not ten."

 

Madam Hue shook her head. "No, you're only getting ten. Gerfin called back to the Homeworld and said he needed 15,000 credits to be deposited with the local city administrator in the name of Rex something. Then he said for them not to worry because he'd only use ten for the job and they could withdraw the rest tomorrow. I thought it was expense money. I watched him put all the receipts in my bags."

 

Shayera frowned. "Listen to me. I'm sure your bodyguard is in on this somehow and ...." She stopped and then her eyes widened as she glanced at Madam Hue's luggage in the corner. "Oh. My. Stars."

 

Shayera grabbed Madam Hue's hand and pulled the Gordanian toward the front of the craft as she yelled, "John! We've got a problem!"

 

 

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Chapter Three - John Falls for a Gordanian

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John turned around in his seat to see Shayera pulling the lizard woman toward him. Both looked upset. He barely had enough time to get out of his seat before Shayera shoved Madam Hue into his chair and yelled at the woman, "Strap yourself in and don't touch anything."

 

Shayera turned, grabbed John's spacesuit and tossed it to him.

 

"What's up?" he asked as he quickly started donning the suit. He was smart enough to know if she thought there was a problem, there probably was.

 

"We've been double-crossed," she said as she started putting on her own suit. "Gerfin was planning to kill her for 10,000 credits. Did you watch Gerfin load her bags on board?"

 

"Yeah, why?" John finished suiting up, locking his helmet in place.

 

"Was he ever on board alone?"

 

"No. At least, I don't think so."

 

Shayera locked her space helmet in place and moved to the back of the ship where Madam Hue's bags were. John followed.

 

Shayera started moving the lizard woman's luggage back to the loading ramp. "He'd planned to take the credits back tomorrow," Shayera said. "He could only do that if he planned for us to be dead. We've got to get her bags off this ship."

 

"Bomb?" John asked, picking up a bag and moving quickly to the loading ramp.

 

"Not sure. Don't care. I know he packed her bags. I know he can't meet us on Chelor in two days and be on Jennia to get the money out tomorrow. I want her stuff off my ship. Now!"

 

They quickly moved everything that Madam Hue brought on board to the loading ramp. Shayera went back up front and strapped herself in next to Madam Hue. John attached a cable line to a brace near the ramp and attached the other end to his suit.

 

"Brace yourself. Tell the lady of the lake to hold her breath," John called out as he hit the button to lower the ramp door. The ship quickly decompressed with a loud whoosh as everything not tied down and secured was blown out the ramp door and into space.

 

John cursed to himself. Until recently, he could open the ramp of a Javelin-7 in space without depressurizing the entire ship. But the modifications Shayera had made to the vessel within the last month, widening the interior space to make it more comfortable for a Thanagarian, had compromised the pressurization system and she hadn't had a chance to fix it yet.

 

After he was sure all of Madam Hue's bags were gone, he closed the ramp door and unhooked himself. When Shayera gave him the signal that the ship had re-pressurized, John removed his helmet and walked to the front.

 

"I don't figure Gerfin to be stupid," John said, leaning on the co-pilot's chair Madam Hue was in as he spoke to Shayera. "He's probably already figured out that we've moved the money into another account. He can't get to it unless we give it to him. If there wasn't a bomb in her bags, he's still planning to meet us on Chelor. He doesn't know that we won't be there."

 

Then he turned to Madam Hue and said flatly, "Does he?"

 

"I don't know what you mean," Madam Hue said softly.

 

Shayera stood. "He means you're not in communications with Gerfin, are you? No tracking devices or anything, right?"

 

Madam Hue didn't answer and instead looked out the window.

 

Shayera was livid. "You stupid.... Where is it?"

 

Madam Hue stuck out her left arm and pointed to a spot midway the length of her forearm. "All of the Council officials and their families have tracking devices implanted underneath their scales," she said apologetically. There were tears in her eyes as she added, "Just in case they're taken hostage."

 

John rolled his eyes at the ceiling while Shayera rattled off another string of obscenities. "It would be too much to hope for that the chip in your arm isn't a bomb, wouldn't it?" he said. Shayera looked at him and let loose with a louder barrage of cursing.

 

Madam Hue started crying.

 

John frowned. "Okay. New plan." He turned to Shayera. "Find a planet we can set down on where we can leave the tracker device. If he's following, he'll follow it down to the planet. When he finds it, he'll realize we're on to him and head directly for the Homeworld. He'll probably get there ahead of us which means he'll have time to prepare a reception for us."

 

Shayera nodded. "And we'll have time to prepare for him."

 

 

In about fifteen minutes, Shayera found a moon that she could set the ship down on. After landing, she removed the tracking chip from Madam Hue's arm. John didn't say anything, but he thought Shayera might have made the removal more painful than necessary. Once the chip was out of the lizard woman's arm, John buried it about a foot deep in the soft dirt. Then they lifted off again heading to Vollan III.

 

Madam Hue went back to her bed and was quiet until they landed on Vollan III for refueling. Suddenly she became talkative again and she rambled on about the inferiority of Thanagarians. John could see Shayera's feathers bristle every time Madam Hue opened her mouth. He made a point of keeping the two women separated for the rest of the trip.

 

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Shayera would ask every so often as the ship barreled through space.

 

"20,000 credits," John would answer.

 

As the ship entered the Gordanian solar system, Shayera added, "Next time if there are Gordanians involved, we charge 30,000 credits."

 

"Next time?"

 

"I know you. There will be a next time."

 

 

It was dusk, local time, on the Homeworld when the ship landed. Madam Hue told Shayera where she could put the craft down and be near the Council Chamber. As they debarked, the lizard woman said they were about five hundred meters away from the meeting hall.

 

The three made their way cautiously to a three story building just outside of what looked to be a park. Madam Hue looked at her chronometer and said, "There should be a Council meeting going on right now."

 

The edge of the park was fifty meters away from the front door. The three huddled together near a large cluster of bushes. "Can we get in through the front door?" John asked.

 

Madam Hue frowned. "If I still had my tracking chip we could just walk in. The chip would identify me."

 

Shayera growled at the Gordanian, "I hate you." She paused adding, "I just think you should know that before we all die. This place got a skylight?"

 

"Just outside the conference chamber."

 

John looked at Shayera. "Okay. New plan. Take the lady of the lake to the rooftop first. Then come back and get me."

 

"You be careful," Shayera said. John felt a chill when she said that. He didn't know why.

 

"You just make sure you come back," he answered.

 

He watched as Shayera unceremoniously grabbed Madam Hue and took off toward the Council building. He took his rifle out of his back holster and leaned against a bush contemplating the look of surprise on the Gordanian woman's face when Shayera lifted her up. Shayera had been gone just a few minutes when he was surprised by a raspy voice.

 

"You! What are you doing here?"

 

It was a guard and he looked angry. John cursed to himself for not hearing the lizard approach. The guard had his pistol trained on him. "Let me see your papers," he growled as John dropped his rifle, raised his hands in the air and slowly stood.

 

"Papers?" John said as he slapped his vest pockets as if he were feeling for documents he knew he didn't have. "Oh yeah, I'm sure I have them here somewhere." John pointed to a spot on the ground behind the guard. "Oh there it is. Must have fell out."

 

The guard shook his head and repeated, "Your papers. Now!"

 

John shrugged his shoulders. "I'm telling you my papers are behind you."

 

The guard smirked at John indicating he wasn't going to fall for the trick, but the smile faded when Shayera smacked the Gordanian from behind with her mace.

 

John picked up his rifle and looked down at the unconscious guard. "Told you my papers were behind you."

 

"Let's go," Shayera said as she picked up John and carried him to the council chamber rooftop. The roof had several large chimneys rising from the floor and surrounding a domed skylight that was approximately ten meters across. They landed next to one of the chimneys and Shayera started cursing again. Madam Hue wasn't in sight. "I told that clackcor not to move from this spot," she whispered in frustration.

 

They heard a familiar voice call out behind them, "Looking for Madam Hue? You'll find her over here. Both of you, drop your weapons, put your hands in the air and come over here. Slowly."

 

It was Gerfin and he had a pistol aimed at them. John reflected that too many people were pointing pistols at him today.

 

John and Shayera looked at each other before simultaneously dropping their weapons to the floor. They slowly moved to the spot Gerfin designated. There they saw Madam Hue lying on the rooftop.

 

"Murderer!" Shayera shouted.

 

"Shut up, Thanagarian. She's not dead," Gerfin said as he kicked the fallen woman. Madam Hue groaned, but otherwise didn't stir. "Not yet anyway," he continued. "But she will be if you don't tell me how to get the 15,000 credits back out of your account."

 

John slowly lowered his hands. "If we tell you, you'll kill us all anyway. What incentive do I have to tell you anything? Seems like none to me." He tried to calculate whether he could close the distance between him and Gerfin before the Gordanian could fire his weapon. He was about four steps too far away and John suddenly wished he was younger and faster.

 

Gerfin shook his head and stepped toward them. "But the Thanagarian has a lot of incentive, don't you?" He stepped closer to them and snorted in Shayera's face. "If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'm going to kill your mate."

 

Shayera took a breath. Her voice cracked. "I'll tell you, but first you let him go."

 

"Shayera! No!" John exclaimed as he took a step toward Gerfin, but turned so that he faced Shayera, hoping the lizard wasn't smart enough to figure out what John intended to do.

 

Gerfin waved his pistol in Shayera's face as he glanced at John. "Thanagarians are very loyal to their mates and will do anything to protect them. You'd be surprised at the things they do for a little love." He turned back to Shayera. "No good. Talk first or he dies."

 

Suddenly, Madam Hue groaned, "Who dies?" Gerfin turned to look at the woman and that was enough of a distraction for John. He lowered his head and rushed the Gordanian, tackling him around the waist and driving him back onto the domed skylight.

 

The glass broke underneath their weight and John and Gerfin fell three floors. John hung on the lizard for dear life, a life he was sure was over as he heard Shayera screaming his name before he hit the floor and his world went dark.

 

 

Madam Hue groaned as Shayera grabbed her by her tail and dived through the broken skylight trying to catch John. But she couldn't and Shayera's heart skipped a beat when she saw John and Gerfin hit the floor with a thump, just out of her reach.

 

A large gash on the side of John's head bled profusely as he lay unconscious on top of an unmoving Gerfin. Shayera dropped Madam Hue next to John as a crowd gathered around the two bodies. She gently rolled John off of Gerfin and shouted into the crowd, "Get a doctor and get Madam Hue's husband. Hurry!"

 

She gingerly cradled John's head in her lap. "John, you're going to be okay. Hang in there."

 

John opened his eyes, smiled weakly and whispered, "Gordanians ... make lousy mattresses. Did I ... get you enough witnesses?"

 

Shayera kissed him on the forehead. "More than enough." A booming voice called out, "Let me through! Let me through!" A big Gordanian pushed his way through the crowd and hugged Madam Hue. "My wife and mistress of my house, are you well?"

 

"She is, no thanks to you," Shayera snapped. John tried to sit up, but she held him tightly in place, not allowing him to move from her lap.

 

Madam Hue cast a glance at Shayera, then cleared her throat. "Pay no attention to the Thanagarian, dearest," she said to her husband in a loud voice. "You know how they are. I suspected Gerfin of trying to kill me. So I hired this Thanagarian and her mate to make sure I made it back safely to you."

 

Madam Hue stood up and looked at the assembled crowd as she spoke to her husband. "Dear, I promised them 25,000 credits, but I only had 15,000 on me. Have someone get the other 10,000 that I owe them and bring it right away. I'll wait here for it."

 

Madam Hue's husband shot her a look of confusion, rapidly replaced by anger, and then whispered to someone standing next to him whom Shayera thought might be his aide.

 

As the aide disappeared into the crowd, a doctor arrived. He started to look at Gerfin, but Madam Hue stopped him. "Doctor, don't waste any time on the traitorous Gerfin. I want you to look after the Thanagarian's mate. Make sure he doesn't die. Understand!" Madam Hue glanced at Shayera and flashed a smile.

 

While the doctor treated John, the aide returned and gave Madam Hue's husband ten golden metal cards. Madam Hue snatched the ten cards out of her husband's hand and smiled, playing to the gathered audience.

 

"Dear," she said. "I was the one who made the deal with these people and I have to be the one to fulfill it." A small murmur rose from the crowd as Madam Hue leaned over and put five cards in Shayera's hand. "Here you go. That makes 20,000 credits."

 

Shayera took the cards and helped John stand. She flashed a quick smile of her own as she said, "Thank you, my lady, but I thought we made a deal for 25,000 credits, not 20,000."

 

Madam Hue smiled then quickly frowned. "I did, Thanagarian. But you threw my clothing overboard, remember? It will cost at least 5,000 credits to replace what you lost. On the whole I think we're even, don't you?" She turned to her husband, placing her arm in his. "Come on, dear. Let's go home. Oh, please make sure the Thanagarian and her mate get back to their ship safely. I think they left some items on the rooftop. Make sure they take all their things. I'm sickened by the stench of them, but I would not like anything to happen to them." She waved to the crowd as she dragged her husband off.

 

John and Shayera stood amid the broken glass for a moment, before a guard hustled them toward the front door.

 

 

Shayera sat in the pilot's seat monitoring and charting fuel consumption during the trip back to Jennia. She glanced at John as she said, "I'm still a little miffed that she didn't even say thank you."

 

John smirked. "Yes, she did. 5,000 credits worth of thank you. We would have never gotten the other 5,000 if she hadn't done what she did and she punished her husband for 5,000, too. She said thank you, alright. Big time!"

 

Shayera sighed and nodded. "You're probably right. You know, this felt good. Felt like old times with the rush and all."

 

"Most fun you've ever had standing up?"

 

Shayera flipped the flight controls to autopilot. Then she stood and took John's hand leading him back to the sleeping quarters. She took her mask off as she said, "I'll let you know in an hour."

 

END