I contacted Shka and arranged for him to meet me somewhere close so I could catch him up on the situation. We agreed that Yadek was a likely suspect. He said he’d pass the information along. From there we headed back to my ship to get my power suit and try to convince my crew to help.

We didn’t make it there before noticing trouble. Military police had quartered off the entire wing my ship was in and were searching the ships. Literally all of them. A veritable hoard of officers were rounding up the crews of every ship all at once. Others in strange suits were going as far as dismantling the protective plating of some of the ships in search of who knew what.

“I think things turned sour in a major way,” I said to Shka.

“It’s probably nothing,” he said without conviction.

“No. This was Yadek and his friends. I’m certain of it. We need to get out of here, now.”

He turned without protest and proceeded to lead the way to his ship.

We didn’t make it far before Yadek showed himself.

“Garul, I had thought you were a more discerning man.” He sounded wounded, in a sadistic sort of way.

I shrugged. “I had thought the same of you.”

He laughed and gave Shka a look of pure disdain. “I see you’re helping the local historian. Planning on documenting the history of an extinct race?” A faint smile touched his lips as he feigned deep contemplation.

Shka looked between Yadek and me. “How do you know my profession?”

Yadek smiled with pure malice. “I know a lot of things about you.”

I cut them off. "It doesn't matter what he knows. We don’t have time for this. Come on.” I tried to move Shka but he wouldn’t budge.

“What do you know?” He repeated.

“Just everything important to you,” he paused letting that sink in for about half a second. “Like that little aboriginal village your mother lives in. Where your father’s office is.” His eyes glittered. “I could ensure they get left alone, maybe allowed to live on as primitive pets after we conquer this world.”

Shka looked aghast. “You won’t get the chance.”

Yadek pulled out a blaster. “And who will stop me?”

“Yadek, stop this madness.” I said.

He tsked and without looking at me said, “Shut up trash. You’re a traitor to your species.”

The comment confused me. “The humans are our allies.”

“Only because the trade is prosperous, but this war isn’t good for economics in the long run. The Tarkellians have cut me a good deal.”

So that’s what this was about.

“Leave my family out of this,” Shka lashed out and batted the blaster away from Yadek.

Yadek visibly paled under the assault. “Don’t think I wouldn’t.” His voice shook, but there was no mistaking the ring of truth in it. He’d gladly kill every last human to get what he wanted.

Was this the kind of man I enabled? Were there more like him? I started to get dizzy thinking about it.

Shka charged forward and kneed Yadek in the head. The tiny Pantechnian hit the floor faster than I thought he would. Almost as if he expected the reaction. I looked from Yadek, trembling meekly on the ground, to Shka, who was raising a foot to stomp on him, and realized what was going on. Yadek was goading him and I didn’t have time to find out why.

Without thinking I put myself between them as Shka’s foot came down. His eyes went wide and he redirected the attack, narrowly missing me. I sighed with relief.

“What the hell was that?” Shka said.

“He’s goading you. Whatever is going on he wants you to attack him.” I grabbed Shka by the arm and tugged. “We need to get out of here now.”

Shka resisted. “No. We can stop him here and now.”

Yadek had recovered and was now standing. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Help! Terrorists. Quick stop them before they set off another bomb.”

I looked around in horror as the few people nearby started paying attention to the situation. They began pointing and whispering. Some pulled out com devices and started making calls while others began recording the event.

“Shka. Now.”

His head swiveled from Yadek to me. The heat of his gaze was staggering. He gave me a terse nod and we both broke out running for his ship.