As I suspected they landed in a clearing. The ship was small. Just large enough to accommodate three to four people on a short vacation to the methane lakes of Titan. No one was guarding the ship. Yadek must have been confident about our capture. Good. If I got lucky, he’d still be off kilter when he arrived.

There was precious little time to prepare and I needed to use it wisely. Odds were good they’d bring Shka in through the cargo bay ramp. It seemed like the only place to keep a prisoner in the ship. I planned my ambush around that and called the administrator via the ship’s com.

His face floated in stunned silence after he accepted my call. For a few moments I couldn’t tell if he were surprised, angry, or happy to see me. You can’t read a human’s emotions from the color of their eyes. Before I could begin the motions of reading him from his facial expression he had regained his composure and began questioning me. “This isn’t Shka’s com. Whose ship are you calling from?”

“A local Pantechnian named Yadek,” I said hurried. “Listen, we have little time. He should be back any time.”

“Where’s Shka?” He was impatient and there was worry in his voice.

“Shut up and listen.” I said. “Shka will be fine but we need your help.” He looked angry with me but let me continue. “In a few moments I will mute you and minimize the view screen. I need you to track the ship's location and send a detachment of soldiers.”

He nodded. “What are you up to?”

“Saving the world.” I could already hear voices outside. “I’m muting you now. Please pay attention.” I minimized the screen before he could protest. I wish I’d had more time to be upfront with him but this was the best I could manage. As the ramp lowered, I got into place behind some crates and readied the blaster.

Yadek strolled up first looking confident. Behind him two Pantechnians I’d never seen before carried a bound and gagged Shka. By the look of it they’d left the body of their comrade behind. I waited like a compressed spring until the ramp raised and opened fire on the lackeys. I’d like to say I was a great shot and hit them with the first two shots, but I’d be lying to you if I did.

The first shot went wide and struck the inner hull of the cargo bay. Both the lackeys and Yadek panicked and tried to dive behind the sparse cargo in the ship. The second shot took out one of their knees, before a third got him in the throat. I managed to hit the second lackey several times in the back as he ran to the control panel to open the ramp. In a few short seconds only Yadek, Shka, who was still unconscious, and myself were left alive.

I threw the blaster away from Yadek and myself. “I think we need to talk.”

“I tried to save you,” he said as he looked around in shock. “You could have been a made man. I trusted you and this is how you repay me?”

“I never agreed to be a terrorist Yadek. All I wanted was to smuggle food for you.”

He laughed, “You really thought all those packages were just Tarkellian herbs?” The look on my face must have given him the answer he was looking for. “You’re more of a simp than I thought.”

The words stung, and I didn’t hide it. “So I’ve been helping your terrorist plot this entire time?” It was my fault all those people were dead. The realization was like a punch in the gut mixed with a cold shower. I was just as guilty as miss sadist and Yadek. Not knowing wasn’t an excuse.

Yadek came out from behind the crate. There was genuine sorrow behind his eyes. “Garul, I wanted things to be different. You could have had anything you wanted. Human slaves, your own farming colony, riches, glory. You could have been a war hero. Instead you’re just a pathetic casualty.”

Before he finished speaking he had launched himself at me. He took me by surprise and we went rolling. He wound up on top and rained fists upon my skull like a hail storm. I panicked. There was nothing I could do from this position. I wasn’t a trained fighter or a grappler. I was barely proficient with a blaster. Violence wasn’t in my repertoire.

I tried to counter by punching his sides but he blocked me with ease and eventually managed to pin my arms beneath his legs. There was nothing I could do but scream in pain and hope the military got to us in time. Hope seemed lost. A fading light doomed to cease as soon as I lost consciousness. The world spun faster with each blow. Desperate I tried to lift my legs to kick up at Yadek and knock him off balance. It just wasn’t happening. I was too out of shape to have much of any effect on him. At best I imagine I looked like a near dead fish flopping as the last of its life drained away. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for lights out. In that brief moment everything seemed to slow. I saw something stir in the ship. My vision strained to make it out but each blow made it difficult to focus. Then came a miracle.

Clop. Clop. Clop. Came the unsteady cadence of heavy footsteps. Yadek didn’t notice it until it was too late. Shka tackled Yadek with a flying hop. For a solid moment as Shka began to pummel Yadek I thought this was it. We had it. Shka was going to be fine. His people would be fine. We had Yadek cornered and it would all be over soon. But life isn’t fair.

By the time I staggered to my feet and the world to stopped spinning Shka was running out of gas. He sagged over Yadek who had curled into the fetal position covering his face. Yadek seemed terrified, but the terror was dissipating as each frenzied blow struck weaker and weaker. Shka sagged wheezing and collapsed to one side. His breathing slowed to a ragged gurgle and then stopped. There was a sudden exhale and his body went limp.

Yadek’s laugh almost paralyzed me. A low sickening cackle. One that seemed victorious. My stomach roiled in rage and I forced my self to stand with sturdier legs. This maniac wasn’t getting away with this. I looked from the blaster laying where I had discarded it on the ground to Yadek who was beginning to stand. I could get the device and end him now. It was tempting. Then I looked back at Shka and thought about what had happened to his people. If I killed Yadek we’d lose our only lead on his sponsors.

“You’ll pay for this, Yadek,” I said.

He charged not giving me time to think. I knew I couldn’t run. Shka wasn't dead yet but he would be if I didn’t end this soon. There was not way I could beat Yadek in a fair fight, but maybe I could use his momentum against him.

I quaked as he approached. It was my body’s natural reaction to the fear and adrenaline. I wanted to run, and my heart wanted to explode. Instead I stood my ground until the last second before he leapt at me with his fist extended and then I folded. I let everything go and fell to my knees before him. He never saw it coming. His knees connected with my face knocking me near senseless and his body tumbled over me. In an almost instinctive gesture I grabbed him around his knees and turned my body so he’d slam against the ground beneath me. His body thudded below me with a large exhale of air. At best I only had seconds before he'd recover. I crawled atop him as quick as my tired body would allow and secured his arms beneath me.

Panic spread across his face, and for a moment I hesitated. I didn’t want to hurt this man. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

“We could have killed them all you know,” Yadek said. “All of this could have been ours.”

I sighed too tired to muster more anger, “That’s not our way. We’re supposed to defend others, use our technology to uplift the lesser races.”

Yadek laughed. “You think what we’re doing is uplifting them? We’re enslaving them to our technology. Look at the wonders of this planet. The plant and animal life. The wondrous clouds in the sky. Rivers and lakes. The moon on a clear winter night as the northern lights flow like a river of ghosts across the sky. On a planet with a shell around it none of this exists, and yet it could all be ours." He sobbed with choking gasps.

I didn’t have time for this. He might have been right. He might have been wrong. All I knew for certain was a man was dying or already dead and this conversation wouldn’t bring me any closer to saving him. I whispered an apology and bludgeoned him unconscious with my fists.

I ran to Shka and checked his breathing, hoping against hope he had some shallow breath left in him. There was nothing. I checked his pulse. It took me several moments to find it because it was so weak, but it was there. My heart almost jumped out of my chest with joy. He wasn’t dead yet, but I had limited time to act. I rolled him over onto his back and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

“Don’t you die on me,” I half yelled as I pumped his chest. “You’ve got family counting on you.” I pinched his nose and forced air through his mouth. “We’ve almost made it through this Shka. Don’t fail on me now.”

He coughed. I remembered seeing all those humans coughing up blood earlier, and him coughing some up at the sacred site. If he started that now I’d have gotten his lungs functioning again only to drown him. I rolled him over onto his side as the coughing worsened and a flood of blood poured forth onto the floor. He paled further. Things weren't good. He needed immediate medical care.

There was a sudden commotion outside the ship and the dock opened. Before I could comprehend what was going on a female Pantechnian voice spoke from behind me, “On the ground everyone place your hands behind your head.”

I obliged to avoid the risk of getting blastered into oblivion. “The human, he’s dying. He needs medical attention. A blood transfusion and immediate oxygen.”

I couldn’t see the woman’s reaction. For a few moments I was terrified they wouldn’t save him. Panic arced through me. What if some of the military were on Yadek’s side? I began weeping. “Please, don’t leave him here.”

The next few moments seemed to last an eternity. I watched Shka coughing like a macabre side show. Foot steps, maybe a dozen or more approached. Several Pantechnian soldiers gathered around Shka and rolled him onto a stretcher. Relief washed over me for a moment until cuffs clicked over my wrists and I was dragged to my feet.

All around the ship bustled with movement. Soldiers searched and ransacked every nook, corner, and crate. Yadek was escorted out. It was chaos, but it was finally over one way or another.

“Eyes over here,” the woman’s voice snapped.

I obeyed. She wore a military grade power suit complete with self targeting lasers which were all pointed at me. There was no room to play around here or make mistakes. I had the distinct feeling one wrong word would result in my summary execution.

“Good, you’re not a complete idiot after all.” She punched me in the stomach knocking the wind from me and sending me to my knees. “I should arrest you, smuggler.” The words came out with a seething toxicity. “I should but I’m under orders to escort you back for questioning. They’re hailing you a hero for what you did here today.”

I nodded, afraid that any word I said would be cause for another strike.

She looked down at me approvingly. “I’m glad we have this understanding.” She clamped a chained manacle around my throat and roughly pulled me to a containment cell for transport.