Operation Phoenix: MAUL's Road Trip, Part III

        by Most Holy, mostholy@nextsrv.cas.muohio.edu

        [Today is your day to die], the X'hirjq put into Most Holy's mind.

        The G-Team was surrounded, without hope of escape, on a sidewalk
in Chicago, by twenty- count 'em, twenty- X'hirjq soldiers. They had 
walked into an ambush, stupidly and blindly, that was set for them days 
ago. The trip here was too easy; there was little resistance to their
progress. Why did they not guess that something was amiss?  It was 
pointless to debate, as now they were going to die.

        An indignant Most Holy spoke: "Today is a good day to die. We
will have died in glory, trying to stop your kind from taking over."

        [You will not yet die. We have uses for you. However, you may
watch as your friends die.]

        The largest X'hirjq gave an order, and five of the lizard-like
soldiers took hold of Most Holy and shackled him, standing guard over him 
as the remaining fifteen attacked the G-Team. Un Holy was the first to
react, surprisingly, and fired her weapon at one of the enemies- it had 
no effect, and she turned and ran: right into another X'hirjq, who 
sidestepped her and planted a well-placed kick into the small of her back 
as she ran by. Thus winded, she tried one last time to do some damage to 
the soldier above her with her automatic. It was futile, the X'hirjq 
grabbed her pistol arm and broke it. She cried out as a second soldier 
and then a third approached. She knew she was going to die, she was 
hardly concious even now, but as the X'hirjq prepared to break her neck 
she pulled one last surprise. Unnoticed to the aliens, she grabbed a 
grenade from her left pocket and struggled with the pin- finally it came 
out and her last act as the grenade fell was to look her killer in the 
eye and laugh.

        The three X'hirjq were preparing to kill her when the 
grenade went off. The first X'hirjq had his legs torn off, the second and 
third were badly wounded but still in fighing shape. As the first X'hirjq 
incinerated himself with the metallic device, the other two grunded, 
kicked the body, and headed towards Most Holy and his gaurds. They 
replaced two of the gaurds, who then entered the battle.

        Not Holy was busy with problems of his own. He faced five 
X'hirjq, all heavily armed and apparently not even taking him seriously. 
They spread out, Not Holy held his ground. They approached slowly, Not 
Holy loaded his 30.06. They had him surrounded, Not Holy aimed. They 
encroached, Not Holy fired, hitting one right through the leg. He dropped 
down, the remaining four still comming on. Not Holy dropped the weapon, drew 
his knife. He was held now by raw anger, felt the need to tear flesh with 
his hands. The X'hirjq had killed his friend, his fellow soldier, and he 
wanted nothing more than to kill. The first X'hirjq, thinking Not Holy 
not a threat, clawed his face; Not Holy leaped and attacked the X'hirjq's 
face with the knife, a Ka-Bar, holding on with his left hand and stabbing 
with his right- to no effect. The blade broke, as a second X'hirjq pulled 
him off and held him back. The first soldier, indignant and insulted, 
began to pumell Not holy in the stomach. He continued past the point 
where the young human died of internal injuries. The entire group of five 
X'hirjq, realizing the human was dead, searched the body, looking for 
anyhting of interest, and then turned to assist their cohorts in the 
removal of the remaining two human warriors.

        Half Holy had seen all this in his peripheral vision, but could 
do nothing at the moment. He and Quite Holy turned to face the 
encroaching soldiers without expression, loaded up their side-by-sides, 
embraced, and awaited imminent death. "Not, however, without a fight," 
Half Holy whispered to Quite Holy as they prepared to meet the infinite.

        Most Holy had of course witnessed all this but could do nothing. 
He struggled, kicked, spat and cursed, but could not break free. He was held 
to his position, to witness now the death of Half and Quite Holy, who he 
now noticed were apparently romantically interested in each other.

        The soldiers began to approach. Half and Quite Holy aimed their
shotguns at the approaching group of X'hirjq but did not fire. They 
waited until one was five feet away, and both aimed for its eyes. It 
worked, the X'hirjq fell back in pain, but as it was holding the same device 
they saw the other X'hirjq use, the remaining thirteen were upon them. 
Apparently it was in excruciating pain, but there were more pertinent 
issues for the couple to think about.  Like the two X'hirjq who grabbed Half 
Holy in his moment of distraction. One held his arms back, one grabbed his 
neck. Quite Holy fired off the remaining blasts from her shotgun, to no effect. 
Half Holy began turning a sickening purple as two more X'hirjq did the 
same to her. 

        Then the X'hirjq who held her screamed, released her, and knelt.

        [You are pregnant.] Entered Quite Holy's mind.

        "What?? Like hell, you-"

        [You are bearing a 43rd-moonrise-old child in your uterus; You are
pregnant and we therefore may not kill you. On behalf of the X'hirjq Clan
X'uul'hzijq'o, we apologize. My psionic ability senses a discontinuity in 
your DNA, namely that of another life-form. I have read it's mind, it is 
homo sapien. It is healthy. It was unharmed.] The X'hirjq rose from his 
kneeling position.

        "Ex-fucking-scuse me, what the hell do you mean? You found it
perfectly damn alright to kill my friends, what the-"

        [We will not harm the future generations of any species, we will
not taint the innocent with the evil of war. The child in your womb 
represents the greatest hope of your people. We will not be the 
instruments that destroy it.]

        Half Holy spoke up now: "How innocent were my friends you just
killed, eh?"

        [You will die soon; You are 'male' and have no worth to us, as you
are without child, and an enemy.]

        "Hey, wait, listen," Quite Holy went on, "he's necesary to the 
process of raising the kid. You can't kill him."

        [We can and will; there is nothing more to be discussed here.]

        "Look. I can garauntee you that the child is by him. I won't
raise it alone. You kill him and you kill this child. You kill this child 
and you've just destroyed a completely innocent life. You do that and you 
have no honor whatso-fucking-ever."
        Quite Holy had correctly gauged this group of X'hirjq. Honor was
very important to them- though not of prime import, it was to be upheld 
if possible. Quite Holy played on this as she tried to save her boyfriend 
and the life within her.

        The X'hirjq were silent. Then a smaller one spoke up, in language
none of the Humans present could understand, and it appeared as though 
the entire contingent was engaged in a philosophical debate. They held 
supreme advantage, so they could afford it- the weaker species weren't
going anywhere.
 
        Finally, the large X'hirjq entered the following into the mind of
Quite Holy:

        [You are wise among your people, and do your race credit. What we
do in this war is for strict reasons, with specific goals. We are a 
warrior people, and our clan value forethought above all else; We have 
therefore given thought to this issue.

        [We see that you are not a warrior people. We do not know what
you are, but we know what you are not. We have taken your leader to 
question him and answer these questions, that we may better know you, and 
more efficiently kill you.. 

        [You have stated your case well, with determination and strength. We
will therefore release you both so that you may take up the duties of birthing.
Your leader we shall take, as he bears no child. He will not survive the 
ensuing days. ]

        The X'hirjq then gave a deep-throated cry and the Half Holy was
dropped on the ground. The group of thirteen left Quite and Half Holy in a 
strong embrace as they rejoined their five companions, who still held 
Most Holy.

        [You, leader of humans, shall answer our questions shortly,] the 
X'hirjq leader entered into Most holy's mind. He gave an order and the 
five soldiers gaurding him marched him away.


To be continued in Part IV...


All material copyrighted by the original author.