‘Atshnegjir: Rebirth

            M’Schan scowled.  So this was the officer who was terrified.  He hadn’t thought anything could shock or frighten a Tracker, but there he stood, and the sight of the fear in his eyes unsettled the senior officer.  “Tell me, Garqar, where have you stored this thing?” he asked in a businesslike tone.

            “It is in a storage bay on one of the troop transports, ti.”  At m’Schan’s puzzled frown, zh’Reh hastened to add, “It was considered necessary, sir.  The object was underground, and the building that it was housed in was structurally compromised.  It collapsed soon after we removed the last of it.”

“I see.”  M’Schan took a deep breath and started toward the distant transport assembly point.  The colonel fell in beside him as the general asked, “Why do they have you watching it?  It’s hardly a job for the Trackers.”

The colonel looked unhappy.  “Aka, the commander of the planetary garrison felt that it was important that nothing happen to it before you and your team have had a chance to evaluate it.”

“Sensible.  Very well, lead on.”

            The transport was one of the larger variety, a huge triangular lifting body capable of dropping an entire division, equipment and all.  Still, the material’s bulk nearly filled the transport’s cargo area.  Derleen m’Schan looked at it, then started to remove his uniform tunic, folding the dark-brown uniform with its stark red Intelligence stripe carefully before handing it to an aide.  “Is this all of it?”

“Yes, sir,” zh’Reh said.  M’Schan gestured with his tail and a technician pressed a small sensor kit into his hand.  “Let’s take a look at it, then,” he said. 

Garqar zh’Reh and several junior officers watched for the better part of three cycles as General m’Schan and his team climbed over the object, poking their noses into service hatchways and carefully examining every detail.  Twice a small knot of technicians gathered around specific points, argued heatedly, and scrawled notes onto their computer notepads.  “Aka, ti?  Well, sir?  What do you think?” Zh’Reh asked as m’Schan left the object and walked back to him.

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