Above the image, and written in Hyben with letters standing two meters tall, were the words: “This is YOUR Enemy. This creature will destroy your homes, your families, your way of life. Beware the Human Savage. Join the Juirean cause today and save your worlds. Signing advance available.”
Poul swallowed hard, staring at the image. He could not understand Juirean logic; an image such as this did nothing to firm his resolve. Rather, it only made him question his decision to come here in the first place. After all, the Hyben were more pacifists than warriors. In fact, if it wasn’t for the dire financial condition he was in, Poul would have left the hall that moment and returned to the safety and security of his chamber, far beneath the warm, red soil of his homeworld.
Poul glanced around the room, noticing a number of additional tables set up where members from a dozen different species were all seated before Hyben bureaucrats, each busily entering data into computer terminals. Very few of the occupants in the hall were being turned away; it appeared the Juireans were taking all comers. Poul looked up at the menacing image again and then back at the tables where recruits were being enlisted. By now, he was only a few creatures from the Juireans, so it was now or never. If he was going to change his mind, it would have to be soon…
The two hooded figures in front of him moved up to the Juirean table.
“State your name and race,” one of the Juireans commanded, without looking up.
The taller of the beings spoke first. “I have a question: Do you allow mating pairs to enlist together?”
The Juirean glanced up. “That depends. Does your mate have any skills that would be of value?”
The female stepped a little closer to the table. “Yes,” she stated. “I have skills.” She then reached up and pulled the hood back from her head, revealing a cascade of long yellow hair. “I’m very good at killing Juirean scum — like you!”
In a flash, the female had produced a half-meter long double-edged sword. She displayed it momentarily before the widening eyes of the five Juireans seated at the table, and then with a push of a button on the hilt, the sword expanded out to a full meter in length. And then with a flick of her wrist, she sent the shiny blade in the direction of the Juirean who had been speaking; an instant later his head was separated from his neck, tumbling sideways to the floor.
Before the others could react, the female had severed the head of the Juirean to her right, while the other hooded creature produced a blade of his own, decapitating the other three Juirean Guards in a single, fluid motion of his sword.
Poul was sprayed with Juirean blood and he stood in shocked disbelief until he was shoved out of the way by a surge of bodyguards, all rushing forward to pile upon the two assassins. Poul fell back into the line of waiting recruits, starting a cascade of tumbling bodies that continued through at least twenty or more of the beings behind him.
Through his panic and confusion, Poul could now see two large piles of bodyguards, completely subduing the killers. But then a blood-covered blade suddenly shot out of the back of one of the guards; it quickly receded, only to appear a breath later out of the back of another of the guards. In the meantime, one of the massive guards in the other pile went flying into the air and landed face up in front of Poul. The guard’s eyes were closed, and although Poul could see no wounds, he instinctively knew the creature was dead.
And then the two assassins exploded out of the piles of now-dead guards, standing with fierce, wild looks in their eyes, blood dripping down their faces and staining their clothing. As Poul lay on the bed of creatures who had fallen with him, he looked at the face of the male assassin, and then at the image looming behind him on the wall. Except for the lack of horns and fangs, the creature standing before him was a Human!
The stampede had begun, and Poul struggled to regain his feet and make his way to the exit. Yet before he could, the female Human shot past him at an unbelievable speed, crashing through the panicked crowd to place her back against the double exit doors, preventing any in the room from escaping. The Human male then jumped effortlessly to the top of the table, where only moments before the five Juireans had sat. He threw off his blood-soaked cloak, and swung a Xan-Fi flash rifle from around his back. He lifted the deadly weapon in his hands and sent a bolt into the ceiling.
Almost instantly, the room became deathly quiet, as all eyes fell upon the Human. Holding the flash rifle as he did, the image of the savage Human killer was now complete. This was the enemy — and the enemy was right here, on Poul’s own planet!
The Human waved the rifle to his left. “All of you move to this side of the room — hurry!” But then the creature pointed the barrel of the rifle directly at him. “All except you.”
Poul nearly fainted, and his nin-arms began to click and quiver uncontrollably. He used his mid-arms to place the nins in his pockets, just to still them, and then rose weakly to his feet. The Human was still staring at him.
“You seem like a peaceful creature,” the Human said to him. “Why do you want to fight against us? Our war is with the Juireans, not you.”
Poul was surprised that words could still emanate from his throat, even though they cracked as they did so. “I don’t want to fight you. I just need the credits to support my pod.”
The creature nodded at him. “I can understand that.” Then the Human looked behind the table and down at the boxes of Juirean credits sitting on the floor, the source of the signing advance most of the recruits were to receive that evening. He turned to address the room.
“My name is Adam Cain: remember that, you will be asked. We Humans are at war with the Juireans because they came to our homeworld and killed over a billion of our people. We were no threat to them, yet they attacked us anyway, purely out of fear and evil intent. But you can be assured that we will not rest until every last Juirean is dead. You can join them — and die. Or you can remain neutral, and you will not be harmed. The choice is yours.” Then the creature looked down at Poul. “Come here,” he commanded, as he jumped off the back of the table.
Poul did as he was told. The Human bent down and scooped up a large handful of credits from one of the boxes. He reached across the table and began to stuff the chips into a pocket of Poul’s robe. The blood-strained creature repeated the process three more times, until Poul’s pockets were bulging with easily a year or two worth of income! His heart was pounding, and he was growing light-headed.
“All of you in this room will receive a share of the credits the Juireans brought with them. Use them as best you can. When Humans win this war — and we will — trade will not be restricted among the worlds, nor will we horde the secrets of technology. You will be allowed to start businesses and to prosper as never before.” The Human — Adam Cain was his name — looked again at Poul. “You only have to fear us if you join the Juireans. If not, then we will leave you in peace. Now you, come over here and start passing out these credits for as long as they last.”
And then the Human winked an eye at him. Poul was at a lost as to the meaning associated with the gesture, but he sensed that he and the blood-soaked beast had just shared a moment, a connection of some sort. Yet a heartbeat later, the creature was gone, dashing from the hall, with the female close behind.