Chapter 19: New mission

The days passed. The team soon fell into a routine, sleeping, eating, gym exercises, spending free time using the entertainment available in the lounge and of course loads of sex. One evening they all were on one couch watching a movie. Troy sat at one end and Kurt sat at the other. Kathy sat with her arm around Kurt and head resting on his shoulder. Suzie as usual was sprawled across all three. Her head nestled in Troy's lap, her butt pressed against Kathy's thigh and her legs rested on Kathy and Kurt's laps. She was teasing Troy by rubbing her hand up and down his inner thigh and feeling his reaction growing hard against her cheek.

Shelia interrupted the movie and announced, "You have been given a mission. Our ship is underway at this time and soon we will be above the planet Noogal. This planet is infested with Brocals a meat eating plant/creature. It grows from a type of tree, and upon reaching maturity, is detached to become one of these plant/creatures. The tree must be feed human blood for nourishment. There is a dwindling tribe of humans on this planet that are being used for that nourishment. Your mission is to rescue them. They will be moved to a new planet. I will download the coordinates for a teleport location to that new planet to your map crystals. The leader of this tribe is named Zed and his mate, the queen is Laura. These two are critical to the survival of this tribe. Gather your weapons and when you are prepared join hands in a circle. I will teleport you to the surface. They donned their weapons and material packs and checked to see if they had forgotten anything; then they joined hands in a circle.

"Shelia, we are ready," Troy spoke to the air.

There was a flash and the next moment they found themselves in a dense, humid, and hot jungle. "It's times like these that make me long for the deserts of New Mexico. I'm already sweating and I haven't even started to move," Troy sighed.

"I hear you Troy. I miss the dry heat of Tucson," Kurt added.

"Poor babies!" Suzie said in mock sympathy and then laughed.

Kathy touched her navel crystal and locating their destination on the halo map turned in that direction. She addressed the two men saying, "Stop whining, and start walking in that direction," She pointed and laughed.

They trudged through the jungle in silence, soon moisture from the leaves and vines and their sweat combined to make all soaked to the bone. They crept up to a clearing and peering from the concealment of vines and bushes saw a gathering of human men and women. There was perhaps a dozen of each sex.

"This must be the small tribe we are here to save," Troy commented in a whisper to the others, "It is indeed small. I guess I will show myself and break the ice. I hope the translator is working because I don't understand a word they are saying right now. You three stay here in concealment." He crept away and when he was some distance from them, he walked into the clearing with his hands raised.

Three men noticed him and grabbing spears, walked menacingly toward him. The gibberish they spoke to each other soon began to make sense to him and he haltingly in their language encouraged them to talk more. The translator program continued to work and before long, he found himself able to speak the language. "I need to speak to Zed," He said.

"Zed is not here," the man in the middle, said.

"Then I need to speak to Laura or who ever is in charge." Troy continued.

"That is me," The same man in the middle said, "I am Zole."

"I have come to deliver you to safety and away from the Brocals," Troy addressed to Zole.

Zole grinned and said, "Why should we believe you. How can one man accomplish this?"

Racking his brain Troy told them, "I am not alone others are nearby and we all have great powers. Do not be alarmed I will demonstrate," saying that, he quickly transformed into the green and black cat and then back to human before he was attacked.

The eyes of the men grew wide with disbelief and then they threw themselves to their knees pressing their heads to the ground.

As she watched with the others from their hiding place Suzie commented, "Will you look at that. They think Troy is some fucking god or something, and we all know he may be good looking but he is certainly no god," She chuckled quietly.

"Get up from your knees," Troy said, "We must talk."

The men rose and Zole spoke to one of the men next to him. This man turned and jogged over to converse with the rest of the tribe. After hearing what he had to say they also fell to their knees. Troy instructed them to get up and after further conversation with Zole Troy motioned for the rest of the team to join him. The tribe gathered around them. Troy, not wanting to try and explain a transporter and planets to them simply said that he would use magic to put them in a different place far away from the Brocals.

This seemed to satisfy them and soon they had gathered all their meager belongings and assembled for the short trek to the transporter location.

"Looks like this is going to be a pretty simple mission," said Kurt as they reached the transporter point and the tribe began to gather in a group.

Troy asked Zole what had happened to Zed and Laura thinking they must have been killed by the Brocals. "They have been captured and will give their blood to the Brocals tree of life on the next full moon." Zole told them two sleeps from now.

"Let me get this straight," Kathy jumped in, "They are still alive?"

"Yes now, but soon no," said Zole, "They will be tied to the tree of life, and their throats will be slit so that their blood will soak the ground and nourish it."

"Where is this tree of life?" Troy asked.

Zole pointed and said, "That way, two days march from here in the village of the Brocals."

"Shelia we have the tribe assembled, time to transport," Troy spoke to the air in English.