Tisis

Cowardly assault (N)

After we are done talking, we return to the bridge, where a breathless messenger is already waiting.

"Jor Lushomagans! I bring urgent news!" he spouts the instant he spots my father, racing towards him.

And while I still wonder why he seems to be in such a hurry and what he might be hiding behind his back, my father has already drawn a hidden projectile weapon and fires it into the leg of the man.

He howls out in pain as he crashes to the ground.
The knife, he had been carrying, slides over the floor and stops right before us.

While I still try to comprehend what's happening, the security forces swarm in.

"Are you alright, Jor Lushomagans?!" the head of the security asks.
"Do I look alright?! What is the meaning of this?!"
"My sincerest apologies, Jor, I..."
"You have exactly one task, Jor Tram'Lagsen and that is to keep things like this from happening! How did he pass the screening?!"
"He...he claimed to possess crucial information regarding..."
"And that is why you didn't search him?! Imagine if he had brought something more dangerous than a mere knife! A gun! An explosive! He could have taken out the entire bridge!"

The leader of the security forces bows deeply to express how sorry he was, but this is strange.

For as long as I can remember, I have never been searched when visiting my father.
I never felt that we were in any sort of danger either.

"Jor Lushomagans, if I may..." I speak up, while my father still scolds the leader as if he were just a child.
He stops and looks up at me a little surprised.
"Yes, Jom Lushomagans?"
"My apologies, Jor...but I cannot remember getting searched before either. Does...this kind of thing happen often?"
My father sighs, lowers his head and responds, "No. In fact, it has never happened before. Not in all my years."

"To tell the truth, when Jor Lushomagans approached me to act as a backup to the automatic security system, I thought him to be paranoid...a fatal mistake. I...cannot even begin to express how terribly sorry I am."

My father sighs again, shakes his head and responds, "No...I should have been more honest with you. All of you."

He addresses the entire bridge, "We, the people of Asmodeus, the crew of this ship, are in terrible danger. Our own brethren are betraying us. This incident is definite proof of that. And that is why I declare a state of emergency, effective as of right now."

Muttering and murmuring go through the bridge, while the crew members contemplate, whether my father is actually serious.

I don't think I can remember a state of emergency ever being declared before.

My father walks to his seat, sits down and sends out a broadcast that echoes in the minds of everyone.

"Attention all crew. We are in a state of emergency, effective immediately. Access to the ship systems will be restricted to the absolute minimum required for you to perform your tasks. Until further notice, the humans are to be kept in their cells. Please approach your block leaders for further instructions. By the grace of Garkla, we will overcome this crisis soon."

Immediately the channel is overloaded with chatter, but it abruptly dies, as I lose access to the ship communication system.

"Jom Lushomagans..." my father suddenly addresses me.

"Yes, fa...Jor?"

"I would like to ask you to return to your block now. Your people will require your guidance. May Garkla protect you...my child."

"Yes, father," I nod and turn towards the door.

I just hope that my father has done the right thing.

But then again, this assault has proven how determined these traitors truly are.

May Garkla help us overcome this crisis.