OUTCASTS

Shomron read the report that flowed across the flickering holographic display. Standing next to him, Vladimir noticed the look of disgust play across the cheetah's muzzle. Vladimir knew his friend's hatred of injustice. That dislike multiplied when it manifested itself against friends and loved ones.

Three years of fighting repression had taught the Movement many ways to fight back. One of the most effective was to use the lumbering Simian system against itself. The State's databanks were its deity, and were never ever wrong.

Until someone told them the truth.

Shomron's second in command was an advocate by profession, and had become a dataflow specialist by default. Vladimir was an unusual sight among Skiltaire, a simple gray and white. His plain looks became an advantage, as a lonely and rejected youth had found his best friends to be books, and then the crystals, that could store entire libraries and make them portable.

The study of law satisfied his driving thirst for both book learning and the justice so many of his peers had denied him. The Cheetah and the Skiltaire had been quartered together in Gymnasium, and Vladimir's keen mind had been one of the first to counsel the resistance movement.

Now, his passions fused again, as the male Skiltaire had changed from Advocate for the Law to a dataflow pirate for truth and justice.

"Standard Internal Security tripe." Shomron stewed. "Not a dram of truth in it, except they were picked up without papers."

Vladimir moved toward the interface panel. "Not a problem. This we can fix. Now, let me think." As the male Skiltaire spoke, his paws moved over the panel, re-arranging the format of the data that flowed from the interface. "Now." Vlad began as he worked the input. "If two gifted Citizens are having their papers re-issued, they cannot be blamed for not having them. The law says so." Vlad explained.

"I'm glad you are working with us. that's all I can say." Shomron complimented as he watched Vladimir re-work the official version of the truth. In less than a minute, Lollo and Krista became just two more innocent Citizens.

"That should be enough to get them released by morning." Vlad said at last.

"But you know they will be watched for the next week." Shomron reminded his colleague in dataflow-aided justice.

Vlad nodded. "I am counting on it, as a matter of fact." Vlad replied. "Two years in the Procurator's justice division gives you to know how Internal Security thinks." Vladimir added.

"You mean stinks." Shomron corrected.

Vladimir chuckled, and passed on to the next of the hundreds of files he would alter this nite. Within the evening, every Citizen taken in the "Security action" would slip quietly into data proven innocence.

"I'll leave you alone to do what you do, I have some "cases" to attend to myself." Shomron said in parting, flashing an easy smile.

Vladimir looked at the elder Cheetah with a unique concern. The Lanky cat was as fine a specimen of fur bearer as nature could form, and his comparative age had done seemingly little to slow either his swift and strong bipedal body or his mind. But the Skiltaire who was his best friend also knew Shomron's heart and mind. His fame as the second fur bearer to walk on the moon and his family name had earned him a right to the station of ease and inspirational leadership to which many consigned him. Shomron could give orders and have them obeyed without question because of this same respect.

But that same self respect would never let him issue orders that took others into a fight while he sat in safety. So, Shomron did what he had done since they had been students together. He lead by example, and tonite would be no different.

"Have a care, my friend. The Nexis is on alert tonite." Vlad called to Shomron.

"I know. The best place to hide is--"

"In plain sight." Vladimir finished." "But beware, even the stupidest of them has augmented vision equipment." Vladimir warned.

"Yes." reflected Shomron, "They do, don't they?"

Vladimir knew that tone. Shomron had earned his leadership of the resistance with a reputation for innovation and calculated risks. Vladimir had fed the idea factory, and the results showed in Shomron's usual unusual smile as he walked from the room, headed, Vladimir knew, for the armory. Tonite was a raiding nite.

Aurora forced herself to be analytical about the projection she saw before her. It had been so long since that summer of her youth, yet she had never lost her fascination with the stars. "A trinary star system?" She ventured.

Shalimar nodded. "And a Binary beyond that. Each with tens of planets in their systems."

Aurora held her breath for moment. "How far?" she asked, waiting on the crucial answer,

"About fifteen light years." Shalimar told both of them, a touch of regret in his voice. "Beyond anything the State has." He added hopefully.

"And beyond anything we could ever have." Shamir interjected with a note of gloom.

Shalimar nodded vigorously, smiling all the while."Wrong." he replied simply.

Aurora's heart skipped a beat! "You mean we." she stammered, not daring to finish the marvelous chain of thoughts that her mind had formed. It was too much to hope for.

Shalimar looked at both, relishing the shocked surprise on the pair of younger muzzles. "And just what did you suppose I was doing for three years during the day? Weaving baskets?" The elder Lion asked the pair in mock incredulity.

"Never put any of it on the dataflows. Not even a word. They still have no idea. Of course, it's all just a theory, mind you, from the feeble mind of an old collaborator." Shalimar added, dripping sarcastic irony. He watched with visible satisfaction as Shamir choked on his own words, while washing them down with a draft of pure, cold humiliation.

"I began work on the ship design the last year of the old Republic." Shalimar explained. "Maruda thought it was time. No one realized how little time there would be." Shalimar paused, his voice heavy with the pain of bitter memories. He looked at Aurora. "Sorry, my dear." he said in a near whisper.

"Don't be--Don't you dare. I cannot imagine a finer tribute to Grandfather." Aurora said gently.

Shalimar brightened with the memory. "I sent to him about the first phase of the design." Shalimar remembered. "Then, as things got worse and worse, Maruda forbade me to do anymore work, or even to think or send about the idea. He lived in deadly terror of these militaristic morons spreading to other worlds. How right he was." Shalimar reflected.

"They killed him for it, didn't they?" Shamir asked bluntly.

Shalimar could not bring himself to answer. It was Aurora who nodded, slowly, her eyes dark with an awful realization.

"Damn. Damn them all." Shamir spat. Then he locked a riveting gaze on his Father. "Now, for his memory, and for the sake of what he believed, will you help us? Yes or no?"

The great dome of the observatory was silent for a long moment. Then it echoed with the sound of a single spoken word.

"Yes."