Free Solbidyum Wars Saga 6: Defeat of the Tottalax by Dale C. Musser

progress they hit the button immediately.  Everyone not wearing a protected Trooper’s helmet was knocked out instantly.  It’s a shame, too, because the senators on the mezzanine didn’t get to see everyone go down, as they were knocked out also, but we got it all on a vid recording if they want to see it.”
    “How long has it been?”  I asked while my pulse pounded in my head.
    “About forty minutes,” he said.  “I rushed here from the DUSTEN with five squads of troopers as soon as I got word.”
    “Are any of the other senators awake?”  I asked.
    “No sir,” you’re the first to wake up, but I see two of them that seem to be waking now.”
    “How bad was Senator Sipollie’s wound?”
    “He got a really nasty hole blown in his shoulder.  It's going to take a while for it to heal, and he’s not going to be very happy, I suspect.”  Marranalis replied.
    “I take it we are still at the prison in the infirmary?”  I asked.
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Was there more than one man involved in the attack?” I asked.
    “Yes sir, it looks from the vids as though there were five men involved and they all began to move as the first man was shooting guards.  They were all heading for guns as the sleep ray hit them.”
    “How did they manage to get the first one to begin with?”  I asked.
    “As the last guard passed the table one of the men stood up quickly and punched the guard at the base of his neck just under the helmet lip.  It was enough to render him unconscious instantly.  In fact, he may be in a neck brace for a while.  The sleep suppressors in the helmets of the guards kept them from being knocked out with everyone else when the Tottalax sleep weapon was initiated, by a guard on the mezzanine.  You should have had some yourself, sir.  Everyone in the prison was knocked out except for helmeted troopers.  Most of the prison is still asleep.”
    “Marranalis, see if you can find me a meeting room here large enough to hold all the senators.  After they all are awake I want them all brought to the room, including Senator Sipollie.  I don’t give a damn how much pain he’s in.  I hate to say this, Marranalis, but I’m glad that asshole got hit.”
    “Right, sir,” Marranalis said with a slight grin.
    It was nearly an hour before the senators were all well enough to make it to the meeting.  Many continued to be nauseated, and Sipollie was definitely hurting, and since he was not accustomed to pain, I am sure he felt much worse than most might in the same situation.  As soon as everyone was assembled in the seats in what was more like a small theater than a conference room, I stepped onto the podium.
    “Senators, I apologize that your tour was cut short, however, if any of you wish to resume with the tour, we will gladly oblige you.  We don’t wish for any of you to feel we are hiding or covering up anything, and the stars forbid that we may be misleading you as to conditions here.  So if you wish to continue on the tour, or to see anything we may have missed, please raise your hands.”  I heard several moans around the room, but I saw no hands.
    “How about you, Senator Sipollie, I know you had specific concerns, I realize you can’t raise your arm very well, but I will be most happy to take you back to the group hall so you can meet with, and talk to, any Brotherhood members there you wish to speak to.  As you have seen we are prepared to handle violent situations there, albeit with some minor injuries from time to time.”
    “Are you kidding me?  Sipollie spat,  “Those animals need to be killed.  They're vermin trash.”
    “Oh come now, Senator, after all those are men down there, not animals .”  I said, tossing his own words from earlier back at him.  Sipollie started to open his mouth to reply, then realized I was using his own words and he closed it again, as he slumped down in his seat with a wince of pain.
    “So now you see what we are up against,” I said.