Dear Diary,

  I'm just trying not to scream. Making sure that the littles don't panic is hard, a lot of them are already distraught. It involved a lot of hugging, and a lot of assurances that the grown-ups will bring Yoiv back. I can't help but wonder if they can, but at the same time I know Daddy and Greg will keep their word. It's strange.

  Yaig took what Sneaky said to heart, and has been trying to project confidence and distract everyone who hasn't already broken down into tears. He's doing a good job, and a movie marathon was a good call. It gives the upset kids a chance to slip out and find me.

  It's strange to see all of the grown-ups going armed all of the time, even Mom is wearing a pistol. It's... I don't know. I feel like something was lost on this station. Something I can't describe, but it hurts that it's gone.

  When Daddy, Uncle Yaem and Greg came back, he was so cold, so mechanical. There's this feel around Greg, and the other men too, but more so with Greg. A dark feeling. I want my brothers back.

  Log: 6000001.0.12, Personal, Captain Yormdrill

  I am furious. I'm so furious I can hardly think. Void take this entire station! Station security just barely managed to do something useful by allowing us to view security footage of the kidnapping. The Chrin's antennae were drooping with fatigue and her carapace was dull from a lack of grooming, but whatever they were doing it wasn't getting my son back. Busy with all kinds of crimes, since the influx of people had caused the criminal element to swell so much so quickly that station security was overwhelmed. As to that, other Star Sailors were going about under arms. Nearly forgotten treaties and traditions had been evoked for the first time in decades, maybe centuries, and we are restoring order. Trade requires security in our persons and property, our way of life depends on trade and safe passage. If the local government is incapable of providing it, we will do it ourselves.

  We knew who the perpetrator was, and roughly the level of the station where his last known residence is, but station security says the records on that level are spotty at best. Dereliction of duty. Well, we traveled to roughly the area he and the criminal gang he operates with are reputed to be. It was cramped, crowded, litter strewn, and poorly maintained. The kind of place that has an infection left untreated too long. Far too long, as the residents were eager, eager to beg succor from anybody with even a passing resemblance to an authority. I commed back to the ship to ask Trevdi to see what she could do about sending a team down this far. This was not well for them, to be forced to live with the dagger of crime on their backs, but well for our purpose. It was well because it made finding the criminal scum easier.

  Gregory took the lead. I was too furious to think straight, and I think Yaemdrill was too. Gregory's fury had a cold focus to it. "The very first thing we need to do is convince them that the leverage they have is necessary for them to stay alive," he explained with the calm of iced over seas, "this will give us time to discover where they're keeping him, and to rescue him by making them too frightened to harm him." I could sense the barely contained violence as he questioned children whether they'd seen the reptile with shimmering blue scales and large eyes, the elderly whether they'd seen a Star Sailor child being taken against his will, the beggars whether they know where the gangsters like to brag about their misdeeds. I was happy to translate their answers for him. Most people didn't know very much, but bit by bit, we closed in on his lair.

  I had almost expected Gregory to fly into an uncontrollable rage upon sight of the kidnapper, and if he could understand what he was saying, perhaps he would have. He was bragging about leaving my sister-in-law welted and bruised, and about "dragging the brat away." He was openly flaunting his vileness. I told Gregory the generalities of it.

  Gregory handed me his rifle before he walked up behind him and said, "You must be a great fighter, then." His voice was soft, soft like a the safety clicking off on my and my brother's rifles..

  "He agrees with you, he says he's the best on the station," I translated.

  "The best on the station," he replied mockingly, "you must be a pretty big deal. A right and proper boss."

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  "He agrees again. He suggests you learn a little respect if you know what's good for you."

  "So teach me."

  "He is confused."

  "Teach me respect, oh great fighter." The scum began to insult Gregory, and I didn't bother translating. He was already driving his fist into the criminal's midsection. He lifted the waste of biomass with the blow and let him crash to the floor to gasp for breath with his already large eyes bulging. "I thought you were the best fighter on this station. Get up and show me." Gregory let him struggle to his feet, then easily stepped aside to avoid being raked by his claws. The kidnapper was sent sprawling to the floor clutching his thigh where Gregory had driven his knee. "Get up. Show me," he repeated with a voice absolutely dripping with contempt.

  The gangers, five of them, looked like they were going to flee, so Yaemdrill and I leveled our rifles at them. "He says he's going to rip your fingers off. The rest of you sit and watch. This is a lesson."

  "Come and take them," Gregory said, and the worthless excuse for a man spun to go for a tail strike. Gregory caught it and gave it an almighty yank, first in one direction, then in the other. The criminal did not change direction with his tail. It's rare to see a Jecau detach their tail, and it was less impressive than seeing one being beaten about the head with the amputated appendage. After Gregory had beaten the filth down to the floor, he tossed the wriggling appendage aside and planted a knee between his shoulder blades and asked softly, "Is a real fight just a little more difficult than beating a woman from behind and kidnapping a toddler?"

  "My implant just says that's a string of profanity."

  "You said something about ripping off, oh yes," there was a sickening crunch, a howl of pain, and Gregory tossed aside a clawed finger saying, "seven left. Answer the question."

  He screamed his answer and I translated, "He says yes, it was more difficult."

  "Where is the boy?"

  "He claims ignorance."

  The scum screamed, and Gregory said, "Six."

  "Now he's saying he took Yoivdrill to a planetary shuttle. Handed him over to one of the gang's bosses."

  "What shuttle?"

  "He claims ignorance again." Another gut wrenching crunch, another yowling of agony, and the story changed again, "A company shuttle. Shuttles by Green. Probably a pun that works in the local language."

  "See? Now that wasn't so difficult was it?" The criminal just sobbed into the ground until Gregory reminded him politely, "Five."

  He began scrabbling against the floor, smearing blood from the ruined stumps of his fingers, and I translated what came through his desperate cries, "He says no, it wasn't so hard. He's begging you to let him go."

  "Well, scumbag. Since you were so helpful, you get to live. Lucky you! But there's just one problem, do you know what it is?"

  "He's begging you to please let him go, he won't be a problem, he's sorry, the rest. He's calling for his mother to come save him."

  "Well, your poor mother raised a fool. See, the problem is you touched my little brother. I need to make sure you never do that again."

  His sobbing turned to desperate squeals, "He's very insistent that he'll never kidnap anybody ever again."

  Greg grabbed one of the scrabbling forearms by the wrist and said, "No, you won't. You'll be incapable of getting a grip." Then there was another howl of pain as Gregory ripped his thumb off. Then, he repeated the process on the other side. "Now, one more thing. That barrister who hired you, I want you to scuttle over to him and tell him that if even the boy's braid is disheveled, I will make him envy you."

  "The rest of you, tell all of your friends what you've learned," Yaemdrill snarled.

  Dear Hero Logary,

  The bad guys are easy to hide from.

  They think I am hiding in one spot.

  That is how you get caught.

  There were other kids in a room with a latch on the outside of the door.

  I let them out and we went out of the building.

  There are nice people outside helping us hide from the bad guys.

  They do not like the bad guys because they steal from them and hurt them lots.

  I told the other kids that SnEAky is coming because he is a hero.

  Some of them do not believe me.

  It is okay, because they are wrong and SNeakY will save them anyway.

  Mission Log: 2. Date: 1/6/1. Name: Gregory George

  Mission: Station rescue

  Status change: Planetary rescue

  Mission objectives:

  Rescue Linus from unknown hostiles connected to a shady lawyer

  --Linus located on planet

  --Shuttle company name determined: Shuttle by Green

  Eliminate or neutralize all hostiles

  --One hostile neutralized nonlethally

  Teach the criminal elements a lesson

  --One example provided

  Mission parameters:

  Minimize collateral casualties

  Minimize collateral property damage

  Evade detection by station security

  Minimize station damage

  Protect allies

  Potential Action Plan:

  Build squad of two fire teams

  Place Pops and Uncle as fire team leaders

  Interrogate shuttle company to get landing location

  Question locals for information on gang

  Locate location where Linus is being held

  Assess possible exfiltration options

  Observations irrelevant to mission:

  Hostile neutralized was GEF. GEF CQC capabilities low (preliminary). GEF integrated into criminal gang with multiple species, this indicates societal integration. Hostile contact unlikely.