#resistance sergeant nacal tarstar

[elsajeni]

I sent you a request for a tinyfic about nacal tarstar the salt licker and forgot to include a setting/situation/etc, so could you do something like how he and his archaeology interns got recruited to the resistance?

“Yes, it’s remarkable!” he enthuses – he knows he ought to be more circumspect, these government inspections have seemed less and less friendly recently, but the find is still so fresh it’s hard to contain himself. “A burial chamber of this scale, and totally undisturbed – we never expected anything like it!”

The inspector leans further into the doorway, his gaze scanning across the chamber’s contents – the dust is thick, but here and there there’s a glint of reflected light that suggests treasures. “And this is the primary reason you’ve applied for the additional permits?”

Nacal nods. “Our original permits allow for a small-scale excavation – that’s what we thought we had here, a few square meters to search for potsherds and that sort of thing. Given the size of this chamber, and the potential historical value of the artifacts inside, we’re looking at a very different project.”

“Of course.” The inspector makes a note on his datapad, then looks back up at Nacal. “I’d be happy to expedite your application, Dr. Tarstar – I’ll issue a temporary permit so you can go ahead and start work, and the final permit should be issued within the week.”

“Well, thank you,” Nacal says, a little surprised – maybe whatever’s been going on in the Commission on Cultural Resources has been sorted out?

“One additional condition you’ll have to deal with – anything taken out of this site becomes property of the sector government. You’re welcome to stay on-planet and study any artifacts for as long as you maintain valid permits, of course, but once your research is finished, they’ll have to be turned over. I’m sure you’ll understand – as you said, given the potential value of these artifacts.“ The inspector gives him a thin smile and holds out the datapad. “Sign, please.”

Nacal hesitates; he isn’t exactly filled with confidence in the sector government. “When you say value–”

The inspector laughs. “You said it yourself, professor – they may have immense historical value. I’d guess that most of them will find a home in one of our planetary museums.”

“Of course,” Nacal says, a little embarrassed even to have asked, and signs on the datapad.

Four weeks later, one of his graduate students calls him over to her Holonet terminal. “Look at this,” she says, pointing. “I was looking for similar finds, and I got this news article about this gambler who just bought–”

“That’s one of the figurines from the first grave!” Nacal jabs a finger at the screen. “That’s supposed to be – that belongs in a museum! Those thieves!”

Eight weeks after that, Nacal, six graduate students, and three unusually daring undergrads are holed up in an abandoned mining complex on one of the system’s moons, their stolen ship’s hold full of technically-also-stolen artifacts, when they manage to pick up the faint signal of a Resistance broadcast…

[elsajeni]

I want a tinyfic on Nacal Tarstar, the space archaeologist

“Hey, Professor Varrone,” one of the undergrads calls excitedly from the sifter tray, “I think we got something here. It’s really small, but…”

Varrone hands the borrowed trowel she’s been gesturing with back to its owner and crosses the dig site. “This little thing?” she asks, pointing into the sieve, and picks it up when the undergrad nods. “Pretty thin. What do you think it is?”

“Looks like ceramic to me.” The student leans over, traces one fingernail very lightly across the fragment. “See how it’s got these two black lines running straight across it? Looks like decoration, right?”

“Could be,” Varrone allows. “Or could just be a bit of sedimentary rock with some darker strata. Hard to be sure just by looking.”

The student sags a little. “Oh. Well… how can you be sure, then?”

Varrone spreads her mandibles in the way she knows humans read as a smile. “The good news is, there’s an easy test. Well, easy for you, anyway – works for humans, not for Verpine.” She offers him the fragment back. “Lick it.”

The undergrad gapes at her. “What?”

“Lick it. Ceramic is porous; I’m told it’ll feel like it’s sticking to your tongue. It’s not perfect – bone or some porous stones will stick, too – but it’s a good first test.”

“You can just… lick artifacts?”

“As your professor, I am giving you official permission to lick the artifact.”

The student takes the little fragment from her, raises it to his mouth, and very cautiously extends his tongue to lick it.

“Well, Mr. Tarstar,” she says, making the mandible-smile again, “what’s the verdict?”

Nacal sighs. “Nothing. Just a little chunk of rock, I guess.” Then he brightens and adds, “But I did learn something really cool.”

(tagging @copperbadge - I thought you might like to know that Nacal is out here in the wild getting fic requested about him)