Seas of the Red Star

by Andrew Gates

  “Look at me, Russell.”

  He looked back up.

  “You have no reason to apologize,” Ellen said, firmly. “You did an amazing job. You stood up for your friends. You ran into battle for what you believed in. I’m proud of you.”

  “You are?” he asked.

  “I am.” Ellen nodded. “And I know your crew will be proud of you too. What you did was brave and noble.”

  “Thank you, Corporal Ellen Milsen,” the boy said back. His face gleamed with pride.

  “Please, just call me Ellen.” She released herself from his grip and patted the boy on the back.

  Ellen smiled. For a moment, she forgot about her injuries and pain. She stared at the boy as he walked away, joining the rest of his friends. There was something about that boy that made her feel a special kinship, as if he were her own son. She could not explain it, but she knew it was real.

  “Captain on deck!” one of the sea scorgers suddenly shouted. He pointed to the staircase leading down, prompting Ellen and Dave to turn and face it.

  Captain Azzorro and Quartermaster Briggs made their way down the stairs. As always, the captain seemed to hobble with each step. The sea scorgers all stood quiet and motionless as he entered. Even the Navy men, following the sea scorgers’ lead, also fell silent.

  Captain Azzorro’s eyes met Ellen and Dave almost immediately.

  “Well, well, ‘twas a cloudless day when our paths first crossed. Fate should have us meet again on a day such as this,” the captain said as he pointed to Ellen and Dave. He made his way over to them with Briggs at his side.

  “Captain,” Ellen greeted.

  “Sir,” Dave said.

  “What brings the two of you to the enemy ship today? You were not part of my boarding parties.”

  “It’s a long story, sir,” Ellen replied, knowing she had to choose her words carefully. She did not want to reveal the Governor’s secrets. “What you should know is that we are with you.”

  “I suppose I have you two to thank for this sudden surrender?” Captain Azzorro asked.

  “For that, you’ll have to speak with the commodore,” Ellen replied, motioning to Commodore Yasso, who now made his way down the steps with guards on either side.

  Everyone in the room turned to face the commodore as he entered.

  “Yes,” Azzorro said, spinning around. “Commodore Yasso greeted me when I arrived, though he did not give reasons for the surrender.”

  “I wanted to wait, Captain Azzorro,” the commodore explained as he made his way to Captain Azzorro. “That is, I wanted to wait until we were in the presence of these two.” The commodore motioned to Ellen and Dave.

  “So they do have something to do with it,” Captain Azzorro said.

  “They are divine,” Commodore Yasso explained. “I have seen it myself. The woman, Corporal Ellen Milsen, dove before a barrage of bullets and lived to tell the tale. We cannot not go against the will of people of such abilities. If these godly sorcerers wish for your people to live, I must comply.”

  “You are struck by awe,” Captain Azzorro noted. He chuckled. Ellen remembered that Captain Azzorro was the only one here who knew the truth about them both.

  “Awestruck, yes, you could say that,” Commodore Yasso agreed. “As much as your kind disgusts me, you wretched pirates, I will lay down my arms today.”

  “Today? Am I to take it this is a temporary parlay?”

  “A secret parlay,” Yasso clarified. “My sailors will agree not to tell the Governor what they have seen today. As far as the Governor will know, we claimed victory in this battle. The sea scorgers were defeated.”

  “That is a noble sacrifice to make,” Captain Azzorro said. There was a tone of surprise in his voice. “To go against the Governor could mean death.”

  “I know this, but these two are just as divine as he. I did not see it before, but I see it now,” Yasso replied, motioning to Ellen and Dave again. “If it is their will, I shall disobey him. The will of two is greater than the will of one.”

  “I thank you,” Captain Azzorro said. He held out his hand. Commodore Yasso shook it.

  “You may wish to lay low for a while,” the commodore replied. “For both our sakes.”

  “I have no choice. With the destruction you have caused, our ships will need extensive repairs. It will be weeks, even months, until we can sail again.”

  “I am sorry I can offer you no aid in your recovery.”

  “None is needed. Your parlay is enough. We are sea scorgers. We are strong.”

  “Stronger than I ever imagined,” Commodore Yasso agreed. “You are worthy adversaries.”

  “You should be glad this was not a fair fight. Your steel ships could hardly be considered a match.”

  “We shall see about that, Captain Azzorro. Don’t think this little peace gathering today makes us friends. Momentarily, we are not enemies. That is all.”

  “I understand.”

  “Until next time, Captain.”

  “Until next time, Commodore.”

  Return to Brown Sanctum

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 02.13.5673

  Locatoin: North Docks, Brown Sanctum, Taspansa, The Governor’s Dominion

  Ellen walked across the docks with ease, keeping her back straight and head up. Each step came with little to no pain. It was a miracle. After days of slow recovery, it seemed she was finally her old self again.

  Nanotech, what a wonderful thing, Yuri said.

  Can you believe there was a time people lived without nanotech? Ellen replied.

  You mean like everyone on this planet?

  Yeah, like that.

  You’re lucky. Nanotech wasn’t really built to do the kind of things it did to heal you. We pushed it to the limit there.

  Luck has been both kind and brutal to us since this whole trip began. If you recall, it was luck that got us stuck here in stasis.

  True, but if you recall, it was luck that your insane jump-in-front-of-bullets trick worked.

  True.

  Wind and rain blew against her face as Ellen made her way across the north docks of Brown Sanctum. Dave walked a few steps to her left, keeping pace. Steel Victory, the ship they had grown to call home, stood tall behind them. Most of the crewmen were still aboard, save for Commodore Yasso and a few guards who had gone on ahead to see the Governor.

  The Navy fleet was slowly returning to Brown Sanctum. Ships had been arriving all day, some heavily damaged from battle. It had been an exciting day on the island. Ellen had watched the action unfold from the ship.

  Dave slowly inched closer to Ellen and leaned close as they walked along. His breath was repulsive.

  “Think the commodore will hold up his end of the bargain?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, do you think he will sell us out?”

  “No,” Ellen replied, confidently shaking her head. “He thinks us divine. I genuinely believe he wants to help us.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “He could have destroyed the sea scorgers if he wanted to, but he let them go. If the Governor finds out what he did, Commodore Yasso’s career will be over, maybe even his life. He risked everything to let the sea scorgers go. Even the Navy men have his back. They all believe that you and I are, well, gods. Trust me, he’s not going to turn around and sell us out now.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Dave said.

  A familiar man approached as they walked along the docks. Ellen recalled this man to be named Igred, the same man who had escorted them to the Governor when they first arrived on this island weeks ago. He was just as clean-shaven and well-groomed as Ellen remembered. Like last time, four guards stood at his back.

  “Igred,” Ellen greeted. She and Dave stopped and stood still before him.

  “Corporal Ellen Milsen, David Cutter,” the man replied. He eyed them up, curiously. “I am to take you to the Governor. He is expecting you.”

  “Lead the way,”
Ellen replied, motioning onward.

  They approached the end of the dock as a group and stepped onto a muddy path. Like last time, two more guards stood on the dirt. They nodded to them as they passed by.

  The uphill walk through the foliage was calming. Cascading brown leaves and vines hung above her head. Animals darted back and forth through the plants. It was a true jungle here. They walked in silence, allowing Ellen to take in the beauty of the nature around her.

  After several minutes, Ellen and the others finally reached the Governor’s manor at the top of the hill. Sentries stood at various points around it, motionless.

  “Please, follow me inside,” Igred said, walking to the main door.

  “We know the drill,” added Dave.

  “Drill?” Igred repeated.

  “Never mind. Forget it.”

  The group made their way through the deep red wooden doors of the manor, once again taking the plunge into a world centuries older. Two handmaidens greeted them inside. Ellen and Dave were promptly passed off to them and the women escorted them upstairs to the Governor’s quarters.

  “Are you ready?” Ellen asked Dave as they stood before the door.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied.

  Ellen took a deep breath as the women opened the door for them. Ellen and Dave promptly stepped into the room. The Governor stood ready, garbed in his regal attire, with Commodore Yasso at his side.

  “Ah, the heroes themselves, come in, come in!” the Governor said, waving them in. A smile lit up his face. His tone sounded genuine. It seemed he did not suspect a thing.

  Ellen and Dave walked to the Governor’s desk as the women closed the door behind them.

  “Sit, please,” he said, motioning to two free chairs.

  “Hello again, sir,” Ellen greeted as she sat down. She tried to remain calm. The last thing she wanted to do was blow this whole thing by acting nervous.

  “Hi,” added Dave. Ellen shot him a quick glance, then looked back to their host.

  The Governor walked around to the front of his desk and sat on it. He lifted a cup of brown liquid from atop the table and held it high.

  “To the Navy!” he said before taking a long drink and slamming it back down on the table top.

  “You should be proud,” Ellen said.

  “Proud? You can bet I am proud. I cannot tell you how long I have wished to rid the world of those lawless thieves and murderers. Their death makes my dominion that much safer.”

  “And more profitable for you,” Ellen noted.

  “Indeed,” he agreed. “But that profit is to be shared with those who deserve rewards. Take the two of you, for example. Commodore Yasso informs me that you handled the cannons well, reloading and firing on your own more efficiently than entire cannon crews.”

  “We did our best to help,” Ellen said.

  “I also hear you engaged in hand to hand combat with the enemy boarders. For that, I thank you both.”

  Ellen simply nodded back. Dave remained quiet and still.

  “Although you never got the chance to lead a ground assault against the enemy, it is clear to me that your actions were nevertheless useful. As far as I am concerned, you have upheld your end of the bargain. For that, you shall be rewarded.” The Governor turned to face the commodore. “If you would leave us, please.”

  Commodore Yasso nodded and slowly exited the room. Once gone, with the doors secured behind him, the Governor let out a bellowing laugh and took another sip of his drink. He practically fell off the table.

  “You two are amazing!” he said, drastically changing tone. “I wish I could keep you around for good.”

  “Unfortunately, we had a deal,” Ellen said, keeping her tone stern.

  “Right, right, we did,” the Governor replied. He calmed down and hopped down from the table. “You want to know how I can get you off Taspansa.”

  “That’s right,” Ellen confirmed.

  “I have a ship, FTLT capable. You can take it home to Thrace in a matter of 43 days.”

  “That would be perfect. Thank you.”

  “Do not thank me yet. It’s not as easy as that.”

  “But we had a deal!” Ellen wanted to stand up from the chair, but restrained herself and remained seated. Now was not the time for powerplays.

  “We have a deal, yes. Trust me, Corporal Ellen Milsen, I am not about to go back on my deal. I may lie to my people, but I always keep my promises. I was taught at an early age that honor comes before all else.”

  “Then what is the complication?”

  “The complication, you see, is in accessing the ship. It will not be easy.”

  “How do we find this ship?” Ellen asked.

  “I do not have it with me, for I keep all my technology far from this place.”

  “So I’ve noticed,” Ellen replied. “There’s no ATG access here, no technology of any kind.”

  “I’ve stockpiled my technology and hidden it on the dark side of the planet, on an island far larger than this. Nobody knows the route but me and none can see in the dark without the enhanced vision that I have. All who once helped me move my cargo to the island are long dead. These days, I make the trip once a year for rejuvs and to learn news from the stars.”

  “That’s where your ship is?” Ellen asked.

  “Several ships, actually. But you will only be taking one. The others are to remain behind,” he said.

  “Easy enough to leave a few ships,” Dave added.

  “How will we get to this island?” Ellen wondered.

  The Governor walked back to his desk and opened a drawer. He rummaged through a few things for a moment and eventually pulled out a papyrus map. He walked back over and handed it to Ellen.

  “This map can take you there. I will give you a single boat and enough food to last the journey. That is all. With your enhanced vision, you should have no trouble seeing through the darkness. Once on the island, you will also need to know the codeword, Taurus.”

  We have to do this whole thing ourselves, Yuri said, disappointedly. How come I thought this would be easy?

  Nothing is ever easy with us, Ellen replied.

  True.

  “When you get back to your world, I trust my identity will be kept a secret. Nobody can know that I am here. I have enough enemies in the old world,” the Governor explained.

  “I understand,” Ellen said.

  “Yes, of course,” added Dave.

  “Know that if someone comes looking for me here, anyone at all, I will hold the two of you responsible and I will come for you. I have many resources and I am not the type of person you want to make your enemy.” The Governor’s tone was stern.

  “I understand,” Ellen repeated.

  Dave remained silent, but nodded.

  “Good. Then I bid you farewell. This will be our last encounter. Thank you again for what you have done.”

  “I am glad that your seas are safe,” Ellen said.

  “The journey to the dark island will take time. The fastest I have ever made the trip was three weeks. May you encounter good fortune on your long journey.”

  “Thank you, sir, for everything.” Ellen stood up and shook his hand.

  Dave followed her lead and did the same.

  “Goodbye, Ryan,” Ellen said.

  “Goodbye, Ellen, Dave, Yuri, Gloria.”

  With those words, the two pilots turned and exited the room. Ellen held tightly onto the map.

  Finally, they were going home.

  Where the Sun Never Shines

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 02.25.5673

  Location: Windborn, Edge of the Light Band, Taspansa, The Governor’s Dominion

  Vexa Prime crawled down the horizon like a memory slowly forgotten. The farther Ellen and Dave sailed from the light side of the planet, the more the red tint of Vexa Prime seemed to fade away. Over the last few days, the sun had changed from red to yellow to white. It was nearly out of sight now, with just a sliver poking through a
bove the horizon. The temperature had already dropped significantly.

  I’m altering your eyes again on my end, Yuri said as Ellen’s vision slowly changed to let in more light.

  Thanks, Ellen replied as she chewed on a hard biscuit the Governor’s men called tack. It tasted repulsive, but it saved well and filled her stomach.

  Dave slowly rolled over in the boat and yawned. He lifted his arms above his head and opened his eyes.

  “Hey,” Ellen said to him as he awoke.

  “Hey,” Dave replied as he sat up. He looked around. He wiped some rainwater from his eyes. “Wow, it’s getting darker.”

  “It is.”

  “How’s our course?”

  “Steady,” Ellen answered. “Winds stayed the same while you were asleep.”

  “Have you checked the sails lately?”

  “Sails are fine,” Ellen confirmed.

  I can verify that both the structural integrity and general positioning of the sails are as they should be, Yuri said, trying to put an end to Dave’s worry.

  “Good, good,” he said, nodding.

  Want me to adjust your eyes too? Gloria asked.

  “Uh, yeah, go for it,” Dave said. He stood up on the deck of the small centreboard sailboat and stretched his legs.

  There was minimal space to move around on the small boat the Governor had given them. At best, the boat could fit two full-sized Taspansans, which meant it could fit about three people of Ellen and Dave’s stature. Most of that extra room was used to store supplies.

  The rain was steady, but not particularly powerful. Ellen or Dave had to rid the boat of water with a bucket every hour or so, but were never overwhelmed. The task was easy, so long as someone remembered to do it.

  Both Ellen and Dave had grown used to falling asleep in the rain. For the longest time, Ellen did not believe it was even possible, but she learned how to do it soon enough.

  The stranded pilots had now been on the open ocean for 12 days straight. Without the daily cycle of daytime and night, the entire journey seemed like one long day passing by in slow motion. It was almost painful to endure. But whenever Ellen worried, she remembered what awaited her at the end of the trip.