by James Martin
“I think you have a natural talent. Did you shoot while on Earth?”
“Never.”
“Never—?”
She nodded.
“Impressive, I think you’ll be dual wielding in no time.”
“You can dual wield?”
He nodded, his words had an extra punch of excitement. He never got to talk about blasters with anyone. “It’s a low recoil device. Once you get the hang of it with both hands, you can start practicing with one hand, then start dual wielding. I mean, did you feel much of a punch there?”
She thought this over. “No. Not really. Cool. I didn’t see you dual wield on his ship—”
“I know when I should.”
“What do you mean?”
“You get this false sense of bravado when you dual wield, like you’re invincible. It’s why you don’t see people doing it, because most of them die. They forget the basics. Cover. Peek out. Measure your shot. Strike. If one of those starts to suffer, you’re as good as dead.”
“I see. . . so when do you do it?”
“When I got nothing on the mind, not a damn thing.”
Lauren scoffed. “When’s that?”
He snorted. “You got that right. It’s been a while. . .”
“Let’s go again.”
She fired a few more shots, hitting the bulls-eye each time. “We’ll get you a second blaster when we have some down time. This one’s yours. Take good care of it.”
She moved the blaster around, appreciating it from all angles. “Really?” In a weird way, it felt like her father gifting her the telescope all those years ago. She would cherish this blaster.
“Absolutely. You’re the best shot we have. Well. . . second to me.”
They both laughed. He continued, “I’m going to make us some food. Are you good?”
“Yeah, I’m good. I’d like to continue this and practice a few hours a day, to keep me busy.”
He smirked. “I think you and Astraos have that covered.” She scrunched her face. “All right, I’ll drop it.” She lifted her eyebrows, grinned and shrugged. He realized she was jerking him around. I like that. “Hmph, I’ll need to get more targets and have Kat automate some things. This is going to be great.” In-between missions, he would set up this particular room in the bay. The target was a haggard dark circle with the bulls-eye drawn with chalk. They moved the barrels of oil to the side to keep them from blowing up the place; although, he thought, I bet I could keep the oil right next to the target and never have to worry. She’s a damn good shot. I can’t wait for tomorrow. . . His mind trailed off to a vision he had for the area with multiple targets, spring action ones, others flying by in different directions. He smacked his lips at the wonderful prospects. His hands shook, giddy with excitement, he thought, finally someone taking blasters seriously.
Nate was about to leave her in the practice room when she put her hand on his bicep and turned him slightly. “Nate. . .”
“Yes?”
“I’ve never shot anyone before.”
He saw the graveness in her statement. His response was fluid because it had been told to him long ago. “Don’t think about life and death. Think about taking the best shot. That’s all you can do when you’re out there.”
“Got it.” She walked away and went back to practicing.
Nate reflected on the memory. That old fox always knew best.
Part Three
The End Game
Galactic Calendar - 1258790 - Feels Like Fall Is Approaching
Nate said, “Is that a fucking checkpoint?”
Everyone was at the bridge. Lauren came with Astraos to see the warp gate and enjoy a star’s brilliant blue glow nearby. Macellus and Nate were navigating. Kat was finishing up a repair. And Pilox was attempting to escape Jaziel’s grasp, and she of course, hung on for tender life to the only male aboard that would have her.
Macellus said, “What do you want me to do, captain?”
Nate said, “Kat, can you tell what type of ship that is?”
She placed a hand on his shoulder and peered over his head. “Come on, Nate, those are the brutes of the galaxy.”
“The bastillos?”
“That would be them.”
“Oh hell, I guess we’ll be losing the oil.”
Lauren asked, “Why’s that?”
“They love oil. It is delicacy for them. In fact, they’ll go AWOL with the amount we have.”
Astraos asked, “Wait, if they have a checkpoint here, can they put one up on the warp gate leading to Station XI?”
“No. The Station essentially owns that gate. They have enough security to push that sort of thing out. Plus, a lot of the species there don’t take kindly to forced seizure.”
“Right.”
Kat said, “They’ll take note, though.”
“They will. . . Jaziel, let me see that bio-sig device.” She handed it over, and Nate fiddled with it. “We can get a lock on the floor and someone can tell us where the hell that is. Astraos and Pilox, get down to the bay and let me do the talking.”
“Yeah, because that always goes well.”
“When has it not gone well?”
Astraos rolled his eyes. “Those zealots from Gastro X?”
“Religious fanatics, I can’t help that they were unreasonable with their time table.”
“Uh-huh.”
The bastillos were aboard a class three battlecruiser, situated right in front of the gate. It was designed to be auxiliary firepower for class one and two battlecruisers or used to cover checkpoints when hired by wealthier species who were hunting for something.
Transmission incoming. . .
The screen popped up and a yeti-type species appeared, white fur blanketed the creature’s chest and surrounded its face, framing a scrunched up brown nose and wide frog-like lips. The bastillos were goofy looking in terms of appearance. They were ten feet tall and all muscle with arms that were long enough to reach their gargantuan feet—their appendages were as thick as the bole of a tree. The bastillo said, “We take you in.”
Transmission ended.
Nate scratched his head. “I think, I know what to do.”
Astraos said, “Why wouldn’t they take our barrels of oil and leave us dry?”
“Watch and learn, buddy.”
Astraos guffawed. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
They waited and waited and waited for the bastillos, an hour passed and nothing happened. The bastillos were notorious for their indolent pace. Right as Astraos was about to get something to eat, they heard a knock on the bay doors that sounded like an avalanche. Nate cringed at what dents would lie outside.
“Open it up, Mariah.”
The doors opened to a squad of bastillos. They entered and fanned out, two to each side, and one approached with a gray belt that signified the rank of captain.
Nate said with arms open, “Greetings.”
“You are the ones we bring back to people who pay?”
“You got that wrong, sir.”
The bastillos on the sides stomped their feet and pounded their chests.
“You say I wrong?”
Nate backpedaled while Astraos darted him an ‘I told you so’ look. “No. No. I am giving you a reward.”
The captain looked around at his men and barreled his fists on his chest. “Reward?”
Nate nodded, attempting to mimic their broken vocabulary. “Yes. You found us. Now you get reward and take to Station XI.”
The captain looked to the others who shrugged. “We are to bring to—”
“Katros.”
The captain nodded.
“We are here to give reward.”
Astraos whispered in Nate’s ear, “Tell them, I said that they can have all the oil.”
Nate whispered back, “I got it, don’t mess up my sure thing.”
The captain made some more noises and pounded his chest; the rest of his men followed suite. There were few languages in the galaxy that Gizmo’s
Universal Translator could not translate, bastillos being one of them.
“Your reward is barrels of oil.”
“Oil?”
Astraos leaned in, whispered, “It is in recognition of his squadron’s service and only for them.”
Nate darted an eye, but in all honesty, that sounds like a pretty-damn-good idea.
“My employer says you get all the oil.”
“All?”
Nate spread his arms once again. “All the oil. But only for you and your squad. We reward your honor.”
The captain said some more incomprehensible things then grunted.
Nate was always a gambler, no matter how high the stakes were. “We meet katros by Station XI. You escort us, and we’ll leave once through gate. This our secret or reward has to be shared.”
Clamor came from the bastillos on the side, the captain bellowed and stomped, silence reigned in; he snarled and exposed his teeth which were almost as big as Nate’s head.
A loud noise accompanied the cacophony that came from the captain’s mouth, indistinguishable to Nate, Pilox, and Astraos until they realized it was a rambunctious belly laugh and the sound echoed through the bay as the rest of the bastillos joined in.
The captain walked up and showed the palm of his hand. Nate looked to Astraos who nudged with his head in the motion of ‘shake his damn hand.’
Nate walked up and put his hand on top of the captain’s and was immediately launched up and flung onto his shoulders.
The captain said, “We celebrate. Job well done.”
Astraos turned to Pilox. “Let them grab you and throw you on their shoulders. It is in the sake of honor.”
Pilox said, “As you wish, my prince.”
They were snatched up to the same effect. The bastillos began their celebration of victory, hopping and dancing around while clapping, shaking and dangling one leg high in the air.
After fifteen minutes of dancing, they set the them down, and the bastillos’ captain did a series of grunts while pounding on his chest. The youngest of his squad went to inform the rest to go through the gate and make no mention of their passengers.
Nate said to no one in particular, “See. No problem.”
“Don’t get cocky,” came Kat’s voice from above.
“We’re getting a free ride.”
“So I heard.”
“Oh?”
“Mariah showed us what was going on. She was able to translate some of what they said too.”
“And?”
“The captain thought of eating you a few times but didn’t want to risk his reward.”
“Works for me.”
The bastillos each drank a barrel before they began to load the rest. They labeled it, ‘Not Oil’ to trick their comrades. The crew got a kick out of that.
∞∞∞∞∞∞
The crew disembarked to what Mariah described as the bastillos singing, but sounded more like howling that pierced everyone’s ear drums to the point of almost rupturing them. Once they were sailing free to Station XI, everyone onboard Mariah did a sharp exhale.
Astraos said, “Close.”
Nate said, “Not too close.”
“Can you land us on Docking Station 1500s-A-SEC38-QDC?”
Macellus said, “Of course.”
Nate asked, “Got something in mind?”
Astraos said, “Yeah, I do. I left a ship down there.”
“You did?” Nate remembered what Wooshuda said about him, procuring a ship to Earth on The Station and that meant him taking something to get to there in the first place. But for it still to be there. . .? There was a story Astraos hadn’t told him yet. He would get it out of him later.
“Well, long story short, a friend ended up with it but he may have not had the time to unload it, or at least, not scrap everything.”
A crackling light dawned on Nate. “The drive—”
“Exactly.”
“I hate to burst your bubbles, boys.” They both looked at Kat, who was leaning on the side of the gunner’s panel on the bridge, arms crossed. “Warp drives come in all different sizes and shapes.”
Astraos’s enthusiasm seeped out of his voice. “Worth a shot, right?”
“Yeah, worth a shot.”
Nate said, “Kat and Astraos will check out the ship he left. Macellus—”
“I’ll stay with the ship,” he said in a bitter monotone.
“Don’t be so sour.”
“How can I not be, captain? Station XI is a wet dream—”
“Next time.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. I’ll have Mariah ready and purring.”
Lauren giggled and Kat joined her.
I do not care for the implications made.
They all laughed to that.
∞∞∞∞∞∞
They docked close to the wave transporters at Docking Station 1502-A-SEC38-QDC.
Lauren turned Astraos around, reached up, grabbed him by the back of the neck and intensely kissed him.
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Don’t let Nate get you into any trouble.”
“Hey! I resent that.”
Kat spun Nate around. “Oh hush.” She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him too; and although, Nate was confounded, he reciprocated.
“What was that—?”
She pressed a finger to his lips. “Take it and run, solider.”
Lauren grabbed Nate and pulled him toward the bay. “Come along, before you say something stupid.”
“Hey! I resent that too.”
∞∞∞∞∞∞
Kat said, “Let me grab a few tools before we go.”
“Sure thing.” She left, then Astraos grabbed the backside of Macellus’ chair and said, “How ‘bout that? They finally kissed.”
Macellus nodded. “I’ve seen jitos move faster.”
“Get out the squares. Who had today?”
“Oh, right.”
He pulled out a piece of paper labeled: Nate and Kat. Each member of the crew besides Nate and Kat—obviously—had bought squares. There was also a bet on the first time they would sleep together.
“Let’s see. . .” He scanned the piece of paper. He chuckled. “Lauren got it.”
“You think she had insider information? She just entered—”
“You’re going to accuse your newly minted mate of cheating?”
“Probably not a good idea.”
“A terrible one. Also if anyone had insider information it was me.”
“Huh?”
Macellus slapped his forehead. “When will I learn?”
“Spill it.”
He sighed. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t.”
“Even Lauren.”
“I can’t promise that.”
“Good because she already knows.”
“Then why did you say that?”
“That’s what people say in this predicament, is it not?”
Astraos hit his forehead, and let his hand slowly run down his face. “You’re incredibly odd. Spill it.”
“The story Nate told us about—”
“What about it?”
“Let me finish.”
Astraos bit his tongue. Macellus always had a knack for uncovering secrets and explicit details by overhearing conversations at the perfect moment. Or maybe he just stands around and waits, Astraos thought.
“Lieutenant Vasilla, in his story, was his wife.”
“No shit.”
“Yeah, I was telling Kat that it is obvious once you. . .” He felt a prickle on his back, a sense that there was a disturbance in the energy around him and that he was probably in some sort of trouble. He shut his mouth.
Astraos opened his mouth then closed it. The other unfortunate knack that Macellus had, was that the same people he would overhear, subsequently, overhead him when he was divulging their secrets to others.
Kat said, “No, go on, Macellus. You might as well tell him about your
discovery of hindsight too.”
“I knew I was going to regret this.”
Astraos laughed. “Give him a break. For once, I bet you don’t give a damn.”
Kat grinned. “Yeah. . . I’ll let Macellus off the hook. Who won?”
“Won, what?” Astraos might as well have said, ‘whatever do you mean?’ The reply would’ve been the same: a sarcastic glare from Kat.
She waited, but they remained silent, and so, Kat pursued, “The bet, ass.”
“Macellus, have you ever kept a secret?”
“I try. It never seems to work.”
“Lauren won.”
Kat said, “Nice.”
“Yes, Astraos was going to accuse her of insider information that’s how—”
“Oh, don’t be stupid, what was the pot?”
Astraos said, “A thousand credits.”
“Wow. What’s the first fuck at?”
Astraos and Macellus looked at each other, dismay and horror rode a stallion across their eyes and into their face.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to beat you with a driver.”
Macellus stroked his bald head. “Um. . . three thousand credits.”
“Look at that, gambling on my love life.” She slapped down two hundred credits. “Put that down for the next available square.”
Astraos and Macellus looked at each other, but both declined to comment about her betting on her own sex life.
Macellus said, “I’ll take care of it.”
“You do that.”
Kat walked off. Astraos gave the ‘yikes’ face to Macellus and ran after her. “Wait up. I’m the one who knows where the ship is.”
∞∞∞∞∞∞
Nate held the device up to the concierge. “Where’s the blinking dot at?”
The furry velida concierge took a quick glance, pulled up a map of Station XI and relayed it with the device. “Appears to be in Section D - Bar District.”
Nate slapped the desk. “My kind of place.”
The concierge typed in the coordinates. “Please use the wave transporter in front. Enjoy your stay.”
Lauren nodded. This looks distinctly like an elevator. I like it when these galactic adventures have parallels to what I grew up with. She stepped in and said, “What do you think he or she will look like or be?”
Nate stroked his chin. “I’ve been around this galaxy long enough to know just about every species, but I suppose it could be a species I don’t know about. I think he or she will be my kind of guy or lady, though. Close your eyes.”