Shadows of Golstar

by Terrence Scott

  CHAPTER 26

  Hour by agonizing hour, Owens and Sharné watched the distance between the Holmes and the pursuing Golstar ship slowly increase. Hec monitored the spatial distance closely. An unspoken truce of sorts had been established between Owens and Sharné and they were civilly talking to each other again.

  “I think we’re beyond their weapons’ range now. They haven’t fired on us for over two hours,” Hec reported. “Their acceleration is not as great as I had first estimated. It’s partly due to our erratic maneuvers. Anyway, I think we can all breathe a little easier… or at least you and Sharné can, Boss.”

  Owens gazed at the holo-screen. Nothing is ever what it seems, he thought absently. The mighty Golstar ship chasing them was less than it had first appeared. So far, nothing about Golstar was what it had appeared. His thoughts drifted to Sharné. Was she what she seemed, he wondered, or was there something he was missing? Why was she, an apparent high-ranking government official, assigned to be his liaison? The implication that the mysterious assignment was much more than it first appeared, seemed to grow with each passing hour. Given their current plight, he would put these questions aside, for the time being. But he would certainly pursue them later.

  As he watched the holo-screen, he was mildly surprised to note he was breathing a little easier, as Hec had put it. In fact, he felt almost relaxed and found it strange in light of all that had recently taken place. He wasn’t experiencing that hyper-edginess that usually came over him in life-and-death situations, such as those he had experienced in the past while still on the force.

  He felt nothing he could readily identify. Instead, he felt a kind of curious detachment, as if experiencing their unlikely situation as an outside observer rather than a participant. Perhaps this feeling was simply a result of the accumulation of all that had already happened, a spiritual numbness brought on by the multiple attacks and narrow escapes. He wondered if he could be experiencing some form of battle fatigue.

  Whatever it was, he thought, it was a damn poor time to engage in self-psychoanalysis. He snorted. Screw it; the only thing that mattered at the moment was to see Sharné safely returned to Berralton. And if he could manage it, figure a way to make the bastards responsible for the attacks, pay dearly. With this notion, the more familiar sense of edginess, bordering on anticipation returned. That’s more like it, he thought.

  Minutes passed and the feeling of detachment gradually returned. He knuckled his eyes and yawned hugely. He realized that instead of detachment, what he was likely feeling was a simple case of physical fatigue. He was dead tired and it was affecting his thinking. Even with the medical treatment, he still needed some old-fashioned sleep to recover his edge. And on further consideration, he wagered that he wasn’t the only one who needed some time to recuperate.

  He swiveled in the command chair and looked pointedly at Sharné. Even with their recent truce, little had been said between them in the tense, ensuing hours of the chase. All of their attention had been focused on tracking the pursuing ship. Now looking at Sharné, he saw there were the beginnings of dark circles under her eyes and although she was casually reclined in the crew chair, by her expression, he could see that she was warily alert, staring at the holo-screen with undisguised intensity. She was so focused she didn’t appear to have noticed his obvious scrutiny. He cleared his throat and her eyes slowly turned to his.

  “You okay?” he asked. “Our exit from the Light Saber was pretty traumatic, not to mention exhausting. I can think of better ways to get exercise. Our little run took more out of me than I realized and I can only imagine how you might feel, given the loss of the Saber….” His voice trailed off awkwardly. “Well, I know I should have asked you this earlier, but considering the situation, I admit to being… a little preoccupied. But I’m asking now, do you feel as tired as I do?”

  She looked at Owens and remembered the terrible deteriorating conditions under which he had carried her to safety. She remembered the power in his body as he forced their way through the Saber’s collapsing interior. More importantly, she remembered the strength of his will, as he fought the odds against their survival and won. Although she heard the tiredness in his voice, physically he seemed little worse for wear and this was more amazing, given the extent of the injury he had received during their harrowing escape. But even now, she imagined she could sense the quiet strength that always seemed to reside within him.

  She gave him a small smile, “Given the circumstances and thanks to you, yes, I am quite all right. But like you, I cannot deny I am weary. It was quite an experience and though I wish it otherwise, I know it remains far from over. I wonder whether it will ever end …the running I mean.” She tiredly brushed an errant strand of hair from her eyes.

  Owens nodded, “I know. I’d be the first to agree we’re not out of the woods yet. But in spite of the odds, we’re alive and I’d go as far as to say that our chances have actually improved a little since the attack.”

  “I pray you are right.”

  “I am right. I think it’s obvious our friends behind us relied principally on the element of surprise. With that advantage now gone and owing to our considerable lead, I believe we have a very real chance of getting out of this in one piece.” He grinned, “Besides Hec and I make a pretty formidable team. The mutineers don’t know it yet, but they’re outclassed.”

  “That’s right,” Hec chimed in.

  Sharné’s smile grew, “I cannot disagree. Our continued existence is clear proof of that.” She hesitated. “Your experience in these matters has proven to be an incalculable asset and your actions back on the Light Saber gives me hope that indeed we may yet survive, but…” Her eyes were lured back to the holo-screen and she stared at the red blip of the Golstar ship in dread fascination.

  Trying to pull her attention back away from the holo-screen, he said, “And your performance under fire gives me hope as well,” he said.

  Her eyes turned back to his, “My performance?”

  He nodded, “I just carried you; you were in the driver’s seat. In spite of all that was happening around us, you kept your head throughout the attack and didn’t panic. You were the one who guided us to safety. That was an impressive performance, Sharné. I know veterans back on the force who wouldn’t have acted near as well as you did under similar circumstances.”

  Her attention remained focused on him.

  Encouraged, he went on, “So I want you to know you’re part of the team too. It’s because of your help we’re still alive; you provided the keys to our survival. We all need to contribute if we want to survive.”

  She was struck by the open honesty she found in his handsome face. She could feel a flush rising from her neck. “You are being kind, but I do appreciate the compliment. Of course, I will do my best to help.”

  He shrugged, “Kindness has nothing to do with it; it’s the simple truth.”

  Her smile blossomed and this time her eyes joined in.

  With her smile, he noted that even in her present bedraggled condition, her beauty was not in the least diminished. He stopped, momentarily tongue-tied. He searched for something to say next and the silence stretched. He actually felt self-conscious. He hadn’t experienced that feeling in many years. Her presence was beginning to affect him in ways that he could not afford to think about right then. He would not allow the stirrings of errant feelings intrude on his thinking, talk about lousy timing…

  As he pondered what next to say, another unconnected thought crossed his mind and he quickly grasped at it as a means to break the silence. “Before we were interrupted by the attack, we were going to discuss the reason that brought me here. I’m dam… uh, still very curious to find out about the nature of the situation you wanted my help in investigating.”

  She raised her eyebrows slightly, “Do you want to discuss it now?”

  That was a dumb thing to bring up, he thought. He was starting to ramble. Damn, she really was distracting him a lot more than he had first realiz
ed. “No, with all that’s happened, I think it’s more important that we get something to eat and at least try to catch up on some sleep. I… just wanted you to know I think the explanation, vital as it is, should be put aside for now. For the time being, our focus needs to be on survival.”

  Sharné was a little surprised at his mention of sleep, but said nothing. For some reason, he seemed a little flustered. She stared at him with interest. She saw he noticed her watching him and was amused when he stood up abruptly and almost tripped. She saw the hint of a flush on the back of his neck as he walked purposely over to a panel equipped with a touchpad and small display. He tapped a series of numbers and the panel opened to reveal two tall glasses filled with an amber liquid. He took them and walked back over to where Sharné was sitting and handed her one of the drinks.

  “Here, try this. It provides all the requisite nutrients your body needs and it doesn’t taste half bad either. We can have a real meal later, but right now I think that it’s important to get some sleep as soon as we can.”

  She took a small sip. It tasted like honey and lemon with a subtle overlay of some unfamiliar spice. She smiled at the flavor and began to drink it in earnest. They quickly finished their nutri-drinks and Owens returned the empty glasses to the receptacle.

  As the panel was closing, he turned to her and said, “I know this has been difficult, but we’re still alive. To stay that way, we need to have clear heads, so I was dead serious when I mentioned about getting some sleep. We’re not in any immediate danger; the real danger will come when we reach Selane.”

  “Are you sure…” she began.

  He said, “Look, I know sleep may be the last thing on your mind, but you should at least try. Trust me; I’m certainly going to try.”

  “But how can you think of sleep?” She gestured at the tactical display.

  “Sharné, watching that isn’t going change anything. As I said before, we’re safe for now and it’s a good opportunity get some sleep. It’s been my experience you should try to take advantage of every chance to rest when one presents itself.”

  “You are truly serious?”

  “Absolutely, the more rested we are, the clearer our thinking will be when it comes time to make planet-fall. Clear heads could very well be our only advantage. Look, it may be some time before we get another chance, so we need to try to take advantage of this lull.”

  “I am tired, but I am still not sure that I will be able to sleep.” She looked again toward the holo-screen.

  He nodded, “Believe me, I understand. I know it may not now seem possible, but it’s crucial we be rested and alert for what’s to come, and I would really appreciate it if you would at least make the effort. There are guest quarters on this ship and Hec has already set them up. While not up to the Light Saber’s standards, you should find the bed quite comfortable.”

  He saw that she seemed to be wavering. He went on, “Honestly Sharné, Hec has everything under control. There’s nothing more we can do at the moment. You and I are not really needed here. We’re just observers while Hec does all the real work. He’ll notify us should anything change.”

  He saw that she still seemed to hesitate. He said, “If you find you need something to help you sleep, there are some soothers in the med cabinet in your quarters.”

  She saw the merit in Owens’ reasoning, but remained dubious. How could she sleep with the mutineers still chasing them? As she thought about Owens’ suggestion, she found it interesting that their roles had become reversed, with Owens now being the one in control, directing their actions. After all, she reasoned, it was his ship and he was an ex-police detective. Still, being in the position of Keeper of the Way for so long, she was surprised to note how easily the responsibility in the current situation had shifted. Oddly, she didn’t feel particularly threatened by it, in fact, just the opposite. She felt relief that someone of Owens’ experience and background was responsible for their survival. He was asking her to trust him. Given what he had done to get them this far, how could she not?

  With that thought, she began to unwind a little and allowed the weariness overtake her. She was surprised at how tired she actually felt. She looked into Owens’ eyes and saw both encouragement and reassurance. Her apprehension faded a little further. Maybe she could at least rest if not actually sleep. She finally nodded her assent to Owens. “Truly, I am tired, and yes, I agree that some rest would be welcome. I will accept your suggestion and try to get some sleep.”

  “Good, as I said, I’m going to take my own advice and try to catch a few winks myself.” He then gave her simple directions to the guest suite and they parted, heading for their respective cabins. On entering his quarters and sealing the entry hatch, he walked over to the beverage dispenser and keyed for a beer. He withdrew the foamy mug and took a long pull. He smiled appreciatively at the icy brew and asked, “Is she in her quarters? What’s she doing?”

  “She’s already in bed,” Hec responded, “I think she bought into your argument and took the soother you suggested. It looks to me like she’s started to drift off.”

  “Good. I really wasn’t kidding about getting some sleep; I’m in desperate need of some myself. Running on nerves can only get you so far. You start making mistakes, and in our situation that’s something we can’t afford, but...” Owens’ voice faded. He sat down heavily on the end of his oversized bed, put the beer on the nightstand and began to remove the tight suit.

  Hec prompted, “But?”

  “Oh, sorry,” Owens quickly shed the tight suit and then sitting in his briefs, grabbed the mug and took another swallow. He rubbed his eyes, “I’m really dead on my feet, but before I knock off, I wanted to talk to you without her overhearing. What I have to say would undoubtedly make her uncomfortable, if not outright hostile. That’s something I really don’t want to risk before I’m ready.”

  “Okay, now you’ve got me curious, Boss. What’s it about?”

  “Two categories,” Owens said, “The first being the attack on the Light Saber.”

  “What about it?”

  Well, it seems pretty obvious, given the previous efforts to blow up this ship; the attack on the Saber was just one more attempt to take me out. The only goal the mutineers had in mind was to get rid of me. You might think me egotistical, but I believe that in order to reach that goal, by their twisted logic, they considered the loss of the Saber inconsequential to their plan to get me out of the picture. What do you think?”

  “Well, as farfetched as that sounds, I really can’t disagree,” Hec answered. “I don’t think there’s any question that their aim was to kill you and if that meant destroying the Holmes, and the Saber along with it, so be it. It sure looks like they were taking no chances that you’d survive the attack. When you think about it, like all the other attempts, it was a simple plan but this one had the best chance to succeed. The third attempt could have very well been the charm.”

  “Yeah,” Owens agreed. “As it was, it came pretty damn close to succeeding. But it’s still not over. They might yet succeed.”

  “But what really gets to me is the amount of hardware they’re throwing at us,” Hec said ruefully. “You know that hydraulic press I joked about keeps getting bigger and bigger. What’s next, a fleet? I’d shake my head if I had one.”

  Owens scratched his cheek. “Yeah, that’s part of the bigger mystery, all right. Why are they, whoever they are, willing to expend that amount of hardware and lives just to take a single man out?”

  “Now don’t take offense, but I’ve got to agree with you. What is it that makes you so damn important, Boss? I can’t imagine the cost, as you say in both in money and lives, just to kill a moderately successful private detective.”

  Owens had to chuckle, “Moderately successful? I might argue that, but yeah, that’s another big piece of the puzzle. Money sure doesn’t seem to be an issue with these guys. They seem to think nothing of increasing the firepower after each failure. I for one, am not looking forward to the next
escalation, provided of course that we survive this one.”

  “Hey Boss, at least you got one thing in your favor.”

  “Owens knew what was coming. “Yeah? What’s that?

  “Me!”

  Owens laughed, “You’re right. Without you at the helm, we wouldn’t have made it this far.” He sobered, “But the big question remains; why? What is their motive? Why am I so damned important? Why are they going to all this trouble for just one man? With this last attack, there’s no question in my mind it has nothing to do with any of my past cases. No, with this attack, it has to be related solely with the Golstar case, whatever in the hell that might be. And after the Keeper of the Way’s little nap, I hope I have a chance to explore that subject in a little more depth.”

  Hec noted that Owens had stressed Sharné’s official title and said, “Well, I admit I’m more than a little curious about this case myself. I just hope our lucky streak continues long enough for us to find out what’s going on.”

  Hec’s casual comment about luck triggered a notion in Owens’ mind. He paused a moment, thinking back on the attacks then said seriously, “You know,” he said slowly, “I really don’t think there was much luck involved.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that, Boss,” Hec said dubiously. “Even with my brilliant help, it seems to me we were real lucky to escape the first attack, let alone all three.”

  Owens shook his head in disagreement. “I’m serious, Hec. I’ll admit that luck did play a small role, but there were other factors in play that allowed us to beat our attackers. In fact, they’ve contributed to our survival all along the way.”

  “And you know this how?”

  “That’s a good lead-in to the second category I wanted to explore, my observations; what I saw while I was aboard the Light Saber. They helped me to identify those factors. I think you’ll see it all ties in.”

  “Explain, Boss.”

  “You know that observation and deduction are fundamental to my profession. They remain the foundation for any investigation. It’s so ingrained in me that I’m always examining and evaluating my surroundings, even when I’m off the clock.”