“You losers really aren’t too bright are ya?” The alien laughed gruffly. “He was their prisoner. They were laughin’ at him. His hands were tied in front of him. They pushed him into a hover car an’ took off.”
“And you have no idea where they went, do you?” Red grunted.
“Up north. To the mountainous regions a few hundred clicks that way.” He waved his hand in a direction behind his head.
“Let’s all take a walk back to the spaceport.” Mark commanded and everyone stood at once. “Endorf, pay the bill.”
Endorf sneered as he laid the credits on the table for the waitress. “Make sure you tip her good.” Red growled. The alien started to protest as Dan placed his hand on the red skinned brutes shoulder and squeezed, just enough to make his point.
The entire group walked back out into the street and headed towards the spaceport a few blocks away.
“What are you?” Endorf asked Dan as they walked.
“It’s complicated. Leave it at that.” Dan replied gruffly.
“I ain’t never seen anything like you. No one ‘round here can match Credom an’ me in strength. Yet you’re stronger than we are. How’s that even possible?”
“You better learn pal, that no matter how bad you are, there’s always someone badder.” Dan replied.
“So where we goin’ now?” Endorf continued talking.
“Now you are coming with us aboard our ship and we’re going to fly up into those mountains and find that man you saw.”
Endorf stopped in his tracks. “No. I can’t do that. I’m not authorized to travel out of this area, and you can’t take a ship out of here and fly that way. All space fairing vessels have to stay here within the spaceport. Them’s the rules. Plus I ain’t allowed anywhere outta the commercial zone.”
“Why not? Were you a bad boy?” Eddie grinned sarcastically.
“I’m a worker here, on a work visa. I live nearby. Credom an’ I stay here for six months at a time then go home to our planet. Then we come back for another six months. The credits are good.” He shrugged.
“So are all the goodies you and your pal lie, cheat and steal people out of, I’d wager.” Mark replied sardonically.
Again the big alien shrugged, but this time with a smirk.
“Uh guys…” Ariel stopped them with a hand raised. ‘I’m getting thoughts aimed at us and our ship from within the hangar.’ She told them mentally.
Eddie, being the smallest member of the crew—besides Ariel—slunk around the nearest corner and peered over at their ship through the shadows. “Sunova…” He began.
“What is it?” Mark pushed.
“The Stargrazer, it’s surrounded, by guys in uniforms. The purple skinned, salad heads.” He turned back and looked at Mark, “The ship’s cordoned off.”
“What’s going on here Endorf? I want answers now.” Mark hissed.
“Uhh, security has surrounded your ship?”
“That much I can tell. Why, though? What set them off?”
‘They knew we were coming.’ Ariel’s voice sang across their minds once again.
‘How?’ Mark replied mentally.
‘The plant or traitor or whatever he is. That’s the only explanation.’ Red offered.
‘So they’ve been waiting for us. Then those ships that attacked us on the way here were not pirates or thieves or some other random act.’
‘Are you Earthmen that naïve that you believe those were random attacks?’ a new mental voice forced its way into their mind link. Immediately, Ariel fell to her knees holding her head with both hands and moaned piteously. Mark ran to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.
Behind the group a creature appeared that lay an aura of dread upon everyone there. Even Endorf began to babble and mutter as he backed away from the thing, wide eyed and fear filled.
The creature stood eight feet tall, but it was gaunt. Thin as a whisper at sunset. Its skin was a burnt brown color. Its scalp was three sharp boned rows running front to back. The thing then stretched a questing hand towards Endorf. Even as it did so the length of that impossibly long hand and fingers were the first thing one noticed. They were twice the length of a tall man’s hand and had four joints instead of two. It wore a black uniform with white frilled cuffs and collar. Endorf backed away fearfully. Immediately Red positioned himself between the nightmarish horror and Endorf, even as Ariel continued to squirm upon the ground.
“Let her go, now!” Mark roared as he threw himself at the creature before them. Obviously the thing, whatever it was, was not prepared for Johnson’s head long rush as he bowled it over easily, tackling it and sending it smashing to the ground. He drew his fist back and began pummeling it relentlessly.
Ariel was instantly back on her feet, backing away from the creature with fearful eyes. Dan immediately grasped her to him protectively. “What’d that thing do to you?” He asked quietly, fearfully.
“I-I have never felt anything like that. It just took control of my mind. My thoughts were all its own. I couldn’t form a coherent thought of my own. I-it showed me terrible things. I was helpless.”
“What is that thing?” Red asked as he stood there with his gun drawn on it.
“That is a Quel.” A new voice intruded. They all turned towards its source, back towards the Stargrazer, where a purple skinned being was walking towards them with its hands behind its back. It wore a uniform of some kind. “They are nasty creatures, we employ them when we fear telepaths are involved. They, as your woman now knows, can worm their way into a telepaths mind and gain control of it. They are indeed horrid creatures, but infinitely useful. You may all drop your weapons now, we have you surrounded.”
Mark stopped hitting the foul smelling creature beneath him and looked around. Eddie and Red continued to hold their guns at the ready, damned sure they weren’t going to go down without a fight. Dan held Ariel steady, who was still shaky on her feet. They were indeed surrounded by uniformed men, whether military or security of some kind Mark could not distinguish.
While all eyes were upon the Stargrazer’s crew, Endorf turned and ran. The man in charge made a quick motion with his hand, his fingers pointing at the fleeing red skinned alien brute, and then quickly slashing across his throat, as several energy blasts rang out, all connecting with the fleeing mechanics back, dropping him to the cement floor, his body smoldering.
Once more with his hands behind his back the purple skinned humanoid creature turned to face the crew.
“You will be coming with us, are there any more questions?”
Chapter Six
Mark stood slowly as all eyes were trained on him. The men surrounding them watched him nervously. The Quel lay upon the ground, unconscious and bloody. Mark made eye contact with Red, and then moved his eyes towards the Stargrazer.
“Well? Move along, all of you.” The alien officer ordered.
“Why? What’d we do?” Eddie asked, stalling.
“You will ask no questions alien. You will simply come with us. Move along now. That is an order.”
“I don’t think so, now drop your weapons. I really don’t want to kill any of you.” Mark replied with a wicked smile.
“You seem to have some misconception based on your situation. We outnumber you and all our weapons are trained upon you.”
“And my ships guns are trained on you. Drop your weapons and stand down now. Or the ship will take you all out.”
“You lie, Earthling.”
“Another guy who knows where we’re from?” Eddie asked.
“Yeah, looks that way, Eddie.” Mark answered while not taking his eyes off their antagonist. “Seems this guy knows who we are, and on that he has us at a disadvantage. But that’s all. Drop your guns now officer, or whatever you are.”
“Prepare to fire.” The purple alien barked. “Your bluff has been called, Earthman.”
“It’s no bluff.” Mark replied, smiling as the gun on the wing of the Stargrazer barked a blue bolt of light, smacking the a
lien officer in the back and dropping him to the pavement.
The men surrounding the crew all looked towards the ship and prepared to fire when Mark spoke up again.
“All of you lay down your weapons and surrender. Last chance.”
Now all the troops looked around between the crew, who still had their guns drawn and aimed at them, and then back at the ship whose wing guns were also aimed at the troopers.
Suddenly an energy blast rang out at the teams back, shaking the ground, throwing them from their feet and making them cover their heads and faces as chunks of debris and concrete sprayed about them.
Mark was on his feet immediately, grabbing Ariel by the arm and running her directly towards the Stargrazer while shouting, “Run! Back to the ship, now!”
Behind them hovered an open air craft with two big guns mounted on it. Within it behind blast proof twin windscreens, two troopers were ready to fire again. Red and Eddie begin firing their hand guns at the ship, their laser bolts sprayed across the ship’s hull with little damage.
Dan Sledge suddenly started to run towards the small hovering gunship, building speed as he went with each lumbering step, “You heard the Boss, get back to the ship, I got this.”
“What the hell?” Red shouted as Dan leaped into the air, sailing forty feet into the sky above the small hovering gunship, then he dropped down onto and through the vessel, feet first with his knees pulled up to his chest. As he landed, he slammed them down into the craft, breaking through it like tissue paper, and turning it to rubble in one explosive maneuver.
Now the troopers begin to scatter and run as the Stargrazer powered up and lifted off its landing pad, turning towards their enemies in midair.
Dan Sledge walked towards Red and Eddie, wiping dust from his hands, grinning ear to ear.
Red looked at him, grimaced and shook his head side to side, “I hate you, you know that right?”
Dan laughed and slapped his friend on the back, “C’mon, both of you, let’s get to the ship. There’re gonna be more o’ these clowns gettin’ here any sec.”
They ran towards the ‘Grazer as Red reiterated, “I do you know, I really do,” with a grin.
“Get on board, willya?” Sledge grunted, smiling.
Red, Dan and Eddie ran up the entry ramp as it started to withdraw into the ship behind them.
“What are we going to do Mark?” Ariel asked.
“Get out of here for now. That’s a start.”
The ship powered up and streaked skyward as behind them two more of the two seat gunships began to pursue them.
“They’re firing on us Mark.” Red remarked.
As if to underscore his statement the Stargrazer rumbled twice as energy blasts slapped against its skin.
“Do we fire back on them?” Eddie asked as he readied his weapons console.
“No, these we can outrun. Let’s play it that way, for now.”
Eddie nodded, “Alright Mark. It’s your call.”
“Dan get us out of here, fast.”
Sledge nodded, “You got it, boss.”
The Stargrazer shot away from the planet, rocketing into space, leaving the two pursuit ships instantly far behind.
The Stargrazer blasted away from the planet, and toward a moon, one of four in orbit of the planet.
“Stationary orbit behind the moon, then we contact the Cag. I want the moon blocking us.”
“Okay, Mark.” Dan agreed.
“Ari, get Miles Jefferson on the comm.”
She nodded and punched a button, then started speaking lowly. An instant later the screen at the front of the ship shimmered to life and an image of the Cagliostro’s command deck appeared.
“Hey, boss.” Jefferson greeted them with a forced smile.
“Miles, we’re going to need you here.”
“Don’t know if I can help, boss. Remember that ship we did a number on, on the way here? Well it’s back and it brought friends.”
“What are you talking about?” Mark replied, concern suddenly written all over his face.
“That big war ship we took out is here, searching for us, and it brought two more just like it. I don’t think we can get to you, at least not without getting fried out here. We’re playing cat an’ mouse with these guys right now.”
“Listen to me, you get out of here, go to hyper-warp immediately and start heading back toward Earth. That is an order, Mr. Jefferson.”
“Wait—are you kidding me? You want us to bug out and leave you here?”
“I want you to save my crew and ship. The Stargrazer is more than capable of hyper-warp interstellar flight. You can’t do us any good by getting killed or getting the ship destroyed. Now do as I ask and get out of here. We’ll contact you when we find what we’re looking for.”
“Well, how far do you want us to go?”
“Go as far as you have to lose any pursuit. I don’t care if that’s right back to Earth itself. Just do it and do it now. Get out of here.”
Miles nodded, despair on his face, “Alright boss, whatever you say. We’re outta here.”
The image on the viewer faded back to a starscape and the moon they were hiding behind.
“What do we do now, Mark?” Ariel asks.
“We’re going to have to go back. That’s the only thing we can do.”
“How can we do that?” Red barked, “They have patrols both in space and on that planet’s surface looking for us. If we go back to that space port we’ll be shot on sight, hell the ‘Grazer will be shot down the minute we head towards a landing pad.”
“Oh ye of little faith. The ‘Grazer is a tough little ship, I’m less concerned with going back there then I am of escaping once we find what we’re looking for. Besides, who said we were going back to any landing site?”
Chapter Seven
The Stargrazer slipped back planet-side over the most unpopulated portion of the desert world. Sliding in under security and sensor scans, before landing in a densely wooded mountain range near where Mark and the crew suspected the mysterious captive had been taken.
“Invisibility generator is off.” Red affirmed.
“Good. For now the trees can cloak us. Ari, do you sense anything, or anyone?” Mark asked.
“No, but I’m hearing a mental murmur east of here. It may not be who we’re looking for, there’s no way of knowing until I hear thoughts I can make definite decisions on. Right now it’s all just noise.”
“Alright Dan, give me a hand back in the hold.”
“Whatcha got?” Big Dan Sledge replied as he unbuckled himself and followed Johnson to the back of the ship.
“Well, we can’t just fly around in the Stargrazer looking for our mystery man, but we can take these babies out and cover more ground a bit more inconspicuously.” Mark pulled the cover off the first item he pulled out of the hold. It was a gleaming black sky-cycle, and there were three more just like it within.
“Only four?” Dan asked.
“Yes, someone stays with the ship.”
“Hhhmmph, Ari’s not gonna like that.”
“Who said it’s Ariel who is going to stay?”
“What? Me? You’re gonna make me stay?”
“You’re the best pilot Dan. You can have the ship out of cover and to whoever needs you in minutes.”
“Yeah but I’m also the guy who can shatter brick and steel with his bare hands.”
“And right now I need you for your piloting skills, not your incredible strength.”
“Alright. I really don’t like this one bit, but just give me a yell if ya need me.”
“Believe me Danny, you’ll be the first to hear.”
The big man nodded somberly. Everyone exited the ship and met Dan and Mark at the back hatch where they stood there with the four sky cycles. Stylish modern machines with tires just like any other motorcycle, but also an anti-grav magno-disc built into each solid rim. Black flight suits were donned over their regular uniforms and black helmets with a blackened face shield wh
ich was actually a HUD or Heads up Display linking first to the sky cycle then to the Stargrazer itself, sharing information across vast distances.
“Search pattern delta to begin with.” Mark ordered, and the four cycles suddenly leaped straight upwards, then away, disappearing into the night sky. Small horizontal wings slid out of the sides of each to aid in aerodynamics. Below, Dan Sledge shook his head in disgust and re-entered the Stargrazer, sealing the hatch behind him.
“He’s not happy.” Red spoke into the communicator within his helmet.
“Do you blame him? He was just left behind.”
Dan’s voice crackled through their headsets “I can still hear ya, ya know.”
Ariel laughed, “It’s okay Dan, I’m sure we’ll be calling you any minute to rescue us.”
“Haha,” came his crackled his reply.
“All right kiddies, let’s find this guy, whoever he is, and see what’s really going on here.”
Across his helmet’s HUD Mark was watching numbers and heat signatures fly by in quick succession. He hoped the small sky cycles were invisible to the scanners used on this world. There was plenty of shielding built into them for just that purpose, but he had no way of knowing for certain.
“Okay, it’s time to expand our grid,” he ordered. “Eddie and Red flank right, and begin arcing back towards the ‘Grazer. Ari and I will arc left. If you see anything call out immediately.”
“Aye aye, skipper.” Eddie replied sarcastically.
“Watch it there pal, I still sign your paychecks.”
“Yeah, don’t I know it.”
The four sky cycles split up and rocketed through the sky.
The minutes dragged on in silence as the small sky cycles criss-crossed the sky above the designated search location.
“Anything yet?” Mark asked.
“No not yet. Nothing out here but farm animals of some kind that resemble cows.”
“It’s amazing that this is one of the only mountainous regions on this world.” Ariel offered.
“I know, it’s strange. There’s actually some vegetation here as well, and yet signs of habitation are few and far between. Most of these people on this sparsely populated world tend to be near the commerce centers. It’s a dust bowl, but at least they can have some form of a social life.”
The Cagliostro Chronicles Page 6