Star Cruiser Titan

by C. G. Mosley

  As Malcolm walked into the foyer, he was met by the chief guard, Hugo Horne. Horne was an enormous man with broad shoulders and arms like tree trunks. On one hip, there was a holstered red plasma pistol. On the other hip, there was a sheathed battle axe. His black robe—one of the largest Malcolm had ever seen—fit him tightly due to his size. There was a hood over his head which just made his appearance even more sinister. His black mustache was so thick, it almost completely covered his mouth.

  “Captain Steiger,” Hugo’s deep voice murmured. “Potentate Shade is expecting you.”

  “Yes, I’m aware,” Malcolm said, doing his best to keep his tone all business. “Will you escort me to him at once?”

  Hugo’s bushy eyebrows bristled, and he cocked his head to the side. “Follow me,” he grumbled deeply.

  The throne room was located just beyond two large metal doors. As Hugo approached, the doors slid open and disappeared through a slot in the edge of the adjoining walls. Suddenly, Malcolm was peering into the vast room. There were various golden columns throughout and the ceiling was vaulted through the second and third floors above. Only the fourth floor was hidden away. The floor under Malcolm’s boots was made of stone tiles that were polished so well he could see his reflection in them. The surrounding walls were adorned with massive tapestries that hung from the top of the ceiling all the way down to the floor. Each tapestry represented a planet that had been conquered by the Supreme Regency. Potentate Romulus Shade was seated on the massive throne at the back wall of the room. His wooden seat had an enormous back covered with intricate carvings of Kaloian symbols. Shade shifted in his seat and his red robe ruffled as he did so.

  Malcolm stopped in front of the first step that led up to the potentate’s elevated position and kneeled on one knee. “Your excellency,” he said, his head bowed.

  “Get up Captain,” Potentate Shade said, his voice gravelly. “I want to see your face.”

  Malcolm sighed and slowly stood. He then looked up at the potentate’s face. Romulus Shade had gray, watery eyes. His skin was pale and appeared sickly, but his muscular frame suggested quite the opposite. When standing, Shade towered at seven feet in height—even taller than Hugo Horne. His hand moved slowly toward the small table next to his throne. On top of the table was a coiled whip. The sight of the whip made Malcolm tremble.

  “I want to beg for your mercy, sir,” Malcolm said, just as he’d rehearsed. “I’ve failed you, but I’d like to make amends.”

  Shade turned his head and his neck cracked in protest. “Captain Steiger, I contemplated killing you right here in this very throne room,” he said very matter-of-factly.

  Malcolm swallowed hard.

  “However,” Shade continued. “I believed that perhaps you’d give me a good reason to spare your life.”

  Malcolm felt his pulse quicken and struggled to control his breathing. The pain in his forehead intensified. “Allow me to prove my worth, sir,” he said, a hint of desperation in his voice. “When the Pinnacle is repaired, I will hunt down the Earthlings and I will kill them with ease.”

  The potentate frowned and shook his head. “And how do I know that you will succeed this time?” he asked with an icy tone.

  “The only reason they managed to escape is because they used the element of surprise,” Malcolm said, trying not to stammer. “That advantage exists no longer. I tried to show them mercy, but next time there will not be any.”

  Romulus Shade again shifted in his chair and appeared agitated. He sighed deeply and again shook his head. “Captain Malcolm Steiger, your incompetence has cost the Supreme Regency two Vindicator ships and sixty-two lives. I read the report of your second in command, Tago Mari. Though he is obviously loyal to you, he is also quite honest. He stated that you negotiated with the Earthlings…that you gave the captain extra time to alert the entire ship of a supposed surrender.”

  Malcolm closed his eyes. As much as he wanted to be mad at Mari for adding that tidbit to the report, he could not. It was the truth, and he himself would have done no different had he been in the same position.

  “It’s true,” he said. “The odds were significantly in our favor and I genuinely believed they were going to surrender. In hindsight, it was a terrible mistake and I assure you it will not happen again.”

  Shade clacked his teeth together, a quirk he was well-known for when he became angry. It was not a good sign for Malcolm. “Captain, it was an obvious sign of weakness and it is unacceptable.” He then glanced at Hugo Horne. “Kill him.”

  Malcolm looked around as Hugo Horne moved toward him while simultaneously reaching for his axe. “What? No!” he screamed. “Wait, I beg of you.”

  “Wait for what?” Shade snapped. “You know what’s at stake! Your actions are intolerable.”

  Hugo now had his axe in both hands and was drawing back to take a swing.

  “Jado Baylor has it sir!” he shouted in sheer terror.

  Shade held up a hand at Hugo. “Stop!”

  Hugo Horne stopped his axe mid-swing, a mere foot away from Malcolm’s neck.

  “Jado Baylor has what?” he asked, already thinking he knew the answer.

  Malcolm breathed deeply, and his forehead became a mixture of sweat and blood as his wound began to bleed. “The ability,” he answered quickly. “He used it while we were helping the Earthlings prepare their ship for the journey. He managed to injure one of them without even physically touching him.”

  Potentate Romulus Shade stood from his throne and made his way down the steps to where Malcolm was standing. “Are you certain of this?” he asked as he drew near.

  Malcolm nodded. “Yes,” he replied. “Tago Mari witnessed the event. I was going to tell you, but I felt it was something we needed to discuss in person.”

  Shade’s gray eyes brightened a bit. “How is it possible?” he asked. “Did he have any of the elixir?”

  Malcolm shook his head. “No,” he answered. “We checked his quarters and found evidence of nothing. We even administered a blood test and still found nothing to suggest he’d taken anything that would give him the ability.”

  The potentate rubbed at the stubble on his chin as he pondered what he’d just learned. “Was he able to demonstrate the ability to you?”

  Malcolm frowned. “No, I’m afraid not. I asked him to, and he did try. It seemed that his emotions triggered it. He was angry with one of the Earthlings when it happened.”

  “I see,” Shade replied, deep in thought. After another moment, he said, “Captain Steiger, bring this Jado Baylor to me at once.”

  Malcolm suddenly felt a tremendous wave of relief wash over him. “Of course, your excellency,” he said gratefully. He turned to walk away, then paused briefly.

  “Is there something else?” Shade asked as he turned to make his way back to the throne.

  “Yes,” Malcolm said. “Our scanners found an abundance of the seed you’ve been seeking on planet Earth.”

  “I’m aware,” Shade replied as he sat back down. “And now our opportunity to harness it is delayed due to the unfortunate fact that the gateway was destroyed.”

  “There is another way,” Malcolm said. “The gate we constructed in their solar system is still there.”

  “Do you take me for a fool?” Shade hissed. “I know what needs to be done, but I also know that the situation would not be so dire if you had not failed.” His voice began to rise. “Captain Steiger, I strongly suggest you get out of my sight before I change my mind about your fate. Do not show your face here again unless Jado Baylor is by your side.”

  “Yes, your excellency,” Malcolm replied, and he glanced over at Hugo Horne. The large guard’s eyes narrowed, and he tightened his grip on the axe he held. He appeared to be disappointed that he was unable to use it.

  Malcom decided he’d tempted his fate enough and then proceeded to stroll out of the palace without saying another word.

  ***

  Somewhere on the outskirts of the Ara Constellation, the SC Tita
n blazed across the cosmos at lightspeed. As soon as Captain Harry Hightower felt it was safe to do so, he immediately ordered all officers and squad leaders to the conference room so that they could debrief. After Dr. Phoebe Holtz, Lieutenant Hayden Carter, and Roger Stellick, the squad leaders filed into the room, all of them still adorning their gray flight suits. As everyone took their respective seats, Captain Hightower moved to the front of the room with Colonel Madigan at his side.

  “Good work everyone,” Hightower said as he rubbed at his eyes. “Without your bravery, we would not have gotten away.”

  “I second that,” Roger Stellick said. “Each of you did a damn fine job and you should be proud. You just proved why you were chosen for this mission.”

  “Excuse me,” Howler said bitterly. “But everyone didn’t come back.”

  Colonel Madigan stepped forward. “Lieutenant Wolfe, you’re flirting with insubordination,” he growled.

  Captain Hightower held a calming hand up toward Madigan. “It’s alright, Merrill,” he said softly. He then looked to Howler. “I’m aware of the losses, Harlan, and I assure you that it’s weighing heavily on everyone in this room right now.”

  “I lost two pilots,” Howler replied, his voice quaking. “Two pilots that I’d barely even met.”

  “They died so that we could live,” Hightower said. “Don’t ever forget that.”

  Howler looked away toward a nearby view port and stared at the blackness beyond it. “My men did not have to die,” he said, sounding almost as if he were in a trance.

  Sabre shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  Hightower stepped around the table to get a better view of Howler. “Don’t do this, son,” he said, almost pleading. “I’ve lost way too many men in my career and I will tell you from experience that blaming yourself is not going to accomplish anything good.”

  Howler chuckled. “I’m not blaming myself sir,” he said, and then he glanced over at Sabre. “I blame him.”

  Hightower looked at Sabre curiously and then back to Howler. “I don’t have any idea what this is about,” he said. “But now is not the time,” he added through clenched teeth.

  Sabre looked away and down at the table in front of him while Howler continued to stare out the viewport. Captain Hightower shook his head and returned to his original position alongside Colonel Madigan. “Chief Reed, how are our fighters?” he asked.

  The deck chief, Tim Reed, crossed his large arms and his dark skin rippled as his muscles flexed. “I’ve got my crew looking them over now,” he said. “We’ve got one from Hotel squad that is in very bad condition…I don’t know if it’s salvageable yet. A couple of others that have some serious wing damage and then another dozen at least with minor issues. All in all, we may be down one…” he paused as he considered his next words. “And obviously the others that never came back…so four total.”

  “Alright, when you have an accurate number, I want to know immediately,” Hightower replied. “If you can’t get them back perfect, then they don’t fly…understood?”

  “Yes sir,” Tim replied.

  “Dr. Holtz,” Hightower said, turning to Phoebe. “Any injuries I need to know about?”

  Phoebe ran a hand over her curly black hair. “I’m sorry Commander, but I’m in the same boat as Tim…it’s too early for me to give you an accurate assessment. I know of a few minor burns from some of the more seriously damaged Comets, but overall I think everyone that made it back is in fairly good shape.” She paused and glanced over at Howler. “I do want to see Lieutenant Wolfe as soon as possible,” she said. “After seeing his fighter, I’m amazed that he’s sitting here talking to us right now.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” Hightower said. “Harlan, you go to the infirmary as soon as you leave this room, is that understood?”

  Howler sighed deeply through his nose. He still refused to look at anyone in the room and kept his attention squarely on the same viewport he’d been staring at. “Understood sir, Commander Stellick had already ordered me to go,” he said, monotone.

  Hightower looked at Roger. “And you will see to it that every pilot gets looked over, per S.A.M.A. regulations?”

  “Yes sir,” Roger replied. “I’ll make it a priority.”

  “Very good,” Hightower said, and finally he himself took a seat at the head of the table. He again rubbed his eyes, evidence that he was clearly exhausted. “I know you’re all wondering what the plan is from here…or more specifically, how we’re going to get home,” he said. “And to be completely honest, I don’t have an adequate answer for you right now.”

  Roger expected this, and he didn’t see how anyone else in the room could’ve expected anything different. He glanced over at Phoebe and could see she was visibly shaken. He figured she too already knew it to be true, but hearing the captain vocalize it was a shock.

  “One thing that we do have going for us,” Hightower continued, “is that we’ve got a ship full of highly skilled and smart folks. The best of the best was chosen for this mission. If anyone in this room—or if any of you know of anyone else on the ship that may have a good idea—then by all means let’s get it out on the table. No matter how radical or how crazy it may seem…I want to hear it.”

  “Sir, if I may,” one of the pilots said. It was Robert Drake, call-sign Tombstone. He was the squad leader for Foxtrot. “Although we destroyed the gateway that we exited through, obviously the gate near Titan still exists. There has to be more of these gates throughout this galaxy and one has to assume that at least one of them could be a connecting portal back to Titan.”

  Hightower nodded. “I agree,” he said. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and if we’re going to find another one of these gates, I feel strongly we’ll have to have assistance in doing so. Otherwise it’s going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

  “I say we kidnap one of the Kaloians—a high-ranking one,” Banshee said suddenly. “We force them to tell us where the other gates are.”

  Hightower smiled. “Ms. Voight, I admire your spirit,” he said. “And if we get an opportunity to do that, then I assure you we’ll entertain the idea.”

  “If you need a volunteer, I’m up for the job,” she replied. Her face was expressionless, but she sat up straight and seemed to have the most energy of everyone in the room.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Hightower said.

  “Commander, how long will we be at lightspeed?” Lieutenant Carter asked.

  “Not too much longer,” he answered. “As a matter of fact, as soon as this meeting is adjourned, I want you to order Rowena to bring us out of it—obviously we need to conserve fuel. I just wanted to make sure we get far away from those Kaloian ships before we slow down. And when that happens, you need to be on the cannons and ready for anything.”

  “Any particular planetary destination?” Carter asked.

  “Not at this time,” Colonel Madigan answered. “Sooner or later, it’ll probably become a necessity, but we’re not at that point yet.”

  “Until we get more answers, or at least some sort of direction, there is going to be a lot of tension on the ship,” the Captain said. “Everyone in this room is a leader on this ship, and I’m relying on all of you to keep morale up until we discover what our next move will be.”

  “Can we count on each of you to do that?” Madigan asked, raising his eyebrows.

  Everyone in the room nodded and vocalized their assurances.

  “Unless anyone has anything else, you’re all dismissed,” Hightower said, rising from the table. As the room disbanded, he said, “Stellick and Banshee, you two stay here a moment longer.”

  Roger and Merissa looked at each other simultaneously as if they were looking to the other for some sort of explanation. When everyone was gone, and the mechanical doors swept closed, the Captain sat down across from the two pilots.

  “Roger, you need to speak to Howler, and see what you can do to settle whatever issues he has with Sabre,” he said.

/>   Roger nodded. “I’ll talk to them, but I think Harlan will settle down once he’s had a little time to grieve.”

  Captain Hightower chewed his lip a moment, then said, “He doesn’t go back up until his head is right.”

  “Of course,” Roger agreed. “I’ll do what I can to diffuse the situation.”

  “Very well,” the Captain replied. He then turned to Banshee.

  “Merissa,” he said, allowing a slight smile. “I hear you put on quite a show out there,” he said.

  She smiled back at him, but it was clearly forced. “I was just trying to do my job,” she said, uneasily.

  Hightower nodded. “Would you care to explain what you were thinking when you broke off from your squad to attack the bridge of the Pinnacle?”

  Roger glanced over at Banshee and found that she suddenly became very calm.

  “The other four pilots had the cannons covered,” she answered. “I wanted to make sure my missiles did not go to waste…I thought I could—”

  “Stop,” Hightower interrupted. “You not only broke away from your squad, but you also disobeyed orders when you decided to go rogue.”

  Roger kept watching her and suddenly Banshee’s expression turned to one of genuine confusion. Her nose wrinkled, and her mouth dropped open. She remained in that expression for a few moments and took turns glancing at each man in the room.

  “Sir, I—”

  “Save it,” he snapped. “Everything worked out and every member of your team came back unscathed. It’s also important to mention that you did complete your assignment and essentially cleared the way for the Titan to make a quick escape,” he added.