by C. G. Mosley
“If they want our help, this is a task they can do,” Drago snapped at her. “They can get the star chart and find him while they’re on board.”
“Find who?” Hightower asked.
“There is an Avaxian on board named Ralu,” Drago answered. “He was captured almost a year ago and our spies recently discovered that he is being held captive on board the Polaris. Since a Kaloian ship is where you will easily find a star chart, you might as well board the Polaris—and while you’re there, free Ralu.”
“A Voyager is the largest class of starship in the Kaloian fleet,” President Dala said. “The odds of you being able to get the star chart and free a prisoner are nearly—”
“We will do it,” Captain Hightower said suddenly.
President Dala looked surprised, but not nearly as much as Drago.
“Are you sure?” Amus asked.
“Yes, we owe the Federation a debt and we will pay it,” Hightower replied. “The Voyager starship is the same class that the Pinnacle was, correct?”
“That’s right,” Drago replied.
“Good, we’ve had a man on board the Pinnacle, so we are somewhat familiar with the ship’s design,” he said. “Of course, any intel you can provide would be greatly appreciated.”
“That is why I’m allowing Amus to assist you,” President Dala added. “He has gathered more intel on the Kaloians than any other spy in the Federation. He has a wealth of information on their daily operations, as well as the layout of their ships.”
“Do you mind if I ask what is so important about Ralu?” the captain asked.
President Dala sighed deeply and shook her head. “Not at all. He is my husband.”
“I see,” Hightower said, surprised. “So, it’s settled then.” He offered his hand across the table.
President Dala looked at the gesture, confused.
“It’s an Earthing way of sealing the agreement,” he explained.
“Grab his hand,” Amus urged.
She did so, and they shook.
“Are there other Avaxian prisoners on the ship?” he then asked.
“Possibly, and Bothians too,” she answered. “However, for now Ralu is the only one you need to retrieve.”
“Okay, do you have a picture of him, so I know what he looks like?”
“It won’t be necessary,” President Dala replied. “You have Amus and he looks almost exactly like Ralu.”
Hightower looked over at Amus. “That true?”
“I would think so,” Amus replied. “Ralu is my father.”
Chapter 24
As Captain Hightower and Amus made their way back toward the shuttle, the sound of heavy footsteps made them stop abruptly. Hightower spun around to find Drago following them.
“Drago,” Amus said, his blue forehead wrinkling. “Is something wrong?”
“Yes,” the Bothian snapped sharply. “You’re going to die.”
Amus and Hightower looked at each other, perplexed.
“Going on board a Voyager starship is suicide and he knows it,” Drago said, pointing at Hightower.
“I know that it’s my only option if I’m going to get my crew back home,” the captain argued.
“If there is any chance of success, you will require my assistance,” Drago said, and his armor clanged slightly as he shifted his weight.
“You want to help us?” Hightower said.
“No, I do not,” Drago answered dryly. “But, I owe President Dala something of a debt myself, and if helping you get Ralu back repays it, then so be it.”
“I see,” Hightower said as he turned and resumed his walk toward the shuttle. “You want to ride on our coat tails to repay your own debt.”
The Bothian chased after him and when he caught up said, “Earthling, I’m not familiar with the strange expression you just used, but I assure you my desire to assist in getting Ralu back is pure. Bothians are known for our brute strength and I’m certain it’ll come in handy onboard the Polaris.”
“If you want to help, you’ll get no resistance from me,” Hightower said as he made his way up the ramp and into the rear of the shuttle.
“Does my mother know you’re coming along?” Amus asked.
Drago shook his head. “No,” he answered. “She’d never agree to it. She’s begun to look upon me as another son.”
Amus glared at him and Hightower noticed the slight hint of anger in the young Avaxian’s dark eyes.
“Don’t fret,” Drago said, slapping Amus on the back. “I haven’t taken the place as her favorite son—at least not yet.”
The Bothian moved to the front of the shuttle and sat in the co-pilot seat. Hightower looked over at Amus. “Has he always been this charming?”
Amus frowned and shook his head. “It’s a trait of his race,” he said. “They are known as arrogant and see themselves as a superior race.”
The captain chuckled. “Sounds a lot like the Kaloians.”
“Yes,” Amus agreed. “But when multiple races think that they are the superior race, it usually results in discord and conflict between them.”
Hightower nodded and leaned in a little closer. “Is it to our benefit to have him with us?” he asked, whispering.
Amus nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, they are incredible warriors and what he said about his strength is true. Furthermore, he and the Bothians have become fiercely loyal to their alliance with the people of Avax. My only concern would be getting him on the Polaris undetected.”
“If his being there will be to our advantage, we’ll figure it out,” Captain Hightower promised.
***
“You asked to see me, your Excellency?” Benedict Drayton asked, dropping to his knee.
“Rise,” Potentate Shade commanded. He then stood from his throne and met his friend and physician at the base of the steps where they embraced.
“How is Captain Steiger?” he asked, grabbing the older man by both of his shoulders.
“He’s now fitted with cybernetic legs and will be fine,” Benedict reported.
“And Jado Baylor?” Shade asked anxiously. “Have you made any progress?”
Benedict sighed, his bony shoulders rising slightly under his green robe. “Young Jado is trying to be cooperative your Excellency, but I’m afraid his body is beginning to succumb to the strenuous testing.”
“You’ve found nothing in his brain?” the potentate asked.
Benedict’s eyes widened. “Oh, yes,” he said, suddenly. “I’ve probed every region of his brain numerous times and I’ve noticed anomalies that I can only attribute to his natural abilities.”
Shade was suddenly intrigued. “What anomalies?”
“There is substantial blood flow and enlargement within the corpus region. Though this was a breakthrough discovery, I’ve been unable to find a safe way to duplicate it in my other test subjects. All of them have died.” Benedict paused, and his shoulders slumped. “Unfortunately, the immense probing I’ve performed on Jado has not left him unscathed either. He is now blind in one eye and has frequent seizures.”
Shade frowned. “That is indeed unfortunate,” he agreed. “If he dies, we’ll lose this incredible opportunity to harness the ability without the use of the elixir.”
Benedict shifted uneasily on his feet. “Your Excellency, it could be that his brain had a reaction to the elixir. A reaction that somehow became permanent and allowed him to use his ability without the aid of the elixir.”
Romulus Shade sighed and waved his hand dismissively. “Thousands of cadets ingested the elixir,” he said. “It was the way for us to figure out which ones had the ability. None of the others that had it have had these side effects.”
“None that we know of,” Benedict countered. “Jado was not aware of his ability either. Not until an emotional response triggered it.”
The potentate pondered the thought, then asked, “Has he been able to move anything in your presence?”
“Yes,” the physician answered. “At one point
he fell under such duress that he managed to open the door. I think it was due to his deep desire to escape.”
“I see,” Shade said. “Interesting.”
“As I said, I don’t think he can take much more,” Benedict said. “How would you like me to proceed?”
Again, the potentate pondered what he’d been told. Benedict sensed that Shade had an idea but was struggling on whether to follow through with it. Finally, he said, “Alright, if we’re on the verge of losing him, we need to take drastic measures for the next test.”
Benedict raised an eyebrow. “What do you suggest, sir?”
***
“Peyton Kelly, Cooper Jenkins, and Ben Foster. They were all brave men and each of them lit up with boyish excitement that I too felt when I learned of the SC Titan and the opportunity it brought us to travel across the galaxy,” Commander Roger Stellick said somberly.
He was dressed in his officer uniform and standing on a small stage behind a podium overlooking hundreds of chairs that had been set up in the vastness of the starboard hangar. There were pictures of the deceased pilots displayed behind him and many of the faces of the living glistened from the tears that streamed across them.
“None of us had any idea that we were walking into a trap when we crossed through that gate a few days ago,” Roger continued. “But I would venture to say that even if we had known it, the likes of Cooper, Peyton and Ben would’ve still signed up for this mission without an ounce of hesitation.”
Harlan Wolfe, Georgia Clarke and Garret Butler—the remaining members of Hotel squad—sat on the front row in remembrance of Cooper and Ben, two men that they’d only known a short time. Yet still, the pain of their loss was no less difficult than it would’ve been if they’d known them for ten years. It was the same for Tobias Bancroft, Calvin Reynolds, Moses Ward, and Parker Stevens of Charlie squad. The loss of Peyton Kelly had been a tremendous blow for each of them.
“It’s unfortunate that we were unable to recover their remains,” Roger said. “But a large part of me believes that those three guys would’ve been just fine with their final resting place being among the stars that they so desperately desired to be a part of.”
Near the back of the hangar and in the shadows, Christian Smith leaned against the nose of a Comet fighter and watched the memorial service from a distance. Though he wanted to be among his fellow pilots, he’d been encouraged by Commander Stellick to consider watching from afar. The tension between he and Howler was still high and the last thing any of them wanted or needed was for a confrontation to break out during such a somber event.
Roger noticed him standing far away and secretly was relieved. “I’m certain that if those guys could talk to us, they’d tell us to move on and keep fighting,” he continued, staring at Sabre. “They’d want us to get along and remember that the fight isn’t—and should never be—among any crewmember on this ship. I can tell you that if Captain Hightower had been able to attend today, he’d tell you the same thing.”
There were nods and quiet murmurs among the crowd, many of them obviously aware of the tension between Sabre and Howler. Each of the members of Hotel squad glanced over at Howler to see how their leader would react. He remained stone-faced, his eyes red and tired. Georgia reached over and grabbed his hand, but his expression remained unchanged and he barely acknowledged her.
Once he’d finished speaking, Roger stepped down from the stage and then he and Colonel Madigan shook the hands of all the pilots belonging to Charlie and Hotel squads. After nearly everyone had filed out of the hangar and back to their respective duties, Roger made his way toward Sabre.
“Thank you,” he said, when he arrived near him.
“No need to thank me,” Sabre replied with a humble smile. “This wasn’t about me. It was about them,” he said, nodding toward the three pictures on the stage. “I wasn’t going to do anything to pull the spotlight away from where it belonged.”
Roger stood next to him, staring at the pictures. He placed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels before saying, “I know you’ve probably heard it a hundred times, but I don’t care what Howler or anyone else says… what happened to Cooper and Ben was not your fault.”
Sabre smiled. “Yeah, deep down I know that,” he said. “I just wish Harlan did.”
“He’s grieving,” Roger replied. “I think ultimately he blames himself, but for some reason he seems hell bent on bringing you down with him.”
“If that’s what he needs to do to get past it, then so be it,” Sabre muttered.
“I think I’m going to reassign Howler to Alpha squad leader,” Roger said.
Sabre looked at him, surprised. “You’re stepping aside?”
Roger chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll be here when I’m needed but truthfully the captain wants me behind a desk anyway. And if you haven’t noticed, we’re short about three birds now.”
“You think he’s ready for that?” Sabre asked, referring to Howler’s new assignment.
“Well he better be,” Roger replied. “Technically the doc hasn’t cleared him yet, but at some point, she will. When she does I think the best thing for him is to get back into the leadership position he earned and get his mind back on his job.”
Sabre crossed his arms and thought of the other members of Hotel squad. “What about Peach and Romeo?”
“Hotel squad will be disbanded,” Roger answered. “I’m gonna replace Peyton with Peach on Charlie squad. “Romeo—and his fighter—is going into reserves with me.”
Sabre made a sour face. “Oh…I don’t know if he’ll like that.”
Roger nodded and then looked over at Sabre sadly. “You’re right, he probably won’t,” he said. “But the sad and realistic thing is that we will most likely lose another fighter before we get back home…and when that happens, I’ll reactivate Romeo.”
Sabre stared at the commander, his mouth opening slightly. He wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Get your head right,” Roger said as he began to walk away. “You don’t want to be the one getting replaced.”
Chapter 25
“They obviously fear me,” Drago said with pride.
“They’ve never seen anything like you,” Captain Hightower whispered to the Bothian.
Sensing the awkwardness, Amus felt the need to intervene. He stepped up to Chief Tim Reed, Charlie West, and the other crewmembers that were there to greet them all when they stepped off the shuttle. “This is Drago Rexpian,” he said, waving a hand toward the large reptilian alien.
Drago stepped down the ramp and moved in front of Captain Hightower. His armor clanged as his heavy feet propelled him forward. “Greetings Earthlings,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly. “I’m here to help…” he paused, then added, “you’re welcome.”
Tim Reed adjusted his cap. His jaws moved rapidly as he chewed a large glob of bubblegum. “Welcome to the SC Titan Mr. Drago,” he said, then blew a large pink bubble that popped loudly.
Captain Hightower smiled and put a firm hand on the large Bothian’s shoulder. “He’s right,” he said. “Drago is here to help us. His race is also being tormented by the Kaloians. His enemy is our enemy so that makes us allies.”
Suddenly Colonel Madigan stepped off the elevator and marched through the crowd to get to the captain. When he noticed the Bothian, his eyes widened.
“Good to have you back, Harry,” he said, still staring at the large alien.
“Good to see you Merrill,” Hightower said. “Let’s all go to the conference room to debrief.”
“Great idea,” Madigan said, finally pulling his attention from Drago. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat, yes,” he answered.
“I’ll have some food brought down,” Madigan said, and he then led them away.
They’d been in the conference room for only a few seconds when the colonel finally mustered up the courage to hold out his hand and introduce himself to Drago.
“Merrill Madigan. I’m the executive offi
cer on this ship,” he said.
Drago stared at the human’s hand, and then took it cautiously. “Your hands are quite soft,” he said with a chuckle.
Madigan smiled nervously and resisted the urge to jerk his hand away. “And you are?”
“Drago Rexpian,” he replied.
“Well by all means,” Madigan said. “Please have a seat. We’ll have food up here in a few minutes.”
Drago looked around the room at the padded chairs surrounding the table. “These chairs will not hold my weight,” he snapped.
Madigan’s jaw dropped, and he glanced at the chair in front of him. He then looked over to the captain.
“Call for one of those metal stools from the kitchen,” he said calmly. “That should be sufficient.”
Several minutes later the food and a stool for Drago arrived. In addition to the presence of Hightower, Madigan, and Amus, Roger Stellick also arrived. After more formal introductions, they all sat and began to eat. In contrast to the feast that Hightower had partaken in on the Federation ship, Nebula, the food now before them was much smaller in scale. It was a combination of pasta and chicken. Drago seemed to love it.
“This is far better than the garbage you Avaxians eat,” he told Amus with a mouth full of food.
The blue alien glared at him.
“I’m glad you like it,” Hightower said.
“There is nothing better than meat,” he replied. “That’s why I made sure you had your fill of it on the Nebula.” He paused and plunged his fork into a large hunk of chicken. “Thank you for returning the favor.”
“So, don’t hold us in suspense,” Roger said as he reached for a pitcher of water. “Do we have a plan?”
The captain smiled and nodded. “We indeed have a plan,” he said.
Hightower proceeded to catch Madigan and Roger up on the conversation he’d had with Drago and President Dala regarding the star chart and imprisoned Ralu. When he explained that the plan involved sneaking aboard the Polaris starship and stealing a star chart, while also freeing Ralu, the reaction was what he expected.
“Harry, lives will be lost,” Colonel Madigan said. He sounded shocked that such a plan was even considered.