Center Moon: The Stone of Cordova

by Stephen Gambuti

  The engines fired up loudly. The craft rumbled as the humming grew louder. Liotta tried talking to him but he could not hear her.

  Jonas clenched the huge handles that came up from the floor. He pulled up on them until they were firmly tucked against his groin.

  The craft hovered smoothly off the ground. It rested in place for a few moments. Once it gained enough power, the ship blasted into the sky.

  The Enforcer stared at Carlen while Jonas brought the craft out of the atmosphere. He started mumbling something.

  “What?”

  The man mumbled again.

  “What?” Carlen put his hand up to his ear. “I can’t hear you.”

  The man glanced down at his mouth hoping Carlen would remove the gag.

  “Oh. I guess it’s okay now.” Carlen pulled the rag out of the officer’s mouth.

  “You will get shot down in about three minutes.”

  “No way, man. We have a Crow ship. They’ll never know we’re in it.” Carlen grinned.

  “I am not talking about the Crows.” The Enforcer grinned.

  “Oh, no. You’re right.” Carlen stood up as best he could. “Jonas? Jonas?” The vibrations forced Carlen back down.

  Jonas could not hear him over the humming of the engines.

  “Jonas!” Carlen yelled.

  Liotta turned to see Carlen trying to get Jonas’s attention. She tapped him on the shoulder. When Jonas looked, she pointed him in Carlen’s direction.

  “What’s up, Carlen?” Jonas tilted his ear towards the back.

  “The Enforcers are going to shoot us down.”

  “What?”

  Carlen took a deep breath. “The Enforcers are going to shoot us down!”

  “Not if we beat them to Cordova.” Jonas delivered a thumb’s-up.

  Suddenly, without any warning, a Parliamentary Craft appeared out of nowhere. It was so large that it filled all the windows of Jonas’s craft.

  “Oh, crap!”

  “Told ya.” The Enforcer flashed Carlen a sarcastic grin.

  “It’s a scare tactic. It’s not real,” Liotta shouted.

  “How is that possible?” Jonas placed his thumbs on the red triggers at the end of the handles.

  “Shoot it. Go ahead.” Liotta motioned to the triggers.

  “Jonas don’t,” Carlen begged from the rear. “That’s big stuff.”

  “It is very real, son. Bring this thing back before it’s too late,” Kiyo ordered.

  Jonas studied the ship in front of him. He noticed the tail ends of it were waving similar to a flag’s corners in the wind. Real ships don’t do that, he thought. Jonas squeezed the triggers, firing four bursts of intense lasers at the Parliamentary Ship. Nothing happened. The blast went clean through the image. “You were right, Liotta. You were right! It’s a freaking hologram.” Jonas turned and gave Liotta a quick kiss on the cheek.

  Liotta blushed and pecked him back.

  “There’s no time for that,” Carlen jealously stated.

  The craft continued its route towards Cordova. They were approaching quickly. None of them realized what a short ride it would be.

  “Prepare to land this thing.” Liotta noticed the craters were getting closer.

  “Where, Liotta, where?” Jonas looked back. “Carlen, where should we land?”

  Carlen whipped out the old map. He rapidly scanned its contents with his fingers.

  “Carlen?”

  “Okay! Okay! I’m looking.”

  “That’s not a hologram.” Liotta tapped Jonas’s shoulder.

  “Huh?” Jonas broke focus from his digital map.

  “Look!” Liotta pointed through the window.

  “Moons! What is that?”

  A huge craft, double the size of their vessel, swarmed over them. It locked in on them. Their craft began to vibrate, accompanied by a loud rattling hum.

  “Let me out of here or we’ll all be dead!” The Enforcer violently pounded his chair rails.

  “Jonas … This guy is freaking out!”

  “That’s an Old Republic Ship! We are gonna be vaporized if we don’t get outta here!” Kiyo yelled.

  “Settle down man,” Jonas shouted back.

  “You settle down, dammit! Are you stupid?” The Enforcer broke a rail, freeing his left arm.

  Carlen jumped back but the Enforcer already had him by the throat.

  “Let me go or I will kill him.”

  Carlen looked at Jonas in complete despair. He would have begged for his life but the Enforcer’s grip encompassed his Adam’s apple.

  Jonas starred into the officer’s eyes. He could tell by the weathered wrinkles, which dressed his temples, that this man would terminate his cousin in a heartbeat. Then he looked into Carlen’s eyes.

  “Let the guy go, Jonas. This was a bad idea to begin with,” Liotta said.

  Jonas lowered his head, hiding his pride. “Release my cousin and I will let you free.”

  “How about you let me free, then I will release your little cousin?” the Enforcer snarled as he clenched his fingers tighter.

  “Actually, he’s older,” Jonas rebutted, trying to maintain any sense of dignity.

  Carlen whimpered.

  The beating of the engines overhead grew louder and more intense with every passing moment.

  “Liotta … Let him go.”

  Liotta made her way to the rear of the craft. “Promise you won’t hurt us once we let you go.”

  “I promise. I just want to get us home safely.” Kiyo’s lips curled up.

  The craft suddenly jolted, sending Liotta into Carlen. The force was so great that it caused the officer’s grip to break. Carlen and Liotta went tumbling into the corner.

  Jonas was tossed against the control panel. He glanced through the upper window, noticing the large vessel’s steel hull was on top of Jonas’s craft.

  Carlen got to his feet. “They are coming in here. I just know it.”

  “They aren’t coming in here. They are escorting us to their port,” the Enforcer said. “That’s why I wanted to get out of this contraption. These escort ships do not have any blasters on them. Now let me go.”

  “That’s right,” Liotta remembered. “They are designed to pick up all small crafts in orbit.” She dusted her clothes.

  “What do we do now?” Carlen approached Jonas.

  “Nothing. We sneak out once we get to port.”

  The Enforcer smacked his free arm against his chair. “Yeah, see, smart ass, we won’t get that opportunity. We … uh … look a little different. We will stick out like sore thumbs. I would have pulled us away from this Crow taxi.” Then he started to unwrap his bonding straps.

  “Why couldn’t you just do that before?” Carlen looked on.

  “‘cause I had my hand around your neck.”

  “Please, don’t make me use this.” Jonas cautiously neared the Enforcer. He aimed Darden’s tiny blaster directly at his face.

  “Jonas? What are you doing?” Carlen cried.

  “Tie him up, Carlen. Tie him up real good.”

  “But, Jonas, he can help us,” Liotta pleaded as she attempted to block Jonas.

  Jonas gently nudged Liotta aside. “Quiet. This man was about to kill my cousin. We may have taken him for a ride to the center moon, but we never thought about killing him. Until now.” Jonas inched closer.

  The Enforcer stared him down with a stone face. “Put the blaster down, son.”

  “Oh, now I’m your son. I don’t think so.” Jonas returned the stony look. “Tie him up, cousin. Make those bonding straps nice and tight.”

  Liotta was not quite sure what to make of Jonas. She couldn’t understand this. This hidden dark side was scaring her. “Jonas, please?”

  “Please what? Please let this man turn your father in? Please let this man terminate us?”

  Liotta whipped her long hair around, stomping to the front of the craft.

  Carlen finished securing the officer to a metal beam, which ran vertically al
ong the wall of the craft.

  Jonas lifted his blaster and quickly slammed the butt of his weapon into the side of the officer’s head. The Enforcer collapsed along the pole to which he was strapped.

  The craft was towed along the moon’s orbit for about five minutes. Jonas and Liotta could tell that they were hovering over the rocky surface. Jonas marveled at the city domes, which housed thousands of dwellings. The illuminated spots along the horizon marked each individual city. Liotta counted thirty-two domes before the space taxi released their craft along the ports runway. At the end of the runway, the largest of all the domes rested. The man made atmosphere had a light blue tint, imitating the Earth’s sky.

  “We have arrived.” Jonas hopped back into the captain’s seat and regained control of the craft.

  “We’re here? Jonas? We’re really here?” Carlen made his way to the front of the craft.

  “Sit down, cousin. We’re heading into port.”

  Carlen took the third and final seat in the pilot’s area. He glanced back at the officer who was still out cold. Then he stared at Liotta.

  She sat quietly in her chair. Carlen was trying to read her mood. The way she looked at the window was not normal. Her tongue was pressing up against her cheek and her usually full lips appeared thin. He understood she was not sightseeing. She just did not want to be bothered with anyone.

  A red ring lit up around the dome’s rim as the convoy of crafts approached. The sliding bay door opened at the dome’s base, allowing the line of vessels to enter.

  The craft’s landing gear slowly released as the vehicle lowered to the surface. Crow guards came from every corner of the port. They directed the vessel to a landing pad.

  “Whoa.” Liotta finally made a sound. You could see the Earth’s reflection bouncing off her large, green eyes.

  “Put these on. Quickly.” Jonas pulled a few robes from under his seat.

  “Where did you find Republican cloaks?” Carlen asked as he ran his fingers along the fine material.

  “Your dad left them here.” Trying to soften Liotta’s mood, he added, “He must have known that one day your boyfriend would steal one of his crafts.”

  “I don’t have a boyfriend,” Liotta snapped as she pulled a robe over her.

  “Sorry. Just trying to break the ice a bit.”

  “You were about to kill an officer, Jonas. Kidnapping, stealing a ship and landing at an enemy’s base are things I can handle. But killing an Enforcer?” Liotta flipped her hair again. “He is one of us.”

  “I had to protect Carlen.”

  “Whatever.” Liotta stood up.

  “I don’t need protection.” Carlen flipped the robes hood over his head.

  Liotta tied her sash. “What’s your plan now, tough guy?”

  “I figured we would wait for the Crows to board, then we would blast them.”

  Liotta shook her head. “Oh, that’s a great plan.” She looked at the officer. “What are we going to do with this gentleman?”

  Jonas got out of his seat and adjusted his robe. “We will use him as a prisoner. Then we will get into the detention area.”

  “Well … what if he talks?” Carlen added as he adjusted his hood.

  “I’ve got a great idea.” Liotta turned, staring Jonas right in the eye. “You go find your Darden person and we will stay right here. If you are not back within a certain amount of time, we will leave without you.”

  “You’ll get killed if the Crows decide to board the craft.” Jonas tied his sash and pulled the hood over his head. “We must stick together.”

  “What are we going to do about the officer?” Liotta noticed the Enforcer mumbling to himself.

  “I will take care of it.” Jonas flipped his blaster out.

  Liotta quickly blocked Jonas from getting any closer.

  Carlen ripped the weapon from Jonas’s hand. “I will handle this.” He stepped up to the officer and rested the blaster on the man’s temple.

  “Carlen? No!” Jonas pushed Liotta aside.

  His cousin gave him a faint look. Jonas could tell he was over the edge. Something snapped.

  “Carlen, please … He’s an Enforcer,” Liotta pleaded.

  The officer’s eyes rolled towards his temples. He was trying to communicate but still did not have the capabilities to put words together.

  “I can protect myself, Jonas … See?”

  “Cousin, relax. I know you can. If you hurt this guy, not only will you get dismissed from the Academy, you will get termination.”

  Carlen dropped his head and focused on the floor. He brought the blaster to his side. “Why were you going to kill him?”

  “I wasn’t.” Jonas walked over to a wall storage container. “I was going to transfer the guy into this.” He pulled it open to display a tight cell.

  “Oh.” Carlen handed the blaster back to Jonas.

  “You are both insane!” Liotta smacked Carlen in the face. “I can’t believe you would even think of killing that man.”

  “I … I’m sorry.”

  Jonas pushed Carlen. “Get your hoods up and wait for me outside. I will be right with you. Just as soon as I put the Enforcer here away.”

  Liotta was relieved. She too thought that Jonas had been about to terminate the officer.

  Carlen fixed up his hood and walked down the ramp.

  “I really think we should have stayed right here.”

  “Liotta … Please go with Carlen.” Jonas handed her the blaster. “Keep this in a safe place.”

  The port was busy. There was a lot of commerce along the docking areas. The place was packed with Crows. It used to be the main military post before the Sapian immigration. With less and less land on Earth, Cordova was quickly becoming a settlement. This port was obviously a place where merchants could hassle customers before they reached their new homes.

  Liotta and Carlen were standing ten feet away from the craft. The good thing about their robes was that almost all the common Crows wore them.

  A robe’s style indicated one’s social status. Since most Crows were poor, the simple brown robe with a yellow sash was worn often. The sash was the essential accessory. Yellow sashes were always for the civilians or commons. The purples ones exhibited a military class. The Old Republic had a whole line of robes, which displayed the different ranks.

  They were fantastic disguises. There were no voice distinctions between Crows and Sapians. Just the faces and foreheads were different. Height was not a problem, because Liotta and Carlen were not fully matured yet. Jonas stepped out of the craft wearing the Enforcer’s uniform.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Liotta barked.

  Carlen noticed some Crows had already spotted Jonas. He tugged Liotta by the arm before she could be linked to his cousin. “Leave him be.”

  “Looks pretty good on me, doesn’t it?” Jonas said through tight lips as he winked at Liotta.

  “I get it. I get it. He wants to go to the detention block.” Carlen was pleased with his reasoning. “Then he will find Darden.”

  “I guess we have to follow him there,” Liotta said as she felt around for the hidden blaster.

  Within moments, Republican Guards swarmed around Jonas as he flaunted his stolen uniform. The guards were draped in purple robes with wide black sashes. Patches of gray crescents, which resembled the waning moon, were worn on their right shoulders. They drew silver blasters from inside their cloaks.

  “Looks like you got me.” Jonas’s smile puffed out his cheeks. His eyes showed the hopes he had of finding Darden.

  “Down to the floor, Sapian.” One guard aimed his weapon.

  Jonas nodded in agreement as he slowly went down on his knees.

  An impatient guard landed his boot in the back of Jonas’s head to speed up the capture. The smile quickly faded from the teen’s face. It was at that point he realized he might have made a bad decision.

  Carlen held onto Liotta’s elbow and pulled her back into the onlooking crowd of merchants and
commons. A loud rumbling came from around the port’s opening. A transport lowered next to Jonas’s craft. Carlen tugged on Liotta’s sleeve to get her to move further away.

  Five more Republican Guards sprang out from the transport carrying long blasters. They poured into the craft. Only seconds passed before loud bangs were heard, followed by a quick blast.

  Jonas’s head whipped in the direction of his craft. He knew in his heart that the officer had been captured or even worse, killed.

  Liotta glanced at Carlen from underneath her hood. They communicated their concerns without a word. She shoved Carlen away from the crowd. Carlen responded by taking her hand and dashing to safety.

  Jonas watched his foolproof plan rapidly crumble. The one thing that put him at ease was that his friends seemed to be safe. The guards arranged Jonas face down on the ground. The dust from the moon did not taste very good. He heard laughing and cheering coming from the craft. While the teen’s wrists were being bound, he shifted his bloodshot pupils back towards his ship.

  Three guards walked down the ramp filled with exuberance. Behind them, two more followed, dragging the corpse of their latest trophy.

  His captors swiftly lifted Jonas into the air. The Crows had incredible strength.

  Carlen and Liotta watched helplessly as Jonas was carried into a Republican Transport. Liotta pointed towards the guards. “We have to find a way to follow that craft.”

  The transport lifted a meter off the ground. “Looks like we’re too late.” Carlen tapped Liotta on the shoulder. The craft blended into the horizon.

  Jonas was headed for Cordova’s military colony. The transport was zipping along quickly. It traveled in and out of domes, over craters and halfway across the rock’s surface just while they watched. Inside, Jonas was mentally preparing himself for his encounter with his fair weather friend.

  With his hands strapped tightly to the craft’s seat, Jonas stared at Kiyo’s body, which was wrapped in a foil-like bag. The odor that ran through the vessel confirmed the Enforcer was dead.

  In the front, two guards piloted the craft along Cordova. Jonas noticed they were different from the Crows he’d met on Earth. Their skin was grayish in color. Their eyes were glossy and dark red where their lids met their pupils. Jonas could see the effects on them of living in an artificial atmosphere.