StarFlight: The Prism Baronies (Beyond the Outer Rim Book 2)

by Reiter

  “There is simply no need for thr–” Sarshata moved with horrifying speed, taking hold of the Minister’s face.

  “And you will not interrupt me again, Minister. Once more, I am not a citizen of this barony. As Commandant, the attendants of Sky Stone fall under my purview and no one else’s!”

  “That is a very committed position to take for a cadet, Commander,” Harlay, the Baron’s personal assistant, noted.

  “You are the last person to speak of positions, woman!” Sarshata spat, pushing the Minister away from her. “As for my place, JoJo Starblazer is not a cadet, she is Star-Wing. The only matter left to be determined is whether she will be an Elite Officer or a Corpsman.

  “Baron, where do you find these parrots?!” Sarshata asked, and Ivus found that he could not hold the woman’s glare. “And furthermore, Starblazer had already made me aware of the transmissions shared between herself and the Field Marshal.” Ivus’ eyes came up quickly from the floor and found the Field Marshal. “Odd that what I viewed then was a bit longer than what we just saw. Plarzo may wish to dance around it, but a Star-Wing laid out a challenge. I have yet to hear a response.”

  “This is madness!” Ballosh exclaimed. “There are ships positioned just outside our markers! It was ten yesterday. Today it’s over sixty! Not even the Star-Wing can sustain those numbers!”

  “Care to make a wager,” Sarshata said with an evil smile. “You put up your position and I’ll put up a million credits. Ten million. Name the amount, and I will make a bona fide wager with you. I am just that tired of your sound, smell, and general presence!”

  “I accept,” Uhnveer said as he turned his back to Ravinguez. “I accept the challenge. Tell this… Starblazer I will meet her, tomorrow, on a platform in Tween-Space and there we shall duel, in power-suits limited to 3-meter frames. A duel to the death! Now go, be the little messenger-girl that you are. My Lieutenant has credits if you require gratuity.”

  “I’ll just be needing two coins,” Sarshata quickly replied. “One for each eye… provided she leaves a corpse for us to burn. Keep your communicator handy, FM, I’m sure you’ll be hearing from her very soon.”

  “For what it is worth, Commander,” Ivus said, stroking his beard as he glared at Uhnveer Plarzo. “If you have any influence with this woman, kindly have her fight, defeat, and burn this fool in one measure. Enough time has been spent on this matter, and even that has been overwhelmingly generous!”

  “Baron!” Ballosh gasped.

  “What?!” Ivus barked. “This quarter-measure of a man dares to hold my barony hostage over a personal matter?! He knows we do not have the necessary forces to fly out and wipe him from the stars! And you would have me bow and scrape?! I find myself in complete agreement with the Commander, Ballosh. I tire of you! And if Starblazer has since reconsidered–”

  “She hasn’t, Baron,” Sarshata interrupted. “Of that I am sure!”

  “Then we eagerly await her words,” Ivus said, giving Swan a head nod. “Guards! The Field Marshal wishes to return to his armada. See him off these grounds expeditiously.”

  “No need, Lord Baron,” Uhnveer said, touching a button on his belt. His flight pack burst from the back of his jacket and he was airborne in the very next instant.

  “Do you have eyes on him, Jericho?” Sarshata said into her wrist-com.

  “That’s a solid affirmative, Commander.”

  “Good. Escort him to his shuttle and then see his shuttle off planet. We should have established tracking by then.”

  “Roger that.”

  Ivus laughed a short blast as Sarshata lowered her arm. “Resourceful as always, Swan. Well done. Now tell me, this particular Star-Wing. Is she just a flyer, or can she pilot a power-suit?”

  “I’m not even sure she’ll wear one to meet him,” she replied. “Baron,” Sarshata bowed as she back-pedaled. She turned and walked quickly for the doors.

  Swan could not get back to Sky Stone fast enough, and she flew her air-car demonstrating that perspective. When she hopped out of the vehicle, it had not quite come to a sure stop but it did so before reaching the wall. The moment Swan’s boots made contact with the ground, her eyes closed. She received an image, and a smile spread wide across the woman’s face. Her anger was displaced, feeling the source of her happiness.

  “So this is what the Loft looks like,” Jocasta said with her hands on her hips. “A girl could get used to this.” Sarshata turned to see Jocasta and the young pirate smiled when their eyes met.

  “I see you have already moved your fighter,” Sarshata replied.

  “No, that was Flaps,” Jocasta shared. “Don’t worry, Z worked up a special helmet and flight suit. He can fly with the best of them again.”

  “That man may be the only thing that can keep up with you.”

  “Did they give you a bunch of red tape bull-Kot?”

  “I dodged that before they could get it going… sir,” Sarshata said, saluting her superior officer.

  “Wow! That is fucking sharp!” Jocasta remarked as she dropped her hands to her sides. “I prefer these though.” Jocasta stepped forward and threw her arms around Sarshata who was quick to return the gesture.

  “Congratulations… Captain,” Sarshata whispered, holding on tightly to Jocasta. She closed her eyes and took in the moment.

  What her predecessor, the late and very great Whizzer, had said about this moment was telling. “When you can witness the assignment of a higher ranking officer, a better Corpsman, and still feel good about it, then you know you’re doing this for the right reasons.”

  “Well done, Silverwing,” she whispered, keeping the tears at bay.

  “Thank you, Swan,” Jocasta said softly as she stepped back. “And despite my attitude about the process, you run a serious program.”

  “And you must be a serious Star-Wing,” Routhar said as he approached, wearing a brand new gray flight jacket. Both women turned and smiled at the sight of him. He took another step forward, snapped to attention and gave a sharp salute. “Double Duty reporting in for assignment!” Sarshata returned the salute as Jocasta stepped forward and hugged him. Surprise kept Routhar from moving initially, but he wrapped his arms around Jocasta. “Congratulations, Captain.”

  “And to you…”

  “Second Lieutenant,” Routhar stated and Jocasta leaned in to stare at him closely. The process had already begun; it was just a matter of time before his eyes would be steel gray.

  “Looks damn good on you, DD,” Jocasta said, lightly touching the side of his face. She then turned to look at Sarshata. “So, what am I looking at here?”

  “No specific time or place, just tomorrow, in Tween-Space, on a platform… in power-suits,” Sarshata informed. “It sounds like a trap to me.”

  “Well of course it is,” Jocasta said, accessing her brace-com, “… it’s the only way this thing even comes close! Z, please check Daedalus for me. And do we have anything in the way of a power-suit on board?”

  “Perhaps you should check Daedalus,” Dungias returned. “Hansel and I are satisfied with our combined efforts.”

  “What?!” Jocasta exclaimed. “You and Spooky went and made me a suit?!”

  “So it would appear. Should I advise him of his crew name?”

  “Please do,” she replied with a very bright smile. “JoJo out. Connect Plarzo.” She waited for a few seconds, looking at Routhar and Sarshata, both of whom looked incredibly anxious. “You two do realize that half of his skills come by way of legend, right?”

  “Captain Starblazer,” Uhnveer spoke. “Or is it Silverwing now?”

  “An ass-whoopin’ by any other name hurts just as much,” Jocasta said. “Send me the coordinates and expect me at sixteen hundred hours. We’ll keep this close to the heart. You and a Second only. Anything else shows up on my screen and I’ll launch missiles before I ask any questions!”

  “The same applies to you, JoJo,” Uhnveer called back. “You’ll be receiving the coordinates shortly. And remember, th
is is to the death. Plarzo out!”

  “He’s one of those last word freaks,” Jocasta commented as she lowered her brace-com.

  “I take it that Z is going to be your Second?” Sarshata asked.

  “Like there is any doubt!” Jocasta laughed.

  “If you need, I’ll stand with you,” Sarshata vowed.

  “You will have your choice, Captain,” Routhar added.

  “Thanks guys, but I’ve got this! Now, if you will excuse me, I have a suit to check out. Last thing I need is to have to work out bugs while my life is on the line!”

  “Of course,” Sarshata said. “But remember that the Loft has a number of resources available to you.”

  “Yeah, I got the orientation brochure and everything,” Jocasta said as she walked away. She turned away from the two and the confident smile left her face. Nothing regarding her conversation with Uhnveer had gone the way she wanted. He was calm – too calm – and she could not shake the feeling that he was only that confident because he believed she would never reach the challenge site.

  Jocasta walked around the machine, her eyes gleaming at the look of the thing. The floating broadcast module moved with her; Hansel, Xaedra, and Culshee were able to watch their captain looking over the result of their combined efforts. Dungias stood, arms draped in front him, nearly ten meters back. The Star-Wing Ace ran her hand over the surface of the polished chrome-like metal. It was nearly seamless, and cool to the touch, but it made her feel warm inside. She smiled and batted her eyes, stepping back to take it all in.

  “Now this is a power-suit,” she said, putting her hand to her chin. “Spooky, I love you!”

  “Captain, you’ve got to know… I was really just crafting and assembling pieces that Z had already designed. Some of the internal systems I still don’t understand. The drones and automated systems built them, I installed them, Xaedra helped with that while she was warding the suit, and Culshee was our test pilot, making a few changes to the internal systems.

  “Very few,” Culshee quickly added. “It was more like a fine-tuning process,” she added. “I replaced some of the chemical compositions with some holistic alternatives that I think are faster acting and better for you in the long run.”

  “You people are trying to get me misty-eyed,” Jocasta said, walking around her power-suit a fifth time. “Well done, and thank you.”

  “It was a pleasure, Captain,” Xaedra replied. “… and hardly what you and Z are owed.”

  “Wow, that’s not what I expected to hear from you,” Jocasta noted. “I was told you wanted to hang around Spectre.”

  “And I still do,” Xaedra was quick to say, “I have, at least in my heart, promised myself to him, but he is promised to his studies and he is still with my people. I thought I would be with him there, but there is so much more to this world than MajiK, and there is much more to MajiK than what my people practice . It took me a while to see it, but now that I have had this taste, I don’t know if I can be sated!”

  “I’ve been there… Talisman,” Jocasta said, assigning yet another crew name. She could hear Dungias entering commands on his brace-com. “Not a bad place to be. I hope it lasts longer for you than it did for me.”

  “Thank you, Captain.”

  “Guys, I need to speak to Z,” Jocasta said and she deactivated the floating module. “You want to tell me what you’ve been up to besides this?”

  “What I was needed most to do, Captain,” Dungias replied. “And yes, I am aware of how cryptic that response is. Believe me when I say I cannot be clearer, not yet.”

  “I believe you even when you say I shouldn’t,” Jocasta returned before she took in a deep breath. “Is this where the bravado abandons me?”

  “I believe you are mistaken,” Dungias stated plainly. “The common term used to describe what you suffer from is denial… if not utter delusion!”

  “Your lips… my ass, blueberry boy!” Jocasta snapped.

  “Do you know why you are considered reckless?” Dungias asked.

  “I’ll just throw this line in here because we both know it doesn’t matter what I say!”

  “Few people can see things the way you do,” he continued. “Your point of view is not in the realm of what is foolishly labeled the mainstream. You succeed because no matter how differently you see things, you have the means to craft your dreams into a legendary reality. If I may be frank…”

  “You’ve certainly spent enough time being a dick!”

  “Trust yourself more, but remember you should not see your path so sharply that you fail to give credence to the rest of the universe. You are extraordinary! Eventually even the stars will bow in praise of your light.”

  “Hands down, the best put down on record,” Jocasta remarked. “You’re leaving my ass hanging out to dry, but then you lay down that poetic Kot, and have the gall to make me feel good about it! Adorable, Z. Do you even want to hear about that walkway?”

  “And the Dragon at the end of the path?” Dungias inquired.

  “You blue ass! You know, I checked. Absolutely nobody likes you!”

  “I expect to hear from you soon, with reports of your victory,” Dungias said as he drew Alpha and lifted the power-suit, guiding it over to Daedalus as the bottom cargo hatch opened.

  “Hey, where’s Icarus?”

  “Topside hatch,” Dungias informed. “And all three have been prepared. Do you have a name for the suit?”

  “I’ll let you know when I get back,” Jocasta said as she checked her flight suit. With the adjustment of one button, her coat became a flight jacket. Tuitonn lifted her cane to her hand as she climbed up into her fighter. “Fire it up, Daedalus,” she commanded and the engines roared to life. Jocasta dropped down into her seat and was hovering before the canopy closed. She looked over at Z and waved. He pointed at his head in response as Sarshata walked up to him. Jocasta nodded as she laughed and donned her helmet.

  “She’s going alone?” Sarshata asked.

  “Never!” Dungias stated. “But, no one is riding with her at the moment. However, you should be concerned with other matters. You are not properly dressed, Commander.”

  “For what, Dungias?”

  “For war,” he said, looking up at the Daedalus fly off, followed by two sleek, black starfighters. “Who is that?” Dungias asked as a frown formed on his face.

  “That’s Shuriken and Vivaldi,” Sarshata replied. “They volunteered to fly escort with Silverwing until she reaches–” Dungias’ iron grip wrapped around her shoulder and the woman was up on her toes, wincing in pain, grabbing desperately Dungias’ arm as he touched Alpha to her chest. The woman had many secrets, but duplicity with regards to Jocasta was not one of them. Dungias released her and opened a channel, only to find that no signals or transmissions were getting away from Sky Stone.

  “Satithe,” Dungias called.

  “I can’t reach the Xara-Mansura,” she quickly reported. “It’s like nothing outside of Sky Stone exists! I am picking up a fluctuating energy signature… it’s a spell, Master… a powerful one… but the epicenter of the incantation is neither steady nor stationary! And Master, look at the wave magnitude!” Dungias did as he had been directed and his eyes squinted at an unexpected reality.

  “You are under siege!” Dungias yelled as he looked back at a recovering Sarshata. “… the Dragons are attacking!”

  ** b *** t *** o *** r **

  Jocasta leaned into her turn as she started verifying her plotted course. She looked up and to her right to see Fonri in a black starfighter, waving at her. “Looks like I’ve got company for this trip,” she said as she lifted her hand to wave back. It came away from the throttle and she felt it, the itch! She lost her smile as she looked at Fonri. He looked back and nodded, fully understanding what was happening. He then waved goodbye and banked away from her ship.

  “I’m not feeling anything,” Jocasta thought. “Not even Daedalus! Feels like I’m in a dead zone!”

  “Perhaps I should get
back to my station,” Tuitonn recommended and he started to move the cane from beside her leg. Jocasta caught the cane before it could go over her shoulder.

  “Shield!” she shouted just before the bomb in the rear seat exploded. Daedalus rolled over into a steep dive.

  “Yep… down she goes,” Fonri said into his channel with Trosalda.

  “And the challenge is over even before it could begin,” she replied. “Easiest ten million credits we’ve ever made.”

  “Says you,” Fonri complained. “I’ve got a headache suppressing everything trying to go off on that fighter!”

  “I’ll rub your temples with one hundred thousand credit notes.”

  “You’re going to rub more than my temples!” he stated. “Let’s get to the C & B site.” Fonri took his fighter into a sharp turn back to Sky Stone.

  “Crash and Burn, here we come,” Trosalda replied, following her point man.

  Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use.

  Ruth Gordon

  (Rims Time: XII-4204.24)

  It was something of a struggle for Thandace to keep the Onyx Baron in his seat. He was not at all happy with the way he had been treated, and he was even less agreeable with the part of the plan he had just received.

  “Quordion, please!” she pleaded.

  “We’re running from our own estate!” he exclaimed. “If Plarzo wants me, I want him to know where he can find me! Now turn this shuttle around at once!”

  “There’s a real good chance that’s not going to happen,” Siekor said as he came away from the cockpit, closing and securing the door. “I’m going to need you to–” Siekor’s body was lifted up from the floor panels, surrounded by a shimmering black light that was squeezing him.