by Reiter
“FUCK!” Jocasta thought, reaching for the console but taking hold of her face instead. “Bastard knows the language, but I’ll be damned if he uses the right words! Disoriented?!
“But even this is wanting in the wake of what I am,” Jocasta said, not noticing that her left hand had indeed taken hold of the console that had seemingly taken a hold of her. Jocasta shook her head and looked at the tactical display.
“Gods know I love that blueberry,” Jocasta said softly as she checked the immediate vicinity. The positions of the robot ships had not changed in the least, but the Xara-Mansura was no longer on the far side of the wall of warships. It was now behind her target, a very much unprotected master control ship, and she was two minutes from a collision with the rear of the ship. Jocasta reached to unlock the straps of her chair, but they were no longer on the sides of her chair. She smirked and quickly entered her course. “Damn if he didn’t hand me the stick and the chalk on one hellacious cosmic cue ball! Xara-Mansura, you’re a finer ship than I will ever be a Captain.”
“I do not agree,” Jocasta heard, feeling the ship’s sentiment enter into her mind. She closed her eyes at the sting of what her Star-Wing training had opened in her mind.
“Thanks, baby!” she whispered, wiping her eyes. Jocasta ran out of the room whooping and hollering at the run to come, unaware of the slight sparkle of light where her tears had fallen to the floor.
The launch deck was closer to her chambers but further away from the Bridge than the normal hangar… and that was a good four-minute walk.
“Suit-up, girl,” she thought, hitting the emergency signal on her brace-com. Her mask formed over her face and the body armour quickly sealed. With her coat on, even the cold of space would be held back, for a time. “Wouldn’t be me if it was easy!” Jocasta thought as her mind recollected Xoron’s method of meditation.
“Come on, baby,” she whispered, glaring at the path in front of her. “… let’s get deep!” Jocasta ran to the edge of the catwalk, jumping over the side. She clicked her heels together just before landing and she smirked as the paneling gave slightly from the added weight and she rolled up into a sprint.
“Now, use what you’ve been taught, Jocasta!” she thought as her breathing became tightly metered. “Anticipate!”
At a full sprint, Jocasta jumped up on the railing and ran at her full speed on the two-centimeter-wide support rail. She jumped, spun halfway around, and clicked her heels hard. Laying out flat, Jocasta’s boots touched against on a wall panel that had been blown into the interior of the ship. Jocasta came to a stop and a gravity pulse kept the panel from tumbling as it descended through the interior of the ship.
“T-Ball,” Jocasta thought. “… please tell me you’ve got Talon warmed up and ready to jump!”
“I’ve even taken the liberty of collecting Z, Mistress,” Tuitonn projected.
“Attaboy! Comin’ in hot!”
“She thought that as if to imply she had another fashion,” Tuitonn reflected to himself.
“And here comes my floor,” Jocasta said as she clicked her heels and stamped the panel, causing it to roll. The pirate touched her right hand to the fragment as it rolled, and she was suddenly under it. “Here we go!” The tip of the fragment struck a horizontal support and was sent into a faster roll. Jocasta cried out as she was sent flying from the fragment, over the buckling catwalk, toward an area that was just outside the hangar door. Her boots stamped out to the wall and she turned to land on the floor. She felt a shift in the wind and squatted. Another broken piece of her ship flew over her head and into with the wall, blocking the entrance into the chamber.
“Fate is such a whiny bitch,” Jocasta muttered, reaching for her cane. She did not know if her blade could cleave what looked to be one of the rafters, but she had no other choice. The left-hand hangar door was pulled into the chamber by a pair of silvery white gauntlets.
“Show off,” Jocasta said as she stepped into the room before jumping up and into Talon. As Tuitonn had explained, Dungias was indeed in the room, but he had been laid in the center of the launch deck floor and was barely moving.
“Just trying to keep pace,” Tuitonn replied as Talon fell to Jocasta’s control. She ran to the launch deck and Tuitonn used telekinesis to hit the button for the emergency launch. The launch deck was suddenly encapsulated with metal plates that began to fuse together as the platform sank. “However, it seems we both have some things to learn.”
“It’s okay, Tuitonn, I got the teacher!” she exclaimed, lifting Dungias up from the floor.
The launch deck pod fired away from the ship as it dipped down and to the starboard side of the master control ship. The target vessel had fired up all engines and was turning hard to port. Looking at her sensors, she could see missiles tearing into the hull of her ship as it gave off a slight blue glow, making one last change in course.
“You’ve got to love it when you use English!” Jocasta said softly. Another gravimetric field emanated from the starboard side of the craft and the explosions of the missiles were being used to increase the speed of the spacecraft.
“Captain, what’s the range of the blast the Xara-Mansura is going to make?” Tuitonn asked.
Jocasta laughed, believing all along that they were going to be too close to hope for a safe delivery from the maneuver. But she knew she had to come. “Let’s just say we’ve got the best seats in the house to one helluva light show!”
“Indeed!” Tuitonn said with surprising comfort. “And I have to say that the company is exceptional.”
“I don’t care where you take me for dinner, I’m not putting out!” Jocasta joked, and the two laughed. The pirate stopped laughing for a moment when she heard a third person laughing with her and Tuitonn.
“If that is the case, at least let me walk you to your door,” Dungias projected as he activated the stored Jump-Stride he had placed into Alpha during his conversation with Entropy.
Jocasta gasped as her mind was made dizzy once more. Going through the same steps Dungias had given her the last time, she quickly cleared her head and looked around to see the Pearl Barony. On the other side of the planet she could see the light from the explosion of the Xara-Mansura and the Master Control Ship.
“He wasn’t kidding about being able to see it,” Jocasta said, thinking that she might need to engage her thrusters. “No, that won’t be necessary… not with where he put us.” Jocasta chuckled, looking down on her unconscious First Mate whose skin was black. “The only place in this sector we could have survived that blast. We used a planet as a shield.”
“And we can’t see her burn either,” Jocasta thought to herself. “Not sure if you meant to do that, Z, but it’s much appreciated. Don’t think I could handle that particular view right now.
“And they’re off,” Jocasta barked, activating her distress beacon and her stopwatch. “Let’s see how long it takes these bums to come get their heroes.”
** b *** t *** o *** r **
Dyortral’s gray-green eyes popped open as he gasped for air. Three maidens came quickly to attend him, but each was telekinetically pushed back to the walls of his sleeping chambers. He sat up in his bed, frowning at the sensations that had invaded his mind.
“How very odd,” he thought, “… but it would seem that making a rapport with the First Star Chaser is proving to be beneficial. Given the opportunity, I might even tell her that I have established it.
“But what is this ‘first stride of freedom’ that she was attached to?” he asked as his mind accessed the tomes of the Savanté. There was no formal entry of the Xara-Mansura save for the notes recorded by the Ulti-Mind. “Aahhh, and here we have my student Danatra once again. How interesting that she be involved with this! The Xara-Mansura was the name of the ship crafted by her Vu-Prin… the deliverer!
“How very interesting,” he thought. “What is the likelihood that the questing Star Chaser was unaware the First Star Chaser had incorporated herself into the construction o
f his ship? And even more importantly, why would Sylundaree do such a thing? This is a crime among Travelers! Not that Sylundaree answers to the laws of the Vinthur. This also begs the question if the ship was destroyed because the link was discovered. Hmmm.
“Ulti-Mind, take this fact and note it in the General Log with only a Master being able to read it.” Dyortral could feel his order being carried out and he considered how this knowledge could benefit his station.
Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.
John F. Kennedy
(Rims Time: XII-4205.01)
Six days. It had taken six days for Jocasta to find her way to the sandy rocks of the Lakrellian Sea. Six very long days. For three days Jocasta had endured the thanks and praise of the Pearl Barony, receiving citizenship to the barony, and therefore baronial passage to and from the Prism Baronies whenever she liked. Dungias had made it a point to insure the codes received from the Black Gate Governor would remain active. It was a matter of fortunate timing that the ceremony thrown for her and Double Duty happened in the middle of the parades and posturing. The assignment of rank and place was attended by Corpsman and Dragon alike. When Gexxur-Jalsathra, the new Brood Queen, wept for the losses of the Star-Wing ranks, including Shuriken, Vivaldi and Snow, it went a long way to healing the tremendous wound that had been struck. A statue, carved by Dragon MajiK, had been given to the Corps. A flying dragon, piloted by a comely woman, had been cast in white gold with diamonds for eyes of both the dragon and pilot. An enchantment had been set upon the statue. The light fall of lofty snowflakes would never stop while there was a Gemsoul Dragon breathing fire. More touching was the presentation made to Cavern of a Star-Wing pin with Snow’s full name and call-sign engraved in either wing.
“So you never have to take to the skies without her again,” the young and newly crowned queen had proclaimed, knowing that the gifted aviator had perished in combat defending, quite successfully, a wounded Dragon and her unconscious pilot.
In receiving the pin, the Soul Fighter had also seen the passing and smiled as a lone tear made its way from his eye. He had walked over to the young F.O. pilot who had been saved, smacked the pin to his chest so hard that it remained, and had said, “You’re Snow now. You fly with me!” Without so much as another word, Cavern turned and departed, with pilot in silent tow, stopping once to salute Commander Ravinguez and bowing to Captain Starblazer. JoJo had walked over to her him and reached to the inside of her holster. His hand was atop of hers, preventing the removal of the fragment. “It’s where it has always belonged. You were Star-Wing before you got here. You wanna get rid of it… give it to the lump of hope you send here to become the next in your line.”
“My line?” Jocasta had returned, trying to take measure of what that meant. After a moment, she smiled and nodded once. “It’s a date,” Jocasta had replied.
Saying farewell to V’Dalthian had been easier than she had thought it would be. The entire time he was around her, he had seemed anxious to be somewhere else. They had shared a warm and genuine embrace, albeit a brief one. He had been quick to take to the air, and she had been even faster, turning her back to put her attentions elsewhere.
The ride to the Onyx Barony had been escorted by Slip Shrikes and they had almost succeeded in keeping Jocasta’s eyes off the debris field where the Xara-Mansura had made her last turn. Her arrival into the Onyx Barony spurred another three days of parties and pressing the flesh. Quordion had seen that his guest was not enjoying the impromptu festival as much as his citizens or her crew. He arranged for a doppelganger to attend the functions, and most of the crew had gone through the events without being the wiser. Jocasta had been given time to herself and she had spent it quietly. On the evening of the third day she had called for her First and Second Mates. The lander and the ships of Project Pinion had been immediately prepped, and they set off for the dead moon and the area of black sands called the Lakrellian Sea.
“Coming around for final approach now, Captain,” Thomasine reported.
“Thanks, Thom,” she said before she looked up at Dungias. “Sure hope this parcel of yours isn’t too big. We’re almost at capacity for the lander.”
“Indeed,” Dungias replied as he typed into his brace-com. “Start your descent here, Thom.”
“Roger that,” the woman quickly replied, cutting her forward thrusters. Dungias was the first to leave the lander, definitely gaining Jocasta’s attention. The crew was quick to follow him, and they formed into presentation lines just outside the ship. Jocasta slowly walked down the gangplank.
“What fresh hell is this?” she thought. She put her boots to the ground and looked to Dungias to initiate whatever was about to happen.
“Are we going to make camp and start toasting marshmallows now?” Jocasta asked.
“Not exactly, Captain.” Jocasta looked into the eyes of her First Mate and flashed a devilish smile.
“I love that tone of voice,” she whispered before she heard a familiar cry echo across the dark sky. Her eyes gaped wide as she saw a score of Slip Shrikes, led by Trubble, come flying up out of the black sands. She then looked at Dungias who was pulling up the hood of his cloak.
“Not all the doors to Tween-Space are in outer space, Captain,” Dungias shared. “Especially the temporary ones the Slip Shrikes can make for themselves. Everyone, meet and greet a Silverbeak… and try to make a good first impression. They are carrying us to where we need to be.”
“They are?”
“They are indeed, Captain.”
Jocasta’s screams of joy might have started at the lake, but they did not end until she hopped off of Trubble’s back. She did not know where they were, but seeing Nexia made the coordinates of her current location insignificant. The Queen stood next to a pump of sorts that held several branches of the same plant the Slip Shrikes had provided and burned to create enough air for Jocasta to breathe. These branches were not burning, but the smell of the air was sweet and Jocasta cast a shaking-head smirk at her Chief Engineer just before she embraced Nexia.
“You gotta love the way our Captain just gets all huggy-like with Dragons and royalty!” Tank monitored.
“That’s what royalty does when it meets more royalty,” Llaz replied.
“And I think I have the last piece to my puzzle,” the young man thought, watching the Queen of the Slip Strikes lift his Captain from the ground in celebration of seeing her again. “She’s got some hard steps in front of her, but she’s on her path.”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking, Boss,” Olkin said, in awe of what he was witnessing. “Exactly!”
When Nexia finally did put Jocasta back down on the ground, it was only after the woman had kissed the side of her face. “What are you doing here?” Jocasta asked.
“You came into our realm and struck a blow for our kind,” Nexia explained. “You then delivered the bane of our existence to us for justice. I was honored when your Z asked us to deliver to you your latest boon!” Gesturing to an area that was behind Jocasta and her group, the pirate captain turned to see a gigantic black box with the letters N H B painted in gold all around it.
“No fucking way!”” Jocasta said, covering her mouth as her eyes watered.
“Hmmm,” Obanyo remarked, tilting his head to the side. “I’m going to trek an uncharted course here and say I don’t think that’s what NHB stands for.” He walked around her and Jocasta took a moment more before she allowed herself to breathe.
“Stand clear,” Dungias said as he hit a button on her brace-com. Smoke burst from the corners in simultaneous jets around the large box. “Admittedly, I have never presented anything to you before it was finished, but exceptional is perhaps the best way to consider this particular creation.” Cracks started to form in the walls of the box and white smoke started to pour out through them.
Tears flowed freely as the walls fell, revealing a ship… one that had been made entirely for her. It was not a fighter. It was far too big for an
yone to think it was that. It was a pirate ship, and Dungias stepped forward to acquaint ship with commander.
“There are five decks and twice as many engines,” he stated, looking over the hammerhead shark design. This is what I see when I think of you and the word ‘pirate’. As you can see, the full plating has not been completed, but the craft itself is space-worthy.”
“She is definitely on her path,” Llaz thought, shaking his head at the look of the ship.
“Yeah, she’s not finished,” Thomasine said as she moved to get a better look. “… but I can see where you’re going. Z, she’s freakin’ beautiful! Do you have a name for it?”
“Thank you, Thom, but this ship is not for me to name,” Dungias said plainly, and slowly but surely all eyes turned to look at Jocasta.
“Thom’s right… it is a ‘she’, and she is beautiful. The Xara-Mansura is the first stride of a Traveler’s Trek, right, Z?”
“That is correct, Captain. The path toward freedom, always a Traveler’s first destination.”
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think Z’s definitely gotten to that first marker,” Mel offered.
“Please believe it!” Agatha added.
“So this is what he does when he’s not building big-ass balls,” Hennix ribbed as the commentary continued among the crew. Llaz took one step toward Jocasta and held up his hand, calling for silence. He kept his eyes locked on Jocasta as she stood there with her fists on her hips. Nexia approached and placed a light hand on the woman’s shoulder.
“It appears to be a fine ship,” Nexia commented.
“I can see where’d you get that wrong, Nexia,” Jocasta returned. “What she is… they don’t have a word for. And if the Xara-Mansura was the first step, then this baby has to be the Freedom Road!” The approval of the crew and the Slip Shrikes was voiced quickly and in assorted volumes.