Freedom Flight (Space Rogue Book 3)

by Jay Toney

  The repairmen seeing what she did to her Marauders engines were not happy with her. Randolph agreed with them. He handed Jewel a set of coveralls. "You made the mess, you need to help clean it up. When you get the engine out, you will need to scrub and clean every inch of the engine bay before the crew helps you install the new engine."

  ****

  Amber and Nathaniel joined back up. Amber told Nathaniel about what Jewel did to help her.

  "I bet she is having a lot of fun cleaning the mess she made. I did the same thing once. It was months before the repairmen forgave me. She should have shut off her engine, and advanced the throttle. The burning fuel would have made a nice trail of fire and black smoke, without ruining her engine."

  "I'll let you tell her."

  "I won't have to. I'm sure the mechanics have already let her know."

  We joined Doc and Mike, taking out the last few weapons towers, and blowing several holes in the walls of the compound with our missiles. The ground forces rushed into the defenseless compound and captured the remaining pirates.

  Natty's Return

  Amber and I were in our cabin relaxing after the battle. It was hours later before Jewel joined us. She came in, not saying a word to either of us. She was covered with black soot. Her blond hair was now tangled, matted, and filled with soot, and cleaning agents. She went straight to the shower, discarding the coverall, and tried scrubbing herself clean.

  She wrapped herself in a robe, and sat at the vanity. She took one look in the mirror and screamed. Her once curly blond hair, was now different shades of gray and black. There were patches of white where the cleaning agents stripped the color from her hair. The ends were frizzy now, damaged by the cleaning chemicals. She went straight to bed, curling herself into a ball, crying.

  Amber fixed her a plate of food. "Jewel, you need to eat something. It will make you feel better."

  She shook her head no and pulled the blanket over her head, covering her ruined hair. With Tanya no longer with us, Amber had only one option left. Jewel needed professional help. She called Rosie.

  Rosie coaxed Jewel out from beneath the covers. Amber and I still felt Jewels pain, but wasn't as bad as it was when Jewel first saw her hair. Jewel was led to the vanity, and seated. Jewel looked at her hair and started crying again.

  "Don't worry, I will be able to fix this."

  Rosie washed Jewels hair again, using a detangler and comb to try removing the remaining tangles and matted hair. She cut out the matted clumps she couldn't untangle. There was no way to save all of Jewels hair. The cleaners she used on her Marauder damaged and burned her hair. Rosie cut and reshaped her hair. It was much shorter now, barely touching her shoulders. Rosie put a stripping agent in her hair, giving it a little extra time to do its work, but not enough time for it to burn her hair again. Then she Shampooed Jewels hair one more time.

  "Do you want to be a blond, a brunette, or a red head?"

  "I like being blond. Its my natural hair color."

  "Sometimes its fun, changing things up a little."

  "I'll stick with being blond if I can."

  "I'll give it a try, but I may have to redo it, going darker."

  Rosie mixed a solution that would permanently dye Jewels hair, adding some pigment to the solution. She worked the dye into Jewels hair, giving it time to soak in before shampooing Jewels hair again. Then she curled her hair, with a loose spiral curl, then brushed it to loosen the curl further. She turned Jewel to face the mirror again. Jewel smiled, seeing her new hair style.

  "Thank you Rosie, I love my hair." She hugged Rosie before allowing her to return to her cabin. Jewel went straight to the galley, and heated her meal before eating it. She was happy again. We all went to bed. The combat and Jewels ordeal had Amber and I worrying that it was going to be a long night.

  The next morning we had a message waiting for us. General Sherman invited us down for lunch, and a celebration. Doc, Mike, Jewel, Amber, and I met at the shuttle bay. Jewel was wearing a flight helmet, making sure none of her hair showed. She was treated to giggles, laughter, and whispering from the mechanics. Jewel pulled off her helmet, and shook out her hair. The mechanics were expecting her to have soot dyed hair and a tangled mess, or a shaved head. They weren't expecting what they saw. They were instantly silenced by the sight of her blond hair.

  We boarded my yacht, and flew to the surface. We were greeted by the general, the governor, and his staff. All of them were anxious to thank us. We were led to the prisoners, so they could see their victors. It only took a few of us to destroy their defenses and their compound. The prisoners were all dressed in bright orange jump suits. Their wrists and ankles were chained with shackles and leg irons. I raised my voice, so that they all could hear me. "General, make sure you have them neutered. They make better pets that way." They weren't happy with the prospect of being castrated, voicing their complaints.

  We were treated to more political speeches thanking us for our help. They had a banquet ready for us. It better not be spiders, I thought. It wasn't. They served sandwiches made with some kind of shredded meat and sauce, with coleslaw and French fries as a side dish. After eating, we did some trading, freeing up more valuable cargo space on our ships. I purchased more fresh meat, vegetables, and fresh fruit for the ship. We spent a week in orbit. The Lucy did a thriving business with David running things, now that Beverly was aboard my ship.

  Beverly was getting noticeably getting larger. Doc and his assistant were checking on her every few days. There was no way to estimate a delivery date. Mixed breed babies, from different alien species happened amongst species with similar DNA. It wasn't rare, but it wasn't common either. Being humanoid wasn't enough, we had to have enough in common with our species to impregnate each other. If not, their would be a lot of mixed specie babies born. We were curious about each other, and birth control rarely worked between different species. I was lucky in regards to that. I had been with several different alien women in my youth, leaving birth control up to them. If it was easy to conceive with them, I would have had a lot of children. Right now I only knew of two, soon to be born.

  After concluding our business we left orbit. We set our course for the Boralis System. It would take eight hours to reach the nearest jump point. Four hours into our journey, Amber jumped up and started shouting, "We have to stop. We have to stop!"

  I reversed our thrust, and brought the ship to a dead stop. The rest of the fleet did the same. Reds image appeared on the viewscreen asking why we were stopping. I ignored him, trying to calm Amber, and make sense of what she was truing to tell us.

  "She's here! She's Here!"

  "Amber who is here?"

  "Its Natty and Tanya."

  "Amber there dead. They died a long way from here."

  She calmed her self a little before starting over. "All of our scans were clear, then suddenly Natty's Marauder was suddenly here. It just appeared on our sensors." She turned on the tactical display. There was a Marauder on our display, at the edge of our short range sensors. The transponder data showed that the ships serial number did indeed match her Marauder. Visual scans, at maximum magnification showed the number 6 painted on the ships twin tails. Our sensors showed that the ship was on minimum life support. It also showed a weak life sign signal. Red waited patiently for me to respond to his call.

  "Red, she may be right. I don't know how its even possible, but it appears that Natty and Tanya may somehow be alive."

  "I saw them die myself. Natty flew right into the missiles path. There was nothing left after the explosion."

  I sent him the data we gathered on the Marauder. "It's to much of a coincidence, I have to check it. Somehow I knew it wasn't a coincidence, we were seeing our lost ship and p
ossibly its occupants.

  "The ship is on minimum life support. We have to hurry. I've already dispatched a rescue team to tow the ship in."

  "I'll be right over. I owe those girls my life. I don't know how it can be, but I pray you are right."

  The bridge was left empty. We all headed to the port side shuttle bay, to see what awaited us aboard the marauder. After the ship was released on the runway, it rolled to a stop before reaching the barrier. The ship looked undamaged. However, their was one difference that I noticed right away. Painted on each side of the hull was a picture of a very beautiful lady. She had long blond hair, with a gold tiara. She was clothed in a dark blue gown. Above her portrait were three shooting stars. Below it was the name, Astrea.

  The rescue team removed only one body. They rushed it to sickbay. We all followed as fast as we could. Doc passed all of us, locking the entrance to the examination room behind him. We all waited anxiously for news from Doc. Our imaginations were left to run wild.

  ****

  "Natty, how can it be? You're human now."

  "I don't know. I don't feel any different. The star lady must have done it. Why can't I hear my sister?"

  "You no longer have a neurolink to communicate with the ship's AI, nor do you have a positronic brain to process the data. You are limited to the same liabilities that we have."

  "Is my sister okay? We just made up before I died."

  "I'm sorry, Natasha is gone. She didn't want to exist without you. Where is Tanya? Didn't she come back with you."

  "The star lady told me that she moved on. She also said that I will see her again, and it will be as if no time has passed for her."

  "Who is this star lady?"

  "She is a very beautiful and kind lady. Her name is Astrea."

  "My scans show that you are very healthy. I will need to give you a birth control implant. Make sure you keep it charged, or you will get pregnant."

  "I can have a baby now?"

  "I don't see any reason you can't."

  "But I am a synthetic person. I can't have babies."

  "You are a very real person now, and you are very fertile. Put your hand in this device."

  "Ouch!"

  "The sting will fade in a few minutes. You need to wait for 24 hours before having sex, or you will get pregnant. You can go with Nathaniel, Amber and Jewel now. They are waiting to see you."

  ****

  Red was first to greet Natty. He hugged her tightly to his body in his massive arms. "Don't you ever kill yourself trying to save me again. I couldn't stand the suffering again," he said releasing her. "I can't thank you and Tanya enough. What happened to her?"

  "Tanya was allowed to move on."

  "Why weren't you?"

  "My soul hasn't matured enough yet. I was sent back, instead of being reincarnated. The star lady likes me, she thinks I am special. I am very hungry, can I get something to eat?"

  We took Natty to the officers mess. Rosie was cooking for us tonight. When she saw Natty and Red with us she rushed the food out to us so we could eat a little early. Rosie served Natty a big plate full of spaghetti and meatballs, and placed a basket of fresh baked bread in front of her. The last time she ate spaghetti she picked up the plate and slurped it off of the plate. This time she used a fork and a slice of the crusty bread in front of her. We all ate together, enjoying the meal, and Natty's return.

  After our meal Red returned to his ship, leaving the four of us to get reacquainted. We returned to our cabin and undressed to relax in the hot tub. Natty hung her weapons rig on a hook outside of the girls wardrobes, then joined us. The hot water was soothing and relaxing. Amber noticed the jewel in Natty's left palm.

  "Natty, why do you have a birth control implant?"

  "Doc told me that I was real now and could get pregnant. He also warned me about not having sex for at least 24 hours. He told me that if I did, I would get pregnant."

  "You're are a human now, and not a synthetic person?"

  "Not any longer. I am as human as you and Jewel are."

  "What happened when you died?"

  "I am not really sure. The first thing I remember is seeing the Star lady. She is very beautiful, and nice. We talked form a while, then she brought me here. She has a message for all of you. None of you must do another joining. The Iniguar bond by exchanging pieces of each others souls. A second joining uses larger pieces, and causes many changes between the partners, some are small, but most are major changes. A third bonding will have serious effects. You all would be splitting your souls in half. You could loose your identity, or worse. It is possible that each of you could develop multiple personalities with each section of soul growing into a new soul. Either way all of you will be lost forever."

  "Why did she tell you that?"

  "One of the reasons I am here is to bring all of you that message. She also wants me to be happy, and she wants all of us together. She thinks I am special, and she likes me. Her other option was to send me back here, to start life as a baby without any memories. She granted me a few favors. Making me human was one of them. I am also bonded to all of you, so I feel all of your emotions again, including Jewels."

  "That's a lot to take in. I'm sure we will have several questions later."

  "Nathaniel, its your bedtime."

  "Already?"

  "Its time to get out of the hot tub, and get you ready for bed."

  "Why does Cappy have to go to sleep so early?"

  "Jewels joining shared her being muddle headiness and confusion in the morning with Nathaniel. We have to put him to bed early, so we can get him up early enough for him to clear his thoughts."

  "He is not a morning person, I bet he doesn't like it."

  "Its not to bad as long as we get him up early enough."

  "I guess I'll be going to my quarters, then."

  "Natty, these are your quarters. Shar'tu and his bond mate live across from us now."

  "What about my clothes?"

  "They were given away to our new crew members. Jewel and I have plenty of clothes to share with you."

  We all got out of the hot tub and dried. Amber and Jewel put on their nighties, and gave Natty one to wear. We got in bed, Amber still slept to my right, and Jewel on my left. Natty climbed on top of me and cuddled with me.

  "Sorry Cappy, no sex tonight. I don't want to have a baby yet, but someday I will want lots of them."

  "Now I can't get comfortable. I got use to covering Nathaniel with my body."

  "We can all cuddle together. It will be fun."

  Jewel snuggled up to Natty and Nathaniel. She held both of them in her arms, and draped one of her legs over them. Sleep came fast for all of them.

  Rosie set an extra plate for Natty. Her husband Mike, told her about the miraculous return of Natty. She was tidying up and doing laundry, when the girls got up. Natty tried helping clean the suite, but Rosie wouldn't have any of it. She sat Natty at the Table, and poured her some juice. Jewel and Amber each had one of Nathaniel's arms. This was a rough morning, usually he was easy to lead to the galley table, this morning he was being stubborn and wanted to get back in bed. With the sight and smell of breakfast, he stopped fighting, and let the girls seat him at the table. Amber poured three glasses of juice for Nathaniel, giving them to him. He gulped the first two down, then sipped from the third.

  "When did Nathaniel start drinking juice? He use to hate it. Why doesn't he have any coffee made? He cant function without it."

  "He won't drink coffee anymore, its part of the joining. He demands at least three glasses of juice, to get him started now. It usually takes h
im 10-15 minutes before his head starts to clear." It may take longer this morning. He is being stubborn."

  "Maybe Astrea can help."

  "Who is Astrea?"

  "That is the Star Lady's name."

  "Why would she want to help him."

  "Because she wants me to be happy."

  "How would you call her?"

  "I don't know. Maybe if I prayed to her, but I don't know how. I've never prayed before."

  "Neither have we, but maybe its what is in our hearts that she will hear."

  Amber, Jewel, and Natty held hands, and Natty started her prayer:

  "Astrea, I need your help. Cappy isn't right and he is getting worse. Please help me make him well again."

  "Natty, no one has prayed to me in a long, long time. The others are already jealous with my sponsoring and helping you. Now they are more so. Most people gave up praying thousands of years ago. What do you need me to help you with, regarding Nathaniel."

  "When he gets up in the morning he is confused, and doesn't know where he is. Amber and Jewel said his thoughts usually clear up in 15 minutes. Its been nearly an hour and he is still muddle headed. Its getting worse."

  Astrea led Nathaniel back to the bed. He was eager to get back in bed so he didn't resist her. She placed her hand on Nathaniel's head, and whispered a few words. Nathaniel fell asleep. Astrea returned to the common room.

  "Natty thank you for your prayer. Nathaniel needs to sleep. When he wakes up tomorrow he will be cured. Is there anything I can do for you?"

  "Helping Cappy get better is all I want."

  "You have a beautiful heart. I will be watching you."

  "Thank you Star Lady."

  Astrea vanished. Jewel and Amber came out of a daze.