“Epi-what?”
Iaido shook his head. “Epee-sta-tees, it’s Greek for caretaker. He’s in charge of my hanger and will have a few items that might aid you in your mission.”
DJ looked down at the two datapads in his hands and back to his friend. “I….I don’t know what to say.”
Iaido waved a dismissive hand. “You don’t have to say anything. You came to my aid when I needed it, now it’s my turn to return the favor. I would offer more help but I doubt you would take it.”
DJ nodded. Iaido was right. This was something he felt he had to do on his own. He really couldn’t explain it other than it was a family thing but then, Iaido understood that and was offering help in the only way he could. “Thanks. This means a lot to me.”
Iaido held out his right hand. “Just be safe and good luck.”
DJ grasped forearms with his friend. “Thanks. I’ll contact you when this is over.” Once again grabbing his duffle bag and throwing it over his shoulder, he and UR-L8 made their way out of the Nemesis.
* * * * *
Talia Stargleam poked her head out of one of the side hatches. “Is he gone?”
Iaido nodded. “Aye.”
As Talia moved into his study, Iaido’s eyes studied her every move. He was always entranced by the inhuman grace the Sylvan race possessed. They seemed to glide instead of walk with their shoulders and heads held straight and even. The whole race seemed to move that way. Was it natural or a learned trait? He didn’t know but just accepted it as one of the subtle differences in the two races.
Talia placed her cup of coffee on the table, sat down on the couch and pulled her legs up underneath her. “Is it wise to let him go alone?”
Iaido shook his head and joined her back on the couch. “Probably not, but he would not take any more aid from me on this subject.”
“But what if he fails?”
With a shrug, Iaido responded calmly. “Then he fails. Everyone must walk his or her own path.”
“But I thought he was your friend?”
Iaido took a drink from his own cup of coffee before replying. “He is…but a true friend doesn’t stand in your way when you have something important to accomplish. He allows you to fall if that is your destiny but he’s also nearby to help you up when you need it.”
Talia’s emerald green eyes flashed and a smile came over her lovely face. “You have a plan.”
Iaido couldn’t contain his grin. “Yes, I have a plan.”
* * * * *
DJ followed Iaido’s directions and took the lift to the lowest section of Haven. This was actually the worst area of the whole station. It had never been fully repaired in the interim years since the war and had become the home to the scum of Haven. Thieves, murderers, bums, slavers and anyone else unable or unwilling to afford living topside made this area their home. DJ was unsure why his friend was sending him down here but he trusted Iaido. And even though some of his plans seemed outlandish or strange on the surface, he rarely did anything without a good reason.
Stepping off the lift, five thugs moved out of the darkness to flank him.
Without a second thought or hesitation, DJ pulled out his Graver Mk7 blaster and blew a fist sized hole in the closest thug’s chest. He didn’t need to fire a second shot as the rest faded from view. Ignoring the body, DJ moved through the bowels of the station. Stepping over the debris and rubbish which covered the corridors, he came around a bend and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him.
This passageway was absolutely pristine and completely different from the rest of this level. The walls were polished and floors swept. Additionally, the flickering lights which permeated the rest of the level were gone and this corridor was brightly lit. A huge blast door could be seen at the far end of the long hallway with foot long numbers boldly painted in black that stood out in vast contrast from the gleaming metal of the door and declared this to be his goal, hanger fifty-one.
As he entered the corridor and moved closer to the door, DJ heard the whirring of automatic defense guns deploying all around him. He glanced over his shoulder and sure enough, four turrets had popped out of the overhead and were tracking his progress towards the door. Naturally, this made him nervous but he didn’t stop his forward motion. Iaido had sent him here for a reason and it certainly wasn’t to be blown away by his security system.
UR-L8 whistled three tones, low-high-low. “Pardon this unit’s intrusion master but it doesn’t seem that we are welcomed here.”
DJ ignored the bot’s pleas and continued down the hallway until he reached the massive door. He looked for a way to open it but there wasn’t any visible handle or latch. “You could be right.”
Before UR-L8 could respond, a hollow voice came over the hallway’s intercom. “You have ten seconds to identify yourself or you will be incinerated. Nine….eight…”
“I’m Staff Sergeant Scott DeJarnette, retired of course.”
“Please remain still while your identity is confirmed through retinal verification, seven….six…”
“I’m here at the direction of Iaido Achilles Spartan.”
“Five…. identity confirmed. Access allowed. Please step back.”
The massive door began to open.
Whatever DJ was expecting to find on the other side, what confronted him was not it. Hanger fifty-one was actually just one of three storage units Iaido had hidden away in this sector of space for his salvaged and captured items. This was actually his largest and main supply depot. The hanger bay actually encompassed the majority of this entire level but this was the only access hatch to the station. The rest were sealed shut. Standing at the door was a ten foot tall multi-limbed android that was silver in color and shaped kind of like an upright torpedo. It had three red eyes which seemed to be able to swivel in a full circle as did its three wheeled base giving it the ability to move and see in all directions. Its limbs seemed to unfold out of its silver metal hide. Currently it had ten arms out but DJ guessed it could double that number if so inclined.
“Greetings Marine, I am Epista’tis the Caretaker. Master Spartan has directed me to outfit you for a journey of utmost importance.”
“Uh….thanks? What is all this stuff?”
Even as Epista’tis began moving through the hanger, he kept talking. “These are the trophies of the Hunter. One could call them the spoils of war but that would limit it only to the items captured during battle.”
One limb seemed to point toward a far corner of the hanger. DJ hazarded a quick glance down the neatly stacked rows and saw an untold number of battle armor and weapons along the far wall.
Epista’tis was still talking and moving. “…and that would not include gifts from grateful benefactors.” Another wave of a limb and DJ spied racks of gleaming items. He wasn’t sure but at least one looked like a crown of jewels.
DJ interrupted the android’s rambling. “Where are you taking me?”
“Master Spartan left specific instructions and they have been followed to the letter. You will find everything you need to accomplish your mission on the Aetós.”
“The what?”
As they moved out of the main area and into a side hanger with pressurized doors, DJ stopped mid-stride at the sight of the ship right in front of him. One part of his brain registered that there were other ships docked there but he only had eyes for one.
“The Aetós, which translated from the ancient language of Greek, means eagle. For some reason, Master Spartan thought you might like this ship.”
The Aetós was the most beautiful starship he’d seen in his entire life. Made entirely from some glistening silver metal, the ship looked like a giant eagle with its wings outstretched and sloping slightly downward like those of its namesake. He could see twin engines nacelles mounted gracefully to its hull toward the back of the fuselage and right below the ‘tail feathers’ of the ship. But what really gave the starship the impression of an eagle was its landing gear and nose design. The landing gear looked
to be patterned directly after the three-toed talons of an eagle. DJ imagined that if the Aetós was in flight with the landing gear down, it would give the impression of an attacking eagle with talons outstretched. Then, there was the cockpit. Even with the tinted windows, he could tell that it seated at least two. But what seemed most impressive was the fact that the silvery metal was shaped in an almost perfect representation of the downward turned beak of an eagle.
DJ had to remind himself to close his mouth. “Wher…where did Iaido get this?”
“According to my files, the Aetós was built on Sylvanias by a master shipwright at the commission of a Terran businessman in 2160. It took nearly two Terran decades to complete and before ownership of the Aetós’ could be transferred to the entrepreneur, all of his assets were seized by the Coalition government when he was charged with article 104 of the UCMJ.”
DJ knew from his time in the Marines that the UCMJ, or the ‘Uniform Code of Military Justice,’ was basically the laws governing those that served in the military and article 104 referred to the crime of aiding the enemy.
“Why would a businessman be subject to the UCMJ?”
Epista’tis paused for a second as he accessed more information. “It seems that the businessman in question was a reserve officer in the UNCF Fleet services and had been activated at the time in question.”
“How long ago was this?”
“Twenty-seven Terran years ago.”
DJ nodded and quickly did the math in his head. That would’ve been during the earliest years of the war between the Coalition and the Confederacy. He’d read that there were many sympathizers on both sides of the conflict which had led to countless problems for the government.
“Okay…how did it get here?”
“Master Spartan received this as part of a salvage claim against the Sylvan government eight years ago.”
“And now, he is lending it to me?”
“Negative sir.”
DJ cocked his head to the side. “Huh?”
“No sir. The Aetós is not being loaned to you. Ownership of the ship and all equipment onboard has been transferred to you effective thirty-seven minutes ago.”
“But….what? You mean this is my ship?”
“I’m sorry sir; I was under the impression that you understood English. I can speak ninety-three other dialects if you so desire.”
DJ shook his head. “No, never mind. It’s fine. I’m in a rush.”
“Very good sir. If you will climb onboard, Aeolus will take care of you and I will return to my duties. It was a pleasure to serve you.”
Before DJ could ask what he meant, the multi-limbed caretaker android was gone and the pressurized doors were closing. “Come on UR-L8, let’s get onboard.”
The boxy yellow and black android whistled once and followed the ex-Marine toward the impressive looking starship. The gangplank, located at the stern of the ship in between the twin engines, lowered at their approach. Climbing onboard, DJ was shocked at the interior.
He was expecting a very plain and simple decor, far from it. Granted, it only had one major compartment with sleeping pods on each side, a small table and two comfortable looking chairs were strategically located to one side. The interior was crafted in a polished dark wood which he didn’t recognize. The whole of the inside was constructed with care and decorated with earth-tones which he found very relaxing. He spied a short passageway which obviously led to the bridge where two seats could be seen. All in all, the Aetós was smaller than the Nemesis but much larger than the average starfighter.
When DJ and UR-L8 cleared the gangplank, the hatch closed and the engines fired up.
A mellow voice with an ever so slight British accent spoke from the ship’s intercoms. “Welcome aboard, captain. I am Aeolus, the Aetós’ resident artificial intelligence. I have been in communication with Pax and have a full dossier on your exploits and mission summary. We are cleared for departure and only await your command.”
Once again DJ found himself overwhelmed at Iaido’s generosity and paused.
“I’m sorry captain, are we waiting for another? I can open the hatch again if need be.”
DJ shook his head. “No, no we aren’t waiting for anyone. I take it that you are fully capable for flying.”
Aeolus took on a slightly insulted tone. “Absolutely, sir. Although, I will admit it has been some time since we’ve flown.”
“Go ahead and take off. Set course for…”
“Saturn, yes sir. I have been fully briefed. Our course is laid in and we are currently taxiing to our exit point. Might I suggest that you strap yourself in? I would recommend the captain’s chair, which would be the seat closest to you on the bridge. The front chair is actually designated as the gunners mate’s chair.”
DJ dropped his duffle bag and climbed into the chair and strapped himself in. Immediately, the command console came to life. Every gauge, sensor or control was completely holographic with the exception of the flight control stick. DJ found that with a simple flick of his finger, he could move or zoom in on any particular gauge or monitor. It was amazing.
Aeolus spoke. “Firing thrusters and retracting landing gear.”
The Aetós zoomed out of the lower section of Haven and DJ felt himself sink backward into the chair by the G-forces of their acceleration. Aeolus took the ship through several barrel rolls and quick banks. DJ wasn’t a fighter pilot by any stretch of the imagination but he’d been in a few dogfights in his time and he realized that the agility the Aetós was displaying was incredible.
“Aeolus, how long has it since you’ve been out of that hanger?”
“Using the standard Terran calendar: six years, two-hundred and three days, fourteen hours and thirty-seven minutes and if I may be so bold captain, it is a pleasure to be of service once more.”
“Sergeant.”
“Beg your pardon, sir?”
“Don’t call me sir, I work for a living. Nor do I like the title of captain. I know that’s the general rule of thumb for commanders of a vessel but I’m not an officer, I’m a sergeant.”
“I don’t understand. According to your service record, you were discharged from active duty status eight years ago. Why would you still go by the title of sergeant?”
“It’s a Marine thing.”
“Never mind, it is not my place to question my commander.” A chime sounded through the cabin. “We have reached the outer marker and can jump to hyperspace at your command.”
DJ nodded. “Do it.”
There wasn’t any fanfare or big surge of energy. The Aetós just calmly slipped into hyperspace and the stars all around the ship became a blur.
“You have a message waiting for you on the mess deck. I will alert you when we are close to our destination.”
DJ unhooked himself and moved down the short passageway. “Thanks, Aeolus.”
“No thanks are necessary….however, you are welcome.”
DJ sat in one of the chairs and clicked on the blinking light on the table console. A small holographic projector began emitting its message in the air above the table. He wasn’t surprised to find that it was from Iaido.
“DJ, I hope you like your new toy. I’ve had her for some time but the Aetós just isn’t me. The Nemesis is my home. However, I hate to see her just sitting there. Considering all the help you gave me in dealing with the Major and other bounties over the last few months, it was the least I could do. Besides, I know you have a thing for eagles.”
Iaido paused and grinned.
“Honestly, I’ve had Epista’tis and Aeolus getting her ready for you for several weeks but I just didn’t know how or when to broach the subject. If I just gave it to you, we would argue about it since you don’t like asking for help much less taking aid even when you need it. However, your current family problems provided the perfect situation to solve both of our problems.”
Iaido leaned back in his chair before continuing.
“Aeolus can give you a complete rundown of
all equipment stored on board. You have pretty much everything you’ll need short of your HAVOC suit and Typhoon Gatling Gun. Both were available but given your current mission, I did not allow Epista’tis to load them. I fear if you had access to them, you would be to tempted to just load up and charge straight in, which would only lead to you getting killed or locked up again. Keep in mind that the Coalition doesn’t have any real authority on Saturn. Titan Avionics is the true power in the Saturnian system and they rule with an iron fist.”
Iaido picked up a datapad and waved it at the projector as he talked.
“I’ve had Athena work her magic on the net and as I suspected, you are on the ‘no-fly’ list. As a matter of fact, you have an active warrant throughout the Saturnian System with orders to arrest and detain you on sight. But I have an idea to get around that particular problem… you need to go undercover and I know just the identity to use.”
Iaido tilted the first datapad that he’d handed him toward the holo-recorder.
“This has all the information about your cover identification, statistics, past bounties and relevant information concerning bounty hunting. Memorize it. Don’t worry; your credentials are completely authentic. For the time being, you will be known as Rote Falken or the Red Falcon. It’s actually an old cover of mine. I’ve only used it a few times many, many years ago. As a matter of fact, the last time I had the Aetós out it was under that guise. However, there is one slight complication.”
Iaido paused. Athena could be seen behind him, standing absolutely still in her rigid military stance.
“Athena has discovered that someone has been using my old cover for the past five years. I’ve never given it any thought or concern until now. According to her, this upstart Falcon is on the far side of the Milky Way in Confederate space at the moment. So, if you get in and out quickly, there shouldn’t be any problems. Of course this also opens up some options for when you succeed in rescuing your daughter. If everything goes smoothly, the authorities will be looking for someone else. If Murphy shows up, then the upstart Falcon will still bleed off some heat from you as you make your escape.”
The Last Spartan 2: DJ's Mission Page 3